DreadOut is a survival horror game designed and developed in Indonesia. As such, it features a lot of references to Indonesian folklore and mythology, which in itself is unique and refreshing considering these themes have not been explored to great extent in previous games. The game itself was developed through a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, and was built on a budget of approximately US$29,000.
The story follows Linda and a group of her friends, who come across a deserted village that isn’t on their map. Upon investigation, it becomes clear that there is much more to the town that meets the eye, as numerous ghosts start to appear at night time, and Linda herself feels as if there is something happening within her relevant to all the goings-on.
DreadOut will be delivered in three parts – Part One, Part Two and a Free Roam mode. Part One offers an interesting storyline, but it definitely leaves the player wanting more. This isn’t to say that the “journey” through Act One is unenjoyable – in fact – it’s pretty fantastically paced, but many people might feel unsatisfied at how much of the story has been obviously left out for a future iteration of Act Two. While the game’s pacing is pretty well done, there are some pretty common horror tropes exhibited here that many hardcore fans will roll their eyes at, but on the whole the writing and the story is pretty well focused – for what we’ve got here in the first act anyway.