Lakeview Cabin
Hypnohustler
PC
Private island. Peaceful cabin. Perfect weather. These hardly seem like the elements of a horror game, but Lakeview Cabin manages to turn this scenic vacation spot into the stuff of nightmares. It’s impossible to talk too much about this horrifyingly comedic puzzle game without ruining the plot, so, SPOILERS AHEAD!
You have been warned.
When the game starts, players are given free rein over the island. You can mow the lawn, chop some wood, see a ghost…As you explore the island, players notice a portrait of the protagonist and his wife. Not long after you begin your initial walk through, your wife’s ghost appears on the dock waving cheerfully. Or perhaps she’ll appear on your bed attempting to seduce you. In any case, eventually her rotting corpse will emerge from the water and she will attempt to murder you. The most humorous aspect of this is that she lumbers towards you in time with the ominous music.
Destroying your wife doesn’t end the game though, so don’t get too comfy. While killing your wife, you might have noticed that she looks pregnant. The undead fetus that shortly bursts from your wife’s stomach goes a long way to confirm your suspicions.
Lakeview Cabin gives players very few instructions aside from how to move, or pick up and use items. A lack of direction might be offputting to some. However, most players will enjoy wandering around and uncovering the mysteries of their little slice of paradise; and while there is no dialogue, gamers can take pleasure in creating their own narrative for their character.
The player’s role as storyteller is what makes Lakeview Cabin fun to play. In my version, the protagonist’s wife dies in a tragic boating accident. You’ll notice the wreckage and bubbling water when you look through the binoculars while standing on the right hand dock. The protagonist can’t swim, as evidence by his incredible jump back to shore whenever he touches the water. Perhaps in your version, the protagonist is a cold-blooded murderer, after all the blood on your wife’s corpse is a little suspicious. Drowning doesn’t often include bloody limbs.
Players will undoubtedly die several times before figuring out how to end the game. The game actually counts on your failure. After your first death, the game tells players how to restart and summon your zombie wife from the depths of the lake. Once you’ve figured out the game though, you can finish it in a span of three minutes or less.
Funny. Terrifying. Unusual. Lakeview Cabin is a great way to round out a late night of horror games.