What is April 24th?
April 24th is an upcoming psychological horror game with a VHS effect, played from the first-person perspective. The developer describes it as a "Walking Simulator" style game, where you explore environments and uncover the story through your surroundings.
The game follows an experienced journalist who gains unauthorized access to a house under police guard, connected to some terrible incident. Inside, you discover old VHS tapes that reveal clues about the fateful night of April 24th and its aftermath. As you view these tapes, you realize that someone or something is watching you, and there will be irreversible consequences.
The Atmosphere
One of the standout aspects of April 24th seems to be its tense, creepy atmosphere. The use of the VHS aesthetic and the grainy, aged look it gives really sells the unsettling vibe. Players mention how the lighting and sound design successfully ramp up the fear factor. The demo has already delivered some solid jump scares that have caught people off guard.
Many have praised the realistic graphics and immersive 3D surround sound. Even though it's just a short demo, the environment of the house feels fleshed out and incredibly atmospheric. Little details like the crunch of footsteps and ambient noises pull you right into the experience.
The Demo
While the full game is estimated to be around 40 minutes long, the demo gives you a 10-minute slice of the horror. But those 10 minutes seem to have really resonated with players. A ton of comments mention how terrifying and intense the demo is, despite its short length.
People are already hyped for the full release, saying they can hardly wait to see where the story goes and what other scares are in store. If the developer can maintain that level of dread and engagement for the entirety of the 40-minute run time, April 24th could end up being an excellent little horror gem.
The Technicalities
In terms of specs, April 24th is being made in Unreal Engine and is currently slated for a Windows PC release. The demo weighs in at around 5GB, so the full game will likely require a fairly beefy amount of storage space with those detailed graphics and sound design.
It's an indie title, so performance and compatibility across different PC configs is still to be determined. But the visuals demonstrated in the demo footage look fantastic, with rendered graphics that really sell the atmospheric horror vibe the developer is going for.
Final Thoughts
From the sounds of it, April 24th is shaping up to be an experience that punches well above its weight as a relatively short indie horror title. The demo has clearly resonated with players, leaving them unsettled and eager to piece together the full mystery.
With thoughtfully crafted environments, impressive graphics and sound design, and an intriguing premise of discovering the truth through ominous VHS recordings, this seems like it could be a must-play for fans of compact, story-driven psychological horror games. If you've got an appetite for dread and don't mind a couple of good jump scares, keep an eye out for April 24th when it launches in just a couple of days.