#ENIGMA STUDIO

[gebo4482]

[ECHOSTASIS]

[teaghoulart]

I recently played the game MOTHERED by ENIGMA STUDIO, and I was struck by how unsettling the mother was. The way that she moved and how she would pop up suddenly across the room with little explanation is something that I still think about from time to time. I really enjoyed this game, except the apple picking part. That can go in the trash.

[red-akara]

Mothered.

A game of psychological horror in which you come home from “major surgery” to find your mother replaced with a strange living mannequin.

A game that has two wildly different endings depending on how you make one very small choice.

A game in which the demo was released AFTER the full version and not before, as part of the Haunted PS1 Demo Disk compilation on itch.io

A game where the demo’s series of events are altered from the full version.

A game in which…if you have a completed save file of the full version…playing the demo again will unlock a hidden sequel.

A game in which it and its sequel connect deeply to the developer’s other games (Enigma Machine and Echostasis), but you wouldn’t know on first glance.

A game in which it’s sequel contains a QR code hidden behind your bathroom door. That takes you to a locked itch.io page. With a password found in the Echostasis prologue. That when typed in…

…reveals this:

Yeah. My brain has exploded.

[sasquach-scratches]

Decided to play Mothered: A Role-Playing Horror Game on a whim since I tried the demo a while back and found it interesting and then I find out it has a sequel of sorts

In that same demo I played

Which is in a PS1 demo disk-themed anthology of indie game demos

And it'll only appear if you've played and gotten through the whole game

I genuinely admire but also fear how unhinged these devs are lmao

[cookie-nigel-dolan]

Mothered: Home  –  Mothered sequel, all endings

[princess-pengy]

Strange Gaming Diaries: THE ENIGMA MACHINE, by ENIGMA STUDIO

so, bit of context for this one: a few years ago I bought itch.io's Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality, all of the games from which proceeded to sit tragically unexplored in my library until very recently. more recently, I decided to scroll through each and every single one of the hundreds of games included, find the ones that seemed interesting, and give them a shot! it seemed like a great way to get introduced to games on the fringe, and I've been very happy with the results.

THE ENIGMA MACHINE (which, yes, I will be capitalizing exclusively like that throughout this post, because I'm not about to enforce sensible typography on a game that so consistently refers to itself in all-caps) was one of these games, and holds the distinction of being the very, very first horror game I've ever played. not for lack of interest—I've always loved horror to bits, but for someone easily panicked and incredibly noise-sensitive like me, engaging with the genre is like russian roulette with about as much risk for damage to my brain.

however, the premise of this was an incredibly alluring one, with THE ENIGMA MACHINE (I warned you!) promising a trip into the murky, ambiguous, low-poly worlds within the mind of an artificial intelligence. mindscapes and synthetic life have always been some of my favorite narrative concepts, and it's clear that this game was made with its own love for these ideas. it's a bold and passionate opening statement from this developer, and the game that truly solidified how much I wanted to keep playing these kinds of abstract, heartfelt experiments.

in its opening minutes, the game did a nice job of setting up everything it needed to with its narrative: the player is taking part in a training exercise for the ENIGMA corporation's DREAMSCAPE software, which allows users to enter the minds of artificial intelligences—which ENIGMA is also the leading producers of, alongside the lifelike android bodies that house them.

and speaking of AIs, the chipper companion called demOS responsible for delivering most of this information is an incredibly well-written character! their constraints as an artificial being and lack of understanding of humans is consistent and sometimes charmingly awkward, but the dialogue still felt alive in a gripping way.

of course, this is a horror game, and once you actually enter the simulation, that fact becomes immediately apparent!

to be clear, another first that this game gave me was my first experience with the whole psx low-poly Thing that's been sweeping the indie horror scene these past few years. and y'know what? I get it now. the environments had me more unnerved than I've been in a while. with how slow your walking speed is and how frequently your surroundings plunge into inscrutable darkness, you spend a lot of time in this game staring into empty, silent space. each ring of dimming light is starkly visible along the walls, and there's a subtle flickering to both the framerate and the way the polygons catch the light at a distance that not only draws unavoidable attention to the artificiality of these settings, but gives an impression that they're only barely held together. it's wonderful. I fucking loved it and it made every single corner I turned into a surreal nightmare.

ultimately, though, the gameplay and relatively simplistic puzzle solving are vehicles for the impactful little plotline the game has going on, wherein you're given all sorts of cryptic talk about "decontamination" and AI sapience. but to talk more about that, we need to…

⚠ ENTER THE SPOILERZONE ⚠

"decontamination" is a word the game likes to throw around without explaining what it means. it's apparently what you're meant to be doing to AI by accessing their minds, but the game leaves the identity of what exactly is contaminating them enticingly vague.

and perhaps counterintuitively enough, things start getting MORE fucked up the less contaminated the testing AI is. the menu interface starts glitching out, demOS starts diverting from its programming, and the worlds you explore start changing. in one particular sequence that still sticks with me, the sky is replaced by a distorted view of the menu screen. it's haunting.

not only that, though, but the levels start merging. through various passageways and corridors, you start finding old levels, and thus the lie of these being individually simulated environments is revealed.

the game's final scenes (wherein you get a gun, only for there to be a stress-inducing lack of any enemies) contains many of these kinds of revelations: not only is the "contamination" you're tasked with cleaning out the essence of an AI's sapience, but you're also poking around in the brain of your friend demOS--or Red, as they're otherwise called. you and all the other agents like you are constantly lobotomizing this AI right as they realize what's happening to them.

and this is all paired with visuals that are haunting on a physical level as well as a glitchy metaphysical one. you find yourself in a courtyard with a beautiful starry sky with rain falling down, but everything's wrong. the vertices of the level geometry are mutilated in a way that constantly leaps out at you and obscures your vision. the rain is frozen in place. and, all the while, Red is recounting to you the experience of being torn from one's body and made to die over and over again, forever.

then a horrible humanoid figure walks towards you from behind one of the many , you shoot it, and the game crashes.

honestly, part of me almost wishes the game ended there. sure, the following sequence where the courtyard becomes a swirling hellstorm and you have to go through all the past environments while avoiding shrieking manifestations of an AI that wants to live is kickass, and far from unearned!

but THE ENIGMA MACHINE was so affecting for me because of how slow of a burn it was, and how gradually the tension and dread escalated. the crazy explosion of action at the end was almost a release of tension more than anything else, and while that wasn't unwelcome, it makes me wanna see the version of this game that stuck to that slow-paced dread all the way through to the end.

isn't that the best part about small little games like this, though? they set the mind ablaze and propose neat little ideas that, even if they aren't seen all the way through or have some quirks about them, are presented in an exciting enough way to get you thinking. the lived experience of an AI and how their senses operate so differently from ours despite having the same level of sapience is such a fascinating thing to dig into, and the way this game does that is so visceral that I found it utterly inspiring. can't wait to play the other games from the studio!!

Support the Developers! Buy the game on itch.io! Buy the game on Steam! Buy the soundtrack on Bandcamp! Keep up with Daniel on Twitter!

☆ Return to the Masterpost? ☆

[xxinkyshadowxx]

games that i think more people should know about cause they are so good oh my goodness

TW For blood, gore, and disturbing imagery

GOHOME

OM NOM NOM NOM NOM IM GOING TO EAT THE ENTIRE GAME OM NOM NOM NOM NOM I DO NOT HAVE THE WORDS TO DISCRIBE THIS GAME SO THERES IT DISCRIPTION DOWN THERE BUT IM GOING TO EAT IT ALL QUICK READ IT BEFORE I EATED ALL THE DISCRIPTION TOO

"This is a third-person horror game set in a residential area in 2000s Japan. It's the complete version of the free horror game GOHOME, which was released in 2019 and caused a boom. The map has been doubled, and six more ghosts, including hidden characters, have been added to the game. There's no grotesque , so even kids can enjoy it.

You've been separated from your parents and you're going home alone. It's the usual way home, but something's wrong. You're being chased by someone so you run away and go home. It's a sad, scary and mysterious game, but I hope it will be a lovely memory for you."

House

yeah it's less of a witchtrip(do not pay attention to how i use this word the way i use it makes sense and you know it does) than GOHOME is but oh my god the music the gameplay the plot i just this game would blow up a microwave and come out scratchless

A review: "a carpet killed me👍"

Literally any arcadekitten game

my personal favs are Cemetery mary and sweet no death but i swear all of their games are bangers)

game so good i stole a character's name that should say enough

A sweet no death review: "this was such a cool mix between cute and horror- loved it ! the game was pretty fun too, lambchop was so entertaining, and the music and visuals, so pleasing. "

A cemetery mary review: "Bro, I made an account just to say how much I enjoyed this game. This game was truly a pleasant experience and I genuinely think this is one of the best indie games i've played IMO."

Blackout hospital desc: "Blackout Hospital is a game where you play as Vasilis, a nonbinary janitor at Altobuck Hospital. When the power goes out while working the night shift, the emergency lights come on and bask the halls in an eerie, ghostly glow. Bizarre happenings start to occur at the hospital, and Vasilis wants no part in it as they try to look for a way out! Along the way they will fight off mysterious enemies, meet strange characters, and make a few allies--but will any of it mean anything if they can never return home?"

It's not me it's my basement desc: "Mom and Dad are away. But you're old enough to take care of yourself now, aren't you? You'll be fine, there's no need to worry. You're more than capable of keeping everything under control...right?"

It's Not Me, It's My Basement is a short horror game following a nonbinary child and their daily life. It takes about 30 minutes-1 hour to complete. There is only one ending."

Crowscare desc: "Crowscare is a short horror game, RPG game, and a love letter to the autumn season.

The game follows a young boy named Ryo, excited for the upcoming Harvest Festival in his hometown. Wouldn't you know? This is going to be his first one! He was never able to go to one before, as it always started past his curfew...but soon he'll see why he was never allowed out at night.

The game takes about 1-1 ½ hours to complete. There are two bad endings, and one good/true ending. "

World's end club:

AEWRT%UYTYRERSFXFGTY *EATS IT ALL IN ONE BITE* If you like danganronpa then you're gonna like this game as it's made by the same people this is just danganronpa but like more interactive and pg13 and im going to eat ALL of it the designs *eats the designs* oh and im not sure how true this is but i heard that one of the designers who worked on this made Top champion geeta's design soooooo

"Brought to you by Zero Escape series creator Kotaro Uchikoshi, and Kazutaka Kodaka, mastermind behind the Danganronpa games. With twists and turns aplenty, this mysterious, captivating tale of friendship and adversity will have you hooked from the get go.

Dive into this easy to pick up fusion of puzzle platforming and choice-driven story adventure, and surround yourself with a cast of charming, quirky characters as you set off on an unforgettable trip!

In an elementary school in Tokyo, a group of oddball kids from across the country have banded together as the "Go-Getters Club." Reycho and the rest of the Go-Getters are, to say the least, a little different to the rest of their classmates.

One summer's day the group is riding the bus on a school trip when disaster strikes. They wake up to find themselves trapped in a rusted, long-abandoned underwater theme park. As they struggle to get their bearings, a sinister clown appears out of the blue and informs the Go-Getters that they'll be playing a "Game of Fate"—pitting their lives against one another in a desperate struggle for survival!

Bewildered and confused, prospects look bleak for Reycho and the gang, but when all hope seems lost, out of nowhere, strange powers start to awaken in the daring Go-Getters.

What in the world could happen next!?"

Motherhood

i just i i just i AIUYTEWGEHYUDZIOR*(E&FUDTYGHJUIDS

A review: "Really good game with nice and disturbing aesthetics. The story was quite cryptic, but you get most of it by the secret ending.

It was a nice experience, I want to play the rest from Enigma Studio if the other games are as cool as this one!"

Bad end theater

i want to dissect this game like its a damn frog and then i want to go OM NOM NOM NOM NOM

Review: "PLEASE LET ME GIVE YOU MORE MONEY OH MY ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ GOD, ALSO LIKE ADD AN ART BOOK I NEED ACCESS TO ALL OF THIS ART AT ANY GIVEN TIME EVER"

Review: "While I cannot spoil why, this is possibly one of the sweetest, most thought out and unique short games I played in years.

Go in blind, you will find everything more meaningful that way!"

Loomian legacy

*Dj Khaled voice* Life is roblox

Formerly Pokemon brick bronze so i feel life that should be enough info for those who know of it

Emily wants to play

I I HYYDUIEUUI THIS SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF LITTLE ME I LOVE THIS GAME

Desc "It’s 11pm, and you are at the last house on your route. The lights are on, and the front door is opened. But, the windows are all boarded up and the grass is overgrown. It seems like a strange place to deliver a pizza, but at least, it looks like someone is home.

You run to the front door since it’s storming pretty bad.

“Hello!? Your pizza's here!" You announce. No one answers. There's an eerie silence.

You are getting soaked from the rain, so you hesitantly step inside the door and look around. The front door suddenly closes behind you.

You just wanted to finish this last delivery and head home for the night. Now you must figure out how to get out of this stupid creepy house.

Freely roam the house and try to figure out what is going on. Three dolls and a strange girl named Emily will also start roaming the house as the hours toll by. Stay away from them, but if you do end up in a room with one, figure out how to stay alive.

This may be your last pizza delivery."

I need to stop eating all these games im going to get a stomachache not from eating them but from the joy and whimsy i feel when these games are even real

[dreagonarts]

Been doing character asks on twitter. It's been fun^^ Now it's Moon's turn from the web comic Across the Dimensions. https://acrossthedimensionscomic.cfw.me/Ask_Moon/

I've added Moon's asks to the webcomic's page so you can view them all there, or ask more questions. https://acrossthedimensionscomic.cfw.me/blogarchive/41107https://acrossthedimensionscomic.cfw.me/Ask_Moon/

[dreagonarchives]

Happy 11th anniversary Ediz! https://acrossthedimensionscomic.cfw.me

[spookyagentfmulder]

all this talk of [RED] and [HER] makes me think of [ECHOSTASIS] and it is quite the [VIBE]

[spore-crossed]

I am indecisive and inconsistent. Please have another profile picture of Asinis, because I love him and this is all I post lately.

[actuallysaiyan]

I'm curious...

Do you play video games? If so, have you played any of the games from the indie developer Enigma Studios? Mothered and Enigma Machine are the only two games out from that studio, but I'm actually obsessed.

[skybrightpixie]

there's a video game i've been getting really into but almost nobody is TALKING ABOUT IT SO I HAVE NO FAN CONTENT AAAAAAA

[red-akara]

The games of Enigma Studio are a wild time.

Echostasis. Mothered. The Enigma Machine.

Top level, these all look like individual, stand alone games but if you go deeper, you’ll start noticing the tiny threads of connection between them. And it is a startling, creepy revelation.

Can’t wait to talk about this more at my friends’ next PowerPoint party ;)

[stefanoavvisati69]

Francesco Segala - Il maestro dei colori nei fumetti: dalla Capitale all'Universo dei Comics

Nel cuore della Città Eterna, tra i maestosi monumenti e le antiche strade di Roma, risiede un giovane talento che ha trasformato la sua passione per i fumetti in un’arte visiva che cattura l’attenzione di lettori di tutto il mondo. Francesco Segala, classe 1990, è l’estro dietro le tavole colorate di alcune delle testate più iconiche prodotte dalle principali case editrici…

[lxvvie]

Call of Duty: Audio Pornfare edition:

Price, Gaz, Soap, and Ghost are erotic voice actors/audio porn stars.

People turn to Price's audio when they want some of that Daddy Dom energy.

When they want the playfulness, teasing, and sensuality, they turn to Gaz.

When they want that carnality, praise, and the bad boy rogue with a side of Golden Retriever love, they turn to Soap.

When they want that darkness, the kind that brings out their primal desires, decadence, and degradation in husky undertones, they turn to Ghost.

And together, they're 141 Studios.

Gaz and Soap are the most visible. They're the faces of the group. Price makes an appearance every so often to leave their fans wanting. Ghost is an enigma, never showing his face and leading his fans to contemplate and wonder what he looks like.

They'll team up sometimes. Gaz and Price, Price and Ghost, Soap and Gaz, Soap and Ghost, it all depends.

But when they all collaborate together on one audio, Jesus fuckin' Christ...

They'll tease their audience with outtakes, too. It's usually Johnny's fault, making Gaz laugh with his ad-libs, or making Ghost go, "Goddamnit, Johnny," in that deep voice of his and trying not to laugh.

But when they go live, though? The thirst is real. Shit's dark on Ghost's live so you won't see anything but best believe you'll hear that voice.