The new horror game Order 13 has a way of unnerving players with its eerie and almost claustrophobic atmosphere. The game’s protagonist is tasked with packing orders in his office, and he also needs to navigate the dark warehouse to find items, while also avoiding the monsters lurking in the shadows. It has a similar vibe to Five Nights at Freddy’s, especially since players are controlling a lone worker.
The Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise has cemented itself as one of the best mascot horror games. Mostly known for its adorable yet terrifying animatronic characters, who jumpscare players whenever they fail, the franchise has explored different gameplay styles to give fans fresh experiences every time. It’s also inspired many titles to put their own spin on mascot antagonists and FNAF‘s strategic gameplay and jumpscares. In the case of Order 13, there’s clear FNAF inspiration in the feeling of avoiding monsters while finishing one’s job and also uncovering the dark secrets of the warehouse.
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Order 13 Puts the Fear of Working Alone in a Monster-Infested Warehouse
Order 13 Has a Simple Premise on its Surface
At its core, Order 13 is an order fulfillment simulation set in a psychological horror, where a night-shift worker from Jolly Box Co. is tasked with packing orders in his brightly-lit office while his pet cat watches over him. After receiving orders on his computer, he must go out into the dark warehouse to look for the right packages, go back to his office to pack them, and send them out. Players need to do this until they complete the quota for the day. They’re also free to work beyond the quota to earn extra money for better upgrades.
It seems simple enough, but players must deal with terrifying shuffling and snarling in the background, and monsters running as they navigate through the warehouse. They must also keep an eye on the kitty gauge on the bottom left side of the screen, which tracks their cat’s happiness. If it goes down to zero, the cat will go out to the warehouse, making it easy prey for Order 13‘s monsters lurking in the shadows.
FNAF: Security Breach Fans Will Feel at Home in Order 13
As players progress in Order 13, they can also go deeper into the warehouse. This means that they have to work even faster to find packages before the kitty gauge goes all the way down. Monster sightings are also becoming more frequent in every level, so players have to be strategic about navigating every corner of the warehouse.
Order 13‘s level progression and exploration are reminiscent of Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach‘s open-world gameplay, where players control Gregory as he tries to get out of Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizza Plex while avoiding the sentient animatronics. Order 13 doesn’t necessarily have heart-pumping jumpscares because the protagonist simply falls to his death when the monster catches him. However, the scares are still effective because the monsters can sometimes show up unexpectedly and chase down the protagonist when he’s spotted. Fortunately, players can keep him safe by hiding under shelves and running back to his bright office.
Order 13 Makes its Upgrades Essential
As mentioned, the protagonist has to complete package quotas for the day to earn a certain amount of money, which can be used to buy upgrades. These include items like running shoes for faster movement and a scanner that keeps a record of the packages he needs to find. Probably the most important upgrades are the ones to keep his cat happy longer while he’s exploring the warehouse, such as food, toys, and a comfortable pet bed.
Compared to Five Nights at Freddy’s games, Order 13 takes a step further with the useful upgrade system. It’s especially helpful as the warehouse expands and gets more difficult to navigate each night.
Lore Hounds Could Have a Field Day with Order 13
Like with many horror games, Order 13 has the potential to attract theory-crafters who want to figure out what’s going on. Five Nights at Freddy’s has complicated lore, but that hasn’t stopped people from investing time and effort into it. So, it wouldn’t be surprising to find Order 13 theories in the near future.
- Released
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March 10, 2025
- Developer(s)
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Cybernetic Walrus
- Publisher(s)
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Oro Interactive, Drillhounds
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