INSIDE (2016)
Playdead’s previous game, Limbo, was already a bit of a walk through a horrific park. A kid wanders alone through menacing woods, can be slaughtered by things like buzzsaws and huge spiders, and due to its monochrome aesthetic, it never really feels particularly inviting. Inside naturally ratchets things up, and as a result, it is one of those games you only really play once. Every second of Inside is still seared into my memory, and I revisit and turn over its terrifying and prescient visions in my mind all the time.
I don’t want to give away Inside. If you’ve made it this far without playing the game, I think you should just pick it up yourself and see what it has in store. It’s one of those once-a-generation kind of experiences. But you won’t regret it, and it’s one you can easily see through to the end within a single evening. Every next set piece is unlike the one before it, and its ending is an all-time moment in games, period. And just like me, Inside will worm its way into your head and haunt you for years to come like only the best horror ever manages. — MT
