Static Dread: ‘Papers Please’ Meets Lovecraft!

The indie studios solarsuit.games and Polden Publishing will launch their new title Static Dread: 15 Nights at the Old Lighthouse this coming August 7, which seems to be a very interesting blend between the popular Papers, Please (2013 – Lucas Pope and 3909) and the universe created by H. P. Lovecraft. In this strange simulator, we will take on the role of a lighthouse keeper, and as such, we’ll have to guide nearby ships toward the harbor, making sure they actually reach the port safe and in one piece.

Obviously, not everything is going to be as easy as it seems, since at all times we might feel, see, or even suffer an impossible presence everywhere, in the ocean, the island, the old lighthouse, and within ourselves. We all know who we’re talking about, right? You can see for yourself the Official Gameplay Trailer of Static Dread just below these lines, courtesy of GameTrailers:

You Wanted Cthulhu? Well, Here’s a Double Serving!

Okay, maybe it’s true that lately we might have been oversaturated with announcements about games based on Lovecraft’s universe, or with clear references to his most well-known works, but it’s not our fault that some specific titles do deserve to be mentioned! I mean, it’s not like we like them or we’re fans… Well, maybe a little, but that’s not the point! Neither you nor us are here to argue about our tastes, right? Besides, we already know, we all like Lovecraft! XD

Okay, where were we…? Oh, right. Static Dread, which we’ll obviously refer to by its short name, presents us with a reality set in the near future, in which a global cataclysm is causing chaos everywhere. Because of this, port authorities have reactivated an old lighthouse, with the goal of helping maintain navigation through a treacherous archipelago and protecting access to the nearby coastal town. In this context, and obviously, our goal is to guide ships to make it to port or get through the reef safely, using the radio and the facilities built for that purpose.

This veteran port officer has to remember at all times that he has a family to stay safe for and return to: a wife and a daughter who are anxiously waiting for the brave man to come back. Eventually, his job will become more and more dangerous, night after night… Sailors report encounters with creatures beyond the understanding of science, and on several occasions, ships return adrift from distant waters, empty, with their crews vanished without leaving the slightest trace. In the island’s fishing village, locals whisper prayers to the gods of the sea and perform rituals to bring back the dead!

What seems like a simple job, a bit forced in times of crisis, turns into a fight to preserve sanity, in an environment that becomes more hostile by the minute. The ominous and gigantic presence in the air, in the ocean, and in every dark corner around us tries in every possible way to make us feel like there are no safe places left anywhere, and that this old lighthouse in the middle of nowhere will be the last place we’ll remember having been…

So…

In Static Dread we will get to enjoy a lighthouse keeper simulator, let’s call it that, that we could easily consider a weird mix between Papers, Please, Do Not Harm, which was released just recently, and some other title based on Lovecraft’s work. My personal pick would probably be Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth from 2006, but with graphics you could easily place in the late 90s. The developers of this new proposal define the game as “casual,” in which we’ll be able to dive into fascinating sea tales, full of strange characters, and enjoy multiple endings, which, as we all know, always adds replayability to the title.

Static Dread: 15 Nights at the Old Lighthouse will launch on August 7 this year on Steam, but of course you can already go to its page, which of course you’ll find at the bottom of this article, and add it to your Wishlist. And as if that weren’t enough, once you’re there you can already download the free demo! And logically, once you’ve tried it, come back here and tell us what you thought, and what you think of this original mix of concepts! You know gamer, we’ll be reading you! 🙂

Images Source: GameTrailers Official YouTube Channel, Static Dread: 15 Nights at the Old Lighthouse on Steam