“It’s like going to the dark web”, this free horror game on Steam uses AI and can be finished in 20 minutes!

Game news “It’s like going to the dark web”, this free horror game on Steam uses AI and can be finished in 20 minutes!

If you are fond of short video game experiences that give you the unique sensation of exploring the 2000s again by digging through an old computer just equipped with Internet Explorer and an old mailbox, you probably know Emily is Away; this text adventure game lets you play as a young man who chats with an old friend from high school in the hope that she will one day fall for his charm by opting for the right dialogue choices. A true independent success that you can find for free on the Steam platform.

The game that interests us today gives pride of place to AOL’s instant messaging, which brings back more good memories to American players. Here you play the role of a real little snooper, who stumbled upon an old computer that he saw lying around among piles of scrap metal during a garage sale.. This is more than enough to arouse his curiosity and to animate his pressing desire to stalk the life of a stranger, the machine not having been formatted. You are now faced with a screen full of secrets which gradually turn out to be very dark and with old messages left unanswered to which you will have to respond. Last Seen Online is presented by its author, sochin studio, as a psychological horror escape room, very inspired by the first flash games.

So, small puzzles and reading messages are the heart of this completely free experience that you can very easily complete in just twenty minutes. Another particular fact, Last Seen Online makes use of artificial intelligence; a point that may put off more than one person, but which is completely supported on the game’s Steam page : “Photoshop’s generative AI is used to create fake photographs throughout the game., it is thus explained; and add: “These fake photographs are created by the developer who takes photos of himself or empty scenes, then changes the gender, age and clothing, or inserts props or human beings.. Honestly, if this hint had not been shared, I would never have noticed that the game was partially generated by an AI, which most likely reflects very skillful and minimal use of the thing.

A free and clever horror game

The atmosphere is very pleasant, the sound effects remind me of the sweet, missed days of my adolescence and I really had a good time exploring this concise story, but crafted with great care. This one tackles quite deep subjects, notably on depression among young people and the feeling of abandonment. On the other hand, if Last Seen Online wants to be a horror game, I must admit that I was not startled at any time, nor did I feel any anxiety. The atmosphere nevertheless has something as gloomy as it is pleasant. Moreover, the game currently has no less than 98% positive reviews.based on generally very encouraging opinions:

“Short but sweet – I really enjoyed this little game which reminded me of the flash games of the early 2000s. The puzzles are a little confusing at first but once you understand them, you say “wow “.”

“A short and amazing experience, honestly shocked that it’s free considering it’s more entertaining and impactful than a lot of AAA games that cost $30.”

Yes, it’s a short experience, but it’s excellent. I played it on itch.io and fell in love with it, so of course I wanted to download it on Steam too. He’s not that scary, but the ending makes me cry every time lol. I love this game.

It’s like going to the dark web!

And if you don’t want to completely embark on the adventure, you can also settle for one of the many let’s plays available on YouTube.

A slew of recommendations

Once the game was completed, the developers shared some of their inspirations for this title. Cinema fans will probably guess that the feature film Searching (2018) is one of them: this film by Aneesh Chaganty with John Cho took directly as its point of view the computer of a missing girl which the father seizes to carry out his research. Very good entertainment that you can enjoy on Netflix. Other inspiration cited: Noriko’s Dinner Table, prequel to Suicide Club, from the very unique filmography of Sion Sono.

There is also a selection of very niche games like Deep Sleep Trilogy, Hypnospace Outlaw which I personally discovered on Xbox Game Pass, and Lost Memories Dot Net. This latest game dates from 2017 and is also available for free on the itch.io platform. If you enjoy the Last Seen Online experience, I warmly encourage you to move on to this one next.

With a rather trendy FMV dimension, it would finally be unimaginable not to mention Her Story, the first independent masterpiece by Sam Barlow which immerses us in the police video database, where you can examine the dozens of interrogation clips of a woman suspected of the disappearance of her boyfriend. Fascinating from start to finish, and very short.