Play With Me now beckons on Steam

Written by Jack Allin — January 21, 2018 at 12:26

The Saw films, while delighting in over-the-top gore, have also posed some interesting questions about just what we would do to stay alive. Play With Me, a newly-released horror game from Polish developer AIREM, is loosely based on the popular torture porn movie series and asks its players similar questions during the attempt to escape the sadistic killer called "Illusion."

Play With Me stars Robert Hawk, an investigative journalist on the verge of exposing Illusion's true identity when he and his wife disappeared under "mysterious circumstances," with only their car found at the site of a crash scene. Now, as Robert, players will find themselves caught in Illusion's latest trap, and will need to "get through a maze of puzzles in order to survive."

While the first-person slideshow-style presentation seems very traditional, the obstacles in this death maze are not exactly what we're used to, instead involving "numerous optical puzzles and illusions that will stimulate your imagination." The game asks players to use "real objects from your surroundings to outsmart the harasser," and various elements are randomized each time for a different play experience leading to one of many possible endings. And beware your mental state as you "slowly descend into madness," making good use of "additional activities – write your own diary in a virtual telephone, read text messages or play mobile games – do whatever [...] will keep you sane." Along the way, you will be forced to make important moral decisions that impact the direction of the story, have the option to undertake secondary quests, and can also "win the gratitude of other imprisoned and even get their help with a bit of manipulation and favors."

Currently exclusive to Windows PC, Play With Me is available now on Steam. To learn more about the game, you can also drop by the game's official website.