Here you can find my assignments from the class "Introduction to Digital Humanities"
The game "Carbon Steel" by Mike Klubnika, developer of another game that blew up on social media known as "Buckshot Roulette", is an horror game that really focuses on the atmosphere. It takes place in some sort of dystopia that involves creature investigation. The player will likely feel lonely in the facility that the game takes place in. The game tasks the player with collecting data from creatures from the depths, and gives more tasks as the days go on.
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In the beginning of the game, the player is standing in front of an identity verification desk and there is no face behind the counter, just a black abyss. The player is taken to their objective on some sort of monorail by a silent driver. The facility seems to be very old and neglected, as the walls are covered in rust and mostly brown, red and grey. After arriving at the entrance of the facility labeled #52, the only sign of life other than the transporter of the cart is a camera that tracks the player. Once the player approaches the door with the camera, the door opens after the player looks at the camera.
Upon entering the room there is a retro computer and another monitor on the side, with an engineer working on the machine behind it that the player will control in the next few minutes. The room is very dark and the only light sources are the computer and the sparks that the engineer is creating. On said computer there is an email from the higher ups in the facility that will brief the player on what will be happening in the coming days. This game takes place over only three days. The only thing left to do to progress is to sleep in the bedroom off to the side. Once the player wakes up, this is where the game is no longer just creating atmosphere.
As stated previously, the game takes place over three days with emails telling the player what to do for objectives. The main objective is to identify creatures from the depths and create the proper anesthesia for said subject to allow for data collection. The only communication the player has is between the higher ups and the engineer later on. The objectives each day increase in number until the final day.
The game has an anesthesia machine, to make anesthesia to make the creature dormant. The player can see what is needed for the anesthesia by using the floppy disks that list the requirements for each sub class of creature. The injection machine has a anesthesia canister or data collection canister inserted into it to interact with the creature in the pod. The pod lever allows for the pod to raise and the player to collect data from the creature. The scanner machine allows for the player to classify the creature if it is unidentified. There is a minigame that involves crossing two lines perpendicularly. The fabricator device allows for the player to repair the pod on the third day when the creature tries to break out. Every machine must be used on the last day in order to succeed.
The game is fairly quiet and uses mostly sound effects rather than music. It utilizes a lot of mechanical noises and things that you would likely hear in an old factory. The music used in the last day is interesting, as personally I thought it was kind of a jam. It uses the banging of the creature within the pod as part of the beat and it was honestly catchy. The song almost sounds aquatic, which seems to be where the creatures come from.
I believe that the game may be a possible future if we as humans were to go too far for the sake of science and will choose to risk others lives for the sake of science. Considering that they perform a data collection on the player themselves if the player chooses to keep helping the higher ups, this shows that they simply want to test the limits of what they can do. On the other hand others around the facility, like the engineer, want to help those who will be simply used by the facility. If the player chooses to listen to the engineer's email on the second day, the player can leave the facility seemingly unharmed.
Overall, I really enjoyed the game's atmosphere and idea. This game is also part of a short horror game collection that is five games in total all by Mike Klubnika. I highly recommend this game for anyone looking for a short horror experience.