I went into this game with extremely low expectations. The cheap price tag, unimaginative capsule art, and basic screenshots seemed a bit uninspired. But what I found was a super fun 90 minute survival horror thrill ride that balances cheesy jumpscares with genuine terror and clever puzzles as well.

You start off in a pitch black room, confusingly stumbling around until you find a table lamp. You’re then introduced through letters to the main villain (hilariously named Will Smith). Then begins the main gameplay loop – look for key-like items, discover some bizarre set piece that will scare you or make you laugh, and keep descending deeper into the mansion.

There is actually some very brief but surprisingly good combat, and the puzzles continuously get more interesting as well. And just as you’re starting to fall in love with the game – it’s over. But for $2-3, it was absolutely worth it.

If you’re a fan of bite-sized survival horror experiences, Mansion of the Dead is absolutely worth checking out. You can grab it on Steam for just a few dollars, and if you want to keep up with the developer’s future projects, follow Caicai Studio on X.