Among the multitude of indie games published by indie.io, there’s something for everyone, with myriad genres catered for. We recently went hands-on with SCP: Fragmented Minds, developed by HST STudios, ahead of its early access release today, January 27, on Steam. While this is predominantly a horror game set in the iconic SCP universe, what stood out to us is the seamless blend of genres and gameplay mechanics. Including puzzles and stealth, and even parkour, developer HST Studios has mastered a genre-defying horror game you can play right now – and this is just the beginning.
In SCP: Fragmented Minds, you awake as Kovich, and all you know so far is that you appear to be alone in a space vessel. As you take your first steps through the vehicle and beyond its confines, it’s immediately clear that SCP: Fragmented Minds does not hold your hand. There are no directional indicators and your questlines are incredibly vague, but this is no bad thing. While this is a fairly linear game, it does take some exploration to discover where you’re supposed to go, especially in the fiery red outdoors sections on the surface of Mars itself. This serves the essential feeling of isolation that feeds your fear.
The early access release of SCP: Fragmented Minds consists of the entirety of ‘Chapter 1’, the first fully fledged section of the game. Chapter 1 took us around three hours to complete, offering intensely challenging and unnerving gameplay, comprising parkour, chases, stealth, horror, and the first parts of the mysterious story of the ill-fated Site-113. Dangerous anomalies lurk around nearly every corner and have deadly melee and ranged attacks. Only by mastering a combination of stealth and defense can you keep them at bay, looking out for subtle markers in the environment indicating places to hide. Don’t let these monsters being referred to as “mutant chickens” disarm you, the fast and fleshy creatures are not to be messed with.
Whether you’re in direct chase or a rare safe space, these mutants are not the only challenges to contend with. As you might expect from an apocalyptic event like, well, whatever’s going on here, doors are locked, areas are breached, and power is very often out. Among the additional mechanics you’re introduced to in Chapter 1, many rooms feature a recurring puzzle aspect of locating power cores and replacing them in their sockets. Other puzzles challenge you with quick-time events as you replace fuses. Later, there’s a tricky parkour section that may have taken me out even more times than the monsters, to be honest. These brain-teasing and sometimes satisfyingly frustrating mechanics prevent gameplay from ever getting dull, something that can be a danger in such a lonely and claustrophobic setting.
While there are ways to defend yourself against the research site’s terrifying anomalies, you’re only given a few tools – at least in Chapter 1 – like an electrified welder to temporarily stun enemies. There are also environmental items like fire extinguishers and explosive barrels, which can be strategically used to turn the tide of encounters under the right circumstances. A feature of some of the best horror games, this lack of weaponry again furthers that feeling of fear and vulnerability, while preventing SCP: Fragmented Minds from ever feeling too easy. Nothing is more terrifying than when you step the wrong way and alert a killer monster to your presence.
These are the very mechanics that make it clear from the first few hours of SCP: Fragmented Minds that the developers at HST Studios are devoted fans of horror games. Inspiration here ranges from the atmosphere of Alien Isolation and Soma to the chase sequences of Outlast and Condemned 2, to the puzzle mechanics of Portal. They’re also self-confessed “lifelong fans of the SCP universe”.
As part of this wider SCP universe, SCP: Fragmented Minds contains in-game collectibles including emails and voice logs to expand on the gripping lore. For those in the know, this provides a deep and intriguing exploration into the fictional organization, known to research these paranormal ‘anomalies’. Naturally, the story itself is also a probe into the misdeeds of the corporation. We won’t spoil what happens in Chapter 1, but more questions are raised than answered, and there’s clearly something dark and devious going on. However, having no prior knowledge of the SCP Foundation does nothing to hinder the experience, as SCP: Fragmented Minds works perfectly as a standalone story. We wouldn’t be surprised if this game introduces more than a few new fans to the fictional universe, though.
Upon reaching the end of Chapter 1, and given all you’ve seen on the Martian site, you’re left desperate to continue and find out what’s really going on. Luckily, while SCP: Fragmented Minds Chapter 1 is out right now in early access on Steam, more chapters are on the way. The horrifying adventure will unfold across three more chapters before the full 1.0 launch alone. With them, more SCPs and mechanics are to be added, as well as multiplayer support. Don’t get left behind.