Fear The Spotlight Reviews
Cozy Game Pals delivered a sweet experience perfect for those who want an effective short Halloween story and have a place in their hearts for how games used to look a couple of decades ago.
Fear the Spotlight is an excellent narrative horror experience that proves to be the perfect companion for Halloween season. It's a game loaded with atmosphere and dread throughout, with immersive, tactile puzzles and an overarching storyline that is engaging and tragic in equal measure. Encounters with the main enemy won't prove particularly challenging, but they're always nerve-wracking thanks to its creepy design and accompanying spooky audio. Rare, minor performance hiccups aside, this is a must-play for horror fans and an approachable entry point for newcomers.
As a work of throwback video game horror, Fear the Spotlight passes, but only with partial credit. It’s a concise creepshow with a dual narrative twist that digs into the psyche of both of its teen heroines. Its attempts to look and feel like a PS1 game miss the mark, though, as it can’t shake the feeling of a modern indie game in a stage costume. The tonal discrepancy dims the spotlight around what’s otherwise an impressive passion project for a two-person development team.
Fear the Spotlight is a creepy survival-horror game that serves as a fun throwback to the genre's heyday.
Fear the Spotlight delivers an incredibly impactful and unsettling story that will linger in my memory long after the credits roll.
Fear the Spotlight is a fantastic publishing debut for Blumhouse Games and also a triumphant (re)release from Cozy Game Pals. Now with a crucial fleshed-out epilogue that only bolsters the important queer horror story it has to tell, it's a must-play in the indie horror game scene. Especially for those who love the low-poly style where the film grain and crunchy-looking models only aid in the eerie '90s/2000s setting provided. I could split hairs for this game's small issues, but instead, it's worth focusing on the well-paced and perfectly lengthened experience it is. Fear the Spotlight is an excellently moody horror venture with tactile puzzle-solving and adorable, highly likable characters in Amy and Vivian. It's the most queer horror lovers will feel represented and seen in a long time, maybe ever. In short, it's the indie horror event of the year.
Fear the Spotlight delivers a nostalgic, classically-inspired horror game that places story, its sense of place, and the breadcrumb trail of a mystery you pursue ahead of combat while maintaining a true sense of unease throughout. From the moment our trembling hands touched the planchette, we were spirited away on one hell of a thrill ride.
The re-release of Fear the Spotlight certainly helps Cozy Games Pals bring greater notoriety to it's game, and in fact, it's current version is justified. With expanded gameplay and storyline content, in addition to Portuguese subtitles, the various puzzles and documents can be understood properly. Despite its direct adversities, easily overcome by simply walking in a straight line, it is difficult to point out any other drawbacks to the game. With no gratuitous scares and a strong focus on its narrative, Fear the Spotlight is even recommended for an audience outside the horror game scene, since its puzzles and narratives are the focus of the experience, resulting in a pleasant pace from start to finish. A great debut for Blumhouse in games, which already promises more ambitious future projects.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Fear the Spotlight delivers chills thanks to a moody atmosphere and great use of silence. Together, these elements work with the narrative to tell a thrilling story with shocking revelations.
A two campaign, spook filled jaunt through the most stereotypical American high school you can possibly imagine, complete with creepy drama teachers with theater lights for heads, fun puzzles, and a surprising level of emotional depth.
Fear The Spotlight is a great first showing for Blumhouse Games and Cozy Game Pals. While the horror elements never quite create a feeling of long-term suspense and dread, the great narrative, endearing characters, and challenging puzzles more than justify the 20 dollar price point and the six-hour runtime.