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Tormenture blurs the line between game and reality with its '80s-inspired game-within-a-game horror stylings
Tormenture is a psychological horror adventure game that blends a retro 8-bit aesthetic with modern gameplay, challenging players to solve puzzles and unravel a mystery that blurs the lines between reality and the game world, leading to multiple endings and nods to classic games.
Psychological horror adventure game Tormenture sends you back to the 1980s, drawing on terrifying classics, brought to you by publisher Billete Cohete (incubator of The Game Kitchen, creators of Blasphemous) and developer Croxel Studios.
Tormenture puts you in the shoes of a young child drawn in by rumors of a cursed horror game, taking inspiration from the early consoles of the 1980s to create the Limbo 2800. Sitting alone in front of your 8-bit display, you'll have to unravel the mysteries of the game, locating four relics as you traverse a world filled with difficult puzzles. But as you solve those tests, the line between the game and the real world around you will start to blur.
While the retro '80s style of the 'game-within-a-game' before your remains iconic four decades later, your Limbo 2800 won't be the only pass-time inspired by that period. Your other toys will play their own role as the bridge between your game and your life becomes increasingly apparent, brought to life in a full 3D world beyond the screen in front of you.
As you solve the puzzles in your game, the choices you make can lead you down different paths to Tormenture's three distinct endings, with intertwining pathways offering multiple unexpected ways to explore this world. You'll find nods to plenty of classic 8-bit games, as well as inspiration drawn from more modern sources, all striving to make sure that you're never truly confident where the game ends and the real world begins.
Tormenture is available on Steam now, where it's already accrued 92% Very Positive reviews in the short time after its launch, in addition to its impressive 81 Metacritic score. You can also purchase the game's ominous soundtrack on Steam, and if you want to check it out before you buy, a demo is currently available, letting you get a quick taste of Tormenture's world.