Neverending Nightmares is an indie horror game about 1-2 hours long created by Infinitap Games and the art style inspired by the likes of Edward Gorey is a hidden gem among the horror genre. This game never really gained much traction in the horror game scene back in 2014 due to popular games like Outlast, Dying Light, Alien Isolation, and many more releasing at the time. However that being said, taking a look on the internet will show that people still at least knew or heard of this game. Matt Gilgenbach the creator of this game said that the game represents his own feelings when he was in a dark place in his life. The portrayals of self-mutilation, monsters, and gory imagery are fragments of some of the nightmares he was experiencing at the time.
The Story Is A Complicated Yet Interesting Hidden Gem
The plot of the story starts with the main protagonist Thomas Smith, who looks to be a man in his twenties and is dealing with depression and OCD(Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). You explore the protagonist’s gory and horrific nightmares while avoiding creepy personifications of the protagonist’s subconscious. Your one end goal is to finally leave the nightmares that you’re trapped in and find out what is to become of your sister Gabrielle/Gabby. However be careful, because going down certain paths lead you to one of the several endings to this game.
Interactive Walking Simulator
In terms of the gameplay, the actual game doesn’t have much for the player to do besides interacting with highlighted parts of the area that can either open doors, look at blood-stained items, or enter and leave closets. But, that’s completely alright for what the game wants to be. You walk from left to right and vice versa down hallways filled with nightmarish art, creepy dolls, torn-down wallpaper, huge lurking monsters, and much more. Some of the mechanics of the game include basic things like hiding from monsters and not stepping on broken glass to attract enemies.
The only thing that was slightly annoying about the experience as I’m sure many people have also been annoyed at was the sprinting mechanic. Thomas Smith is the slowest and most exhausted person in the entire world who can only run for a few seconds before keeling over. But other than that, the gameplay is easy to follow and not that frustrating. The sound design for this game is one of the best parts of the overall experience. Nothing feels random or thrown in there just for a cheap jump scare. You’ll stay on edge from the screaming inmates in the insane asylum, to the crying of the giant monster babies stomping around dark hallways.
Concluding Thoughts
Neverending Nightmares is a well-written walking-simulator psychological horror video game. It’s a hidden gem in the horror genre and deserves to be more well known. It’s not a game that’s for everyone if you don’t like continuously walking, lack of jump scares, and lack of action. I can not guarantee that if you decide to play this game that you’ll fall in love with it like I did, but I can guarantee that it’ll be an experience that you won’t forget. Overall I would give this game a solid 7.5/10.
Link to the game on Steam
Jendestroy Reviews 
Leave a Reply