Summary
Inscryptionwas one of 2021’s best video games. It was nominated for two awards at that year’s Game Awards and picked up numerous other awards and nominations, including Game of the Year at the Game Developers Conference. It was noted forsubverting player expectationsas the game regularly swapped genres, while FMV scenes added to the creepy story.
Last year’sMouthwashingis perhaps the game that most closely resembles Inscryption’s uneasy feeling, but a newly announced title, “Do Not Play”, may be the perfect remedy for those seeking more FMV-style horror.
Do Not Play Announced As New “Psychological Horror” Indie Game
Do Not Play’s trailer is best experienced, rather than described, so we’ve embedded it above, but it’s full of horrifying audio, images, and voiceover, alongside some great 2000s-esque Windows XP visuals, fitting its “lost media” atmosphere.
The game is described onSteamas “a point-and-click horror adventure. Even if you reach the ‘truth’ that lies beyond playing, we take no responsibility for any phenomena that occur there.Please handle with extreme caution.” It seems like it will take cues from Inscryption’s genre-bending action, with the developers saying, “Various types of browser games have appeared, such as illustrations, photos, videos, pixel art, and websites.”
On YouTube, the genre is listed as “a game you must not play” and it says the game is controlled by “fingers”…
Interestingly, theYouTubevideo links to aTwitter accountthat has been suspended for violating the platform’s rules. It’s unclear whether this is a marketing tactic, but it seems to fit the theme of the game.
Do Not Play is being developed by Japanese studios Scrap and Fahrenheit 213, which was founded by Fate/Grand Order producer Yosuke Shiokawa. The game is scheduled for release at some point in 2026, and it’s already near the top of my most anticipated list.
