How scary can a 5-minute horror game be?
Can a horror game really be that scary if it’s only 5 minutes long?
Today, I'm diving into September 1999, a super short but eerie horror game, to see if it can deliver me chills in such a short amount of time. It's got a neat found footage style and a very oppressive atmosphere! It’s hard not to feel claustrophobic. And the reviews I’ve seen build up this game to be some groundbreakingly horrifying experience. But, the game is only 5 minutes long. How much tension can fit in that short amount of time? What kind of story can you even tell? I mean, it can’t possibly be that scary… right?
Let's find out together!
CHAPTERS
0:00 - Intro
0:45 - The Game Begins!
5:22 - Thoughts & Outro
Steam Description: A free, VHS-styled, first-person found footage horror game, which runs exactly for 5 minutes and 30 seconds.
Reviews Referenced
“September 1999 shows how developers can take a straightforward premise, house it within a very familiar setting, and stretch it into one of the most nightmarish experiences of your life.”
From: Rely On Horror
“It’s a heady nightmare that leaves you struggling for sense and safety as it closes, and suddenly far, far more aware of the creakings of your own home when it’s over.”
From: IndieGamesPlus
This game feels aesthetically similar to the wave of bodycam horror games we have seen recently. You know, stuff like Deppart and Silent Breath. The hyper-realistic graphics almost look like genuine body cam footage. Or in this case, VHS / found footage horror games. The architecture itself even works to make you feel uneasy. Similar to how all those (good) Liminal horror and The Backrooms horror games do it. Honestly, it’s a really neat experience with a story that puts me in mind of something like The TellTale Heart. It’s simple and doesn’t have any jumpscares, but I still found it effective.