DreadXP, the gaming arm of horror site Dread Central, is releasing the Dread X Collection on May 15 on PC (Steam, Itch.io), for $7. The Dread X Collection is a ten-game anthology of horror-themed playable teasers, inspired by P.T.
The Dread X Collection is the result of a game jam-like undertaking by ten indie developers. The goal for each indie dev was to create a playable teaser of their dream horror game. Each was given only a week to make the game. Participating developers include Airdorf (Faith), Snowrunner Games (Soda Drinker Pro), David Szymanski (Dusk), and Strange Scaffold (An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs).
“I found that P.T. consistently popped up in various conversations I’ve had with developers, with many wanting to create their own versions of the game,” said Ted Hentschke, DreadXP Editor-in-Chief. “Not a remake, but instead their own playable teasers of their dream game that still has that same level of suspense and terror.”
P.T., which stands for Playable Trailer, has taken on a mythic status thanks to its high-quality horror and the fact that the project never got further than the teaser, thanks to the falling out between Hideo Kojima and Konami back in 2014. Despite its short and narrow scope, it’s widely considered one of the scariest games of all time. A high bar for any indie developer. Though the teasers in the Dread X Collection will feature a variety of game styles and concepts.
The Dread X Collection is the first game release from Epic Pictures (Tales of Halloween), which owns Dread Central and DreadXP. A portion of proceeds from the Dread X Collection will be donated to Doctors Without Borders to help with the COVID-19 crisis.
“The Dread X Collection began as a way to provide a distribution platform for independent game developers, notably those financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis,” said Patrick Ewald, Epic Pictures CEO. “In addition, we wanted to make sure that we’re including a way to generate funds for this global health crisis, so a significant portion of all sales will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.”
