At Dead Of Night is part horror film, part horror game and part ghost hunt. It blends live-action and graphics to create a unique immersive horror experience like no other. Steam Deck version now available (yet to be Steam reviewed - current review is for the non-optimised game).
The player takes on the role of Maya, a student trapped in a remote hotel run by the psychopathic killer Jimmy Hall. The core gameplay loop involves exploring the hotel's interconnected rooms, interacting with ghostly apparitions, and evading Jimmy's constant presence as he stalks the corridors.
Players must thoroughly search the hotel's rooms to locate keys, clues, and other items that allow them to progress through the story and uncover the hotel's dark secrets. The labyrinthine layout creates a sense of dread, as players must navigate the complex environment while listening for signs of Jimmy's approach.
A unique mechanic allows players to use a "spirit voice receiver" to communicate with the ghosts haunting the hotel. By asking the ghosts questions and interacting with their supernatural presence, players can gather valuable information to solve puzzles and advance the narrative.
The primary source of tension is avoiding confrontation with Jimmy, the murderous hotel owner. Players must carefully listen for audio cues of his approach and quickly hide in nearby rooms or closets to avoid being caught. If Jimmy catches the player, he will knock them unconscious and take some of their items, forcing the player to recover them.
The game provides two navigational tools to assist players: a "scrying mirror" that allows them to locate key items and the next objective, and a "compass" that points towards the location of nearby ghosts. These tools help mitigate the disorientation of the hotel's layout, but players must still rely heavily on their senses and instincts to stay one step ahead of Jimmy.
The game offers two difficulty settings: "Standard" and "Extreme". In Standard mode, players retain their items when defeated by Jimmy, while in Extreme mode, all items are lost upon death, adding an extra layer of challenge and risk-reward to the gameplay.