The premise of BrokenLore: Don’t Watch sounds very promising – let’s hope that the finished game on Steam will be just as good.
What kind of game is it? BrokenLore: Don’t Watch is a psychological horror game by the Japanese developer and publisher Serafini Productions. It is one of several games with the name BrokenLore, none of which have been released yet.
You can already add BrokenLore: Don’t Watch to your wishlist on Steam, but the game doesn’t have a release date yet. In a trailer, we stomp through Shinji’s apartment, which feels creepy enough even without monsters – but there is one.
You can watch the trailer here:
Alone in an apartment in Tokyo
What do we know about the game? We play as Shinji, a young hikikomori who is trapped in his small apartment in Tokyo. Financial difficulties and a lack of understanding from his family have driven him into isolation; his only connection to the outside world is a laptop.
Who or what are hikikomori?
Hikikomori is a term for individuals who “voluntarily” isolate themselves from the outside world. The term originates from Japan, where the phenomenon is widespread. You can learn more about it at lmu.de.
Poor grades in school, high expectations, or unemployment can be reasons why these individuals choose isolation. It is a serious problem with sometimes severe psychological consequences for those affected.
Most of the time, Shinji spends playing video games, but his mental state continues to deteriorate until even his home is no longer safe. A malevolent being is haunting him there, just waiting to strike.
BrokenLore: Don’t Watch is not the first game by this developer dealing with such a serious theme. For instance, BrokenLore: Follow aims to address bullying. However, so far, only a free demo on Steam is available to play. So if you want to get a first impression of the developers’ work, you could start there.
Japanese horror is indeed a unique thing. The new anime series based on one of the most well-known works by the mangaka Junji Ito, who gained fame for his chilling horror stories, also demonstrates this. You can find out which series it is here: New horror anime is a must for genre lovers, premiering in just a few weeks
