Ancra comes to life on Windows PC

Written by Jack Allin — November 2, 2021 at 10:46

Halloween may be over, but that doesn't mean the scares have to be. Lucky for us, there are more waiting already, this time in the form of indie developer For7s' Ancra.

While story details are intentionally vague, the game stars a hooded figure who arrives one night at the home of a dying photographer. Upon enterning, the "lights within flicker to life," as do the spirits that "stir at her return." Who you are, why you're here and what part you have to play in the "haunting story" that unfolds can only be uncovered as you "solve cryptic puzzles, embrace or evade vengeful specters, [and] decide who to trust" along the way.

Presented in an old-school pixel art style, Ancra is driven primarily by its narrative, which "unravels in layers" as you progress. In order to access new areas, however, you'll need to find and collect items for use in solving "classic, survival horror-style puzzles." Acquiring information is just as vital, though since the characters you meet have "conflicting interests," not all of them can be considered reliable sources. Your goals throughout are deliberately left "obtuse," but the nonlinear level design allows for different routes to achieve them, on the way to one of multiple possible endings with "many small variations."

If your nerves can handle another haunted house adventure, there's nothing stopping you from crossing that threshold right away, as Ancra is available now on Steam for Windows PC.