It’s amazing what developers can do with such simple concepts. Just recently we played Buckshot Roulette, which has players engaged in an even more morbid version of Russian Roulette. Now we have FLATHEAD from solo developer Tim Oxton and published by DreadXP (the publisher behind The Mortuary Assitant, a game I will never stop championing), which takes the classic game of Over/Under and twists it into something truly sinister.

There’s very little to the initial premise of FLATHEAD. You awaken inside a room with only a blurry mirror and a television with two additional screens with the numbers 5 and 0 on them in front of you. To your right is a lever with the word “Hold” above it, and a picture of an unknown woman above that. After pulling the lever, you’re transported into another room that’s completely dark aside from a control panel in front of you, a lightbox to your left, a disturbing mannequin to your right, and an exit door further right from that. You’re then only given the basic instructions of pulling the lever on the control panel to start the Over/Under game, using the corresponding buttons to make your choice, and hoping that you win. Because if you don’t win… well it’s best not to think about that too much.

This is about all the instructions you’ll get.

I know what you might be thinking because I had the same thought before playing: “How is this game going to keep my attention for more than a few minutes when I’m simply playing a game where I’m guessing if the next number that pops up will be higher or lower than the first number?” Trust me, FLATHEAD keeping your interest will NOT be an issue. In fact, it has one of the most addicting gameplay loops I’ve played in a while.

This is because there is more going on than simply guessing if the next number will be over or under the first one. For starters, each time you guess correctly, you’ll gain points. The points you win are shown in the “Temporary” screen, but can be moved into the “Stored” screen above it any time you want. However, leaving the points in the Temporary screen will allow you to let them ride for the chance to go double or nothing upon the next turn. Why should you be concerned about points, you ask? To escape of course! Each round the exit door will have a set number of points required to escape. You might get lucky and be able to let your points ride and be able to have enough points within just a few successful turns, or you can incorrectly guess and lose everything, further prolonging the round.

Now why might you need to escape? Well, aside from being locked into a weird room with one of the most unnerving mannequins I’ve ever seen, there’s also the matter of the thing that slowly stalks you each round. That’s right, from somewhere within the depths of the darkness behind you is a mysterious and horrifying creature that will slowly make its way toward you throughout each round. Obviously, the faster you accumulate points, the quicker you can escape the nightmares hunting you.

The monster slowly stalks you and only the lights can keep it at bay.

But fear not! You do actually have one type of defense against the beast: the lightbox. While turning the lights on doesn’t kill the monster, it does halt it in its tracks until the lightbulb eventually bursts. Each light usage only lasts a few seconds, but that can make all the difference in getting another successful round completed, hopefully giving you enough points to escape.

Now there are a couple more gameplay elements in FLATHEAD that can affect the success of your round. The first is the “Make Your Own Luck” button. Pressing this button will slowly start to eliminate the possible numbers until the answer to which number will be next is revealed. Naturally, this removes the challenge of trying to guess correctly, but this also comes with a price. The price is that the monster will move toward you quicker the moment you press that button. This is where you’ll need to ask yourself whether or not it’s worth the risk of being given the answer.

You can either make your own luck or spell your doom by taking big risks.

After successfully guessing enough times in a row, you’ll be given the opportunity to spin the Wheel of Fate! This wheel can either be a blessing or a curse, depending on what you land on. This wheel has a variety of options on it, such as gaining a 4x multiplier for your points (yay!) or having to wait in the dark for a few seconds while the creature stalks you (boo!). It can also either give or take away points not “Stored”, so it’s good to be mindful of what you have in your “Temporary” screen before spinning the wheel. One of the most compelling aspects of FLATHEAD is just how unpredictable it can be.

Believe it or not, there’s still more to this game. Even though it starts with you having no idea who you are, where you are, or what’s going on, there is a bit of a story here. After successfully completing three rounds, the “interview”, as these sessions are called, will end and you’ll be transported back to the first room you started in with the TV.

Believe it or not, this is the least creepy this mannequin looks.

However, you’ll also be rewarded with a tape or two that you can view in a separate panel on the left wall. This is where you’ll slowly learn more about what’s going on. I’ll be honest though, even after discovering all the tapes, I’m still scratching my head as to what’s going on. It’s weird and wholly intriguing, but I still couldn’t fully understand it. Honestly, I’m fine with not fully understanding the mystery, but that might affect the enjoyment of some. To each their own.

FLATHEAD also has a grainy analog horror aesthetic that helps to sell the creep factor. The game is set sometime in the 1960s or 1970s, so everything looks like it’s been shot on VHS tapes. This makes some of the details difficult to see (by design), which helps mask some of the potential animation issues of the monster. It also hides some of the more subtle scares that you might not even notice for a while. I won’t get into spoilers, but much like with The Mortuary Assistant, there were a few times I finally noticed something in the background that made me jump. Then there’s the mannequin that’s locked in the room with you that does nothing to provide any sort of comfort.

There’s a story here somewhere, buried under countless layers of mystery.

Where FLATHEAD shines the brightest is with its sound design. The audio logs are well-voice-acted, but that’s not what makes the sound design stand out. What really stands out are the sounds of the footsteps of the beast stalking you and its breathing once it gets right behind you. Not to mention the clicking and grinding of the machines themselves or the sound that blares when you guess incorrectly, which can make your stomach drop with tension. I HIGHLY recommend that you play with headphones, as the footsteps and breathing move around you similar to the voices in Hellblade. 

FLATHEAD is a game that piqued my interest with its creepy art design, but I was in no way prepared for just how addictive it can be. Its unique spin on such a simple concept as the Over/Under game makes it great to play in short bursts, but it also adds in enough other overarching story elements to keep you coming back for more. I have loved every second of my time with FLATHEAD, and I’m fully under its spell and won’t be getting over it anytime soon.

FLATHEAD is available now on PC.

Reviewed on PC.

A copy of FLATHEAD was provided by the publisher.