“Sunnyside High has a dark history.”
If you’re drawn to survival horror but prefer something a bit less intense, Fear the Spotlight by Cozy Game Pals and Blumhouse Games might catch your eye. With low-poly visuals and gameplay that leans more towards eerie mystery than pure terror, this one sits firmly in the creepy but manageable category – something which a scaredy-cat like me can feel at home with.
The setup is simple but effective: Vivian and Amy break into their high school one night to use a spirit board, hoping to connect with the other side. Amy’s fascination with the occult gets them more than they bargained for. A séance goes wrong, Amy vanishes, and Vivian is left wandering the shadowed corridors of their now-haunted school. What follows is a blend of puzzle-solving and exploration, as Vivian pieces together a tragic event from the school’s history.
The atmosphere shines. Darkened locker-lined hallways, empty classrooms, and the quiet menace of a deserted gymnasium set a perfect horror tone. The use of 1990s tech – like overhead projectors and VHS players – adds a nostalgic twist while grounding the setting in a familiar, analogue past. And if that wasn’t enough, an eerie soundtrack and sound effects (like the distant hum of fluorescent lights) build tension without overwhelming you.
Fear the Spotlight is split into two separate campaigns, with the second one unlocked after completing the first. Here’s where the game takes an interesting turn: while the first campaign feels like an introductory horror adventure, the second is far darker, with a nastier villain and a heightened sense of urgency. This structure lets the game’s horror escalate while giving players a bit of a warm-up before they get into the scarier stuff.
Each campaign lasts a couple of hours, and the whole experience is short, totalling about 6–8 hours. In both campaigns, you’ll rely on puzzle-solving and stealth, but don’t expect combat. Fear the Spotlight keeps things simple – no weapons (quite the departure from the typical US high school!), just smart manoeuvring and hiding. Puzzles are often linked to nostalgic, hands-on mechanics like rotating dials, flipping switches, and even smashing glass with a cursor-led motion, giving the game a tactile feel. They’re not overly challenging but do enough to add variety and keep you invested.
The decision to lock the more intense campaign behind the first run might feel odd, but it’s worth it. You get a solid sense of payoff, as the second campaign brings in a creepy new villain and ups the stakes without ditching the game’s core puzzle-heavy style.
Blumhouse Games and Cozy Game Pals have gone for a deliberately retro visual style reminiscent of PS1 horror games. Think polygonal characters, basic textures, and a deliberately grainy, low-res look. It’s intentionally old-school but modernized, with smooth performance and thoughtful camera angles that avoid the old technical limitations of actual PS1 titles.
Nods to Resident Evil and Silent Hill are everywhere, from the fixed camera views to the character’s head movements when something noteworthy appears nearby. And yet, Fear the Spotlight adds a certain polish that makes it feel like more than just a throwback. It doesn’t lean on nostalgia alone; there’s an artfulness to its simplicity.
For a game with relatively few characters, Fear the Spotlight has a story that holds up. The bond between Vivian and Amy is more than just a plot device, and their friendship is explored through moments that touch on themes of love, identity, and the weight of social expectations. The game even weaves in a subtle, queer narrative without making it feel forced or tokenistic. It’s handled with a sincerity that adds depth to the overall experience.
As you uncover the backstory, you’ll find notes and clues that piece together a tragic school event involving a bullying incident and a love story gone wrong. The plot isn’t ground-breaking, but it’s layered enough to keep you invested, with a touch of sentimentality that doesn’t distract from the horror.
In today’s crowded horror market, Fear the Spotlight feels like a refreshing return to simpler horror games. It’s not about adrenaline-pumping action but rather mood and atmosphere, with gameplay that leans heavily on exploration and puzzle-solving. With both campaigns combined, the game offers a compact but satisfying experience.
Is it perfect? Not exactly. The scares might feel a bit tame for horror veterans, and the lack of replayability may deter some. But if you’re looking for a horror game that won’t give you nightmares, Fear the Spotlight is a solid choice. It’s ideal for players who appreciate atmosphere over action and want a taste of horror without fully diving into the genre’s more terrifying depths.