Subliminal is a new narrative horror adventure series by indie developer Accidental Studios, following in the footsteps of other popular titles such as Poppy Playtime and BrokenLore. Taking place from a first-person perspective, the game allows players to explore multiple locations while attempting to uncover the true meaning behind the story. Despite what the name implies, the game is actually only Episode I; however, it provides a solid introduction to what could become a massive ongoing series diving deep into the hero’s subconscious.
That being said, Subliminal is a rare title that not only plays with the protagonist’s memories but also triggers the player's own nostalgia. Within a world littered with the familiar sights of childhood, this brief journey is a promising start, though not everything is as soft and padded as the "Play Place" players are thrown into.
Exploring Our Memories:
Subliminal begins with the protagonist awakening within a basement playroom from their childhood. As you physically look around, a narrator begins to speak and explains that they are your inner voice. From here, you are directed to explore the room and check out the familiar sights. From a View-Master and a Game Boy to Nerf guns and the roadway play mat that was a staple of all doctors' offices and grade schools, the room itself is nostalgia overload, with one odd inclusion: a modern Samsung LCD TV.
This TV is the initial doorway to the rest of the game. Once players plug it in, a series of familiar commercials and game shows fly by, providing clues to solve the impending puzzle. From here, players are thrust into the primary location—a combination water park and McDonald's-style Play Place—where the exploration and puzzles continue. Each location has its own gimmick that must be overcome; however, despite the ability to pick up objects and interact with much of the world, these mechanics are not fully utilized in Episode I.
The true puzzles involve pulling in light beams to place on switches and finding passwords for doors. The light beam system works by picking up glowing energy beams from the ceiling and placing them in other locations. If a beam is near a switch, it will automatically trigger it; if not, it has most likely been incorrectly placed. With movable red light tracks, timed blue ones, and purple spots that alter the environment, players must put their critical thinking skills to the test to advance. Despite these light puzzles being key to progression, they mostly take a backseat to the actual exploration, as each area is littered with subtle clues to the truth.
Unfortunately, Episode I doesn't provide all the answers and ultimately ends at a climactic event, but this isn't surprising for a $10 introduction.
Unwanted Noise and Rot:
While exploring, players have multiple routes they can take throughout the game. While your inner voice attempts to lead you toward happy thoughts, your anxieties and suppressed memories are always there to tempt you. With dripping black "rot" and other unsettling sights to distract you, it isn't hard to branch off from the "safe-looking" paths just to check out what looks more interesting—even if it isn't in the protagonist's best interest. This is where multiple playthroughs are encouraged to see everything, as a single trek to the end will not paint the complete picture.
In addition to these branching paths, "the noise," as the narrator describes it, consists of unwanted fears that corrupt what should be pleasant memories. This mainly comes in the form of a "mascot" monster, which is modeled after the Play Place's fictional mascot, Smile. The first encounter is a surprise and can genuinely lead to players being jump-scared, but follow-up chase scenes are a bit more predictable due to their placement. This is not to say there are no unsettling moments that will falsely put you on edge, such as when one must navigate the inside of the Play Place itself, but sometimes a random key item sitting in the open is a major indicator that touching it will trigger an event. There are only a few instances of this, however, and players are sure to jump at least a few more times by the end of the adventure.
Trial and Error:
Despite the game being so short, there is one aspect that will artificially extend the playtime: the element of trial and error.
Without any true direction beyond the voice telling you what not to do, there are moments of aimless wandering. While playing in the water park and checking out toys from our childhood is fun, there are times when you will simply want to know how to progress. For the main exploration, this isn't too difficult, but the light puzzles can sometimes lead you to trap yourself unnecessarily.
In some cases, the game wants you to open a door, then instantly turn around and pull the key, locking yourself inside; other times, everything you need is already past the door itself. This can lead to players overthinking or even underthinking the puzzles. Overall, they are not too difficult, but they can cause you to run in circles. There are also a few cases where solving a puzzle doesn't directly lead to advancement, and the way out is actually squeezing through a wall—something that is unprompted until you happen to face-plant into it.
The true issue of trial and error comes from the chase sequences, which sometimes have awkward timing. Thankfully, the start of each serves as a checkpoint, but often you must manually turn around as fast as possible to run, and there are moments where the game automatically refocuses on Smile. This is more annoying than it is scary, and being even half a second too slow will force a restart. With the game occasionally throwing mini-puzzles or switches to flip along the way, there is no time to think, and you will almost certainly fail the first time such a curveball is thrown.
Again, none of this takes long to get through, but it could have been balanced a bit better.
Should you play it?
Overall, Subliminal: Episode I is a fun, yet short, little experience. While it isn't perfect, the unique setting ripped directly from our childhoods is an instant blast of nostalgia, and the story is interesting enough to see through to its conclusion. Unfortunately, there are very few answers here, but this is only the beginning, and I personally look forward to seeing what is to come.
If you have $10 and a few hours to kill, the game is at least worth checking out, but those looking for something a bit more substantial might want to come back later once more episodes have been released.
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