As Halloween approaches, Epic Games Store continues to offer up spooky games of all varieties.Among the Sleepis a trippy, survival horror adventure withAmerican McGee’s Alicevibes, where you play as a baby. While games likeWho’s Your Daddy?made playing as a baby a whacky and fun adventure,Among the Sleepfeatures a much darker plot where the toddler, David, traverses a surreal nightmare world after witnessing his parents arguing.
Among the Sleepwas developed by Norweigan developer, Krillbite Studio. The game was originally released in 2014 after the studio received funding from the Norweigan Film Institute and a Kickstarter campaign. The game’s concept evoked a mixed response, but for the most part, the unique experience of playing a horror through the eyes of a toddler has huge potential for the genre. The game leans into the psychoanalytic implications of playing as a child. With childhood being such a huge component of the horror genre, this game offers a unique exploration of identification with the child character in horror.
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Among the Sleep: Gameplay and Aesthetic
Among the Sleepbears similarities withAmerican McGee’s AliceandAlice: Madness Returnsboth aesthetically and thematically, with surreal nightmare worlds inhabited by cartoonish, twisted creatures. However, combat is not the focus ofAmong the Sleep;Instead, the player will have to run and hide to avoid the nightmarish monsters. Since the playable character is a toddler, moving around includes crawling, walking, and climbing.
David will be accompanied throughout the game by his trusty companion, a teddy bear named Teddy. As a toddler, there’s not a huge amount of ways to interact with the world. In this respect,Among the Sleepcan be compared to walking simulators, though the horror elements and dark storyline making it much less of a relaxing play. In general, though, the game is more focused on atmosphere and story than gameplay. The gameplay is mostly linear but the feeling of being a small toddler in a large environment is effectively recreated to the point that it feels easy to get lost.
Among the Sleep’s Plot
Among the Sleepfollows toddler Davidwho lives with his mother, Zoey. David overhears a confrontation between his mother and his father, Justin, on his birthday, setting off the nightmare. While exploring the surreal version of reality David finds himself in, he uncovers memories pertaining to his parents and his relationship with his mother. The creepy and disturbing story is best experienced from here, but rest assured,Among the Sleepis definitely a horror game.
The game has some major hallmarks of horror cinema and psychoanalytic theory, particularly concepts like Barbara Creed’s “the monstrous feminine.” The relationship between child and parent, particularly the mother, is a central theme in psychoanalytic scholarship.Among the Sleeprepresents the potential of the video game medium to explore these themes in greater depth by having the player literally experience and interact with the world as a toddler.An Oculus-compatible versionof the game was available briefly, which further emphasizes the immersive capabilities of games.
There is no shortage of horror games available this October across multiple subscription services likeXbox Games with Gold and PlayStation Now/PS Plus. That being said,Among the Sleepis a great option for anyone looking for a truly unique horror game to play. While the game does have some dark themes, there is a type of catharsis inAmong the Sleep’sexploration of childhood trauma. With a good deal of horror games featuring parents as the playable characters,Among the Sleepoffers the alternative experience of being a child.
Among the Sleepwill be added to Epic Games Store’s free games on October 24, and is available now on Switch, Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
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