By now, you guys have probably already heard about Night Terrors — but just in case you haven’t, here’s the basic rundown: Currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo, Night Terrors is an augmented reality smartphone game that has the potential to be so cool I almost don’t know what to do with myself. Seriously, you guys — I’m giddy just thinking about it. The premise is simple — save the cheerleader, save the world girl and survive your house — but it’s that last bit that’s the cool part. Mapped via your phone’s camera and viewed through your phone’s screen, the game actually takes place in your own home. If a spook pops out of the wall, you actually have to run away from it — literally. In terms of immersive storytelling, I haven’t seen something this exciting since Sleep No More, and never before in video games.
The best part? Pretty much all of the effects are being accomplished through practicals: Actors, puppets, and all of the magic that goes into a film with excellent special effects. Night Terror’s developer, Bryan Mitchell, was formerly a cinematographer; as such, he’s taking an extremely cinematic approach to building the game’s environment. As cool as CGI can be these days, I still think there’s something to be said for a good practical effect — something real, not just pixels — so that? Is incredibly exciting to me.
Check out the promo video here, and head on over to Night Terror’s Indiegogo page to kick in a few bucks.