It’s been a busy year for independent horror publisher and production company DreadXP, with a herseload of spooky game releases and even a successful charitable initiative! In the August 2022 edition of the DreadXP Dispatch, we’ll highlight some of the many things our creepy cohort has been up to.
Gamescom 2022 is quickly approaching, and it just so happens that the fine folks at DreadXP will be in attendance! Catch the dreadful crew showcasing some of their ghoulish games and terrifying titles such as multiversal horror game Mirror Forge, which will have a brand new demo for play, and check out the next SPOOKWARE game. If you’re attending, be sure to stop by and say “BOO!”
DreadXP will be located in the Indie Arena Booth from August 24 to August 28.
At last, the time for gamers to live out their dreams of being a mortician has come! The long-awaited launch of DreadXP’s supernatural horror game, The Mortuary Assistant, was on August 2, 2022. It’s so far become a massive hit — achieving a top ten streamed games spot on Twitch, becoming a Top Seller on Steam, and taking gaming TikTok by storm.
Available now on Steam, players step into the role of a recent Mortuary Sciences graduate who gets more than she bargained for during her apprenticeship at a local mortuary. Featuring demonic banishments, creepy puzzles, detailed mortician tasks, and multiple endings, The Mortuary Assistant is a thrilling and bone-chilling experience. Each playthrough is unique, featuring different demons, bodies, and scares custom tailored to players.
Recently, DreadXP’s Producer/Content Manager Abbey ‘Scruncho’ Smith launched a charity bundle on Itch.io in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Titled “Worthy of Better, Stronger Together”, proceeds of the bundle are split between The National Organization for Women and The Center for Reproductive Rights.
To date, sales from the bundle have raised a staggering $44,000 USD to help defend body and reproductive autonomy. The Worthy of Better, Stronger Together Bundle for Reproductive Rights is available for purchase for $10 USD and features over 100 bone-chilling titles from various independent developers and publishers, as well as titles from DreadXP’s own library.
Since its release, players have sauntered through cosmic horror retro RPG Dread Delusion. Referred to lovingly as Elder Scrolls by way of H.P. Lovecraft, Dread Delusion features a surreal open world to explore and retro-styled graphics. Garnering a “Very Positive” rating on Steam, developer Lovely Hellplace’s Dread Delusion has enthralled both fans and critics alike.
Just recently, Dread Delusion has become even more thrilling thanks to its first major game update. Titled “The Big Faction Update”, this content drop adds a myriad of new material to an already brimming title: a whole new mine area to explore in the underbelly of Hallowshire, a complete overhaul to crafting, a mysterious crafting resource known as “Godlets”, new lore, and much, much more!
Here’s what critics are saying about Dread Delusion:
- “’Dread Delusion‘ feels like Lovecraft made an Elder Scrolls game.” – Inverse
- “[A] vibrant, bold colour palette and a handcrafted open world,” – PCGamesN
- “Dread Delusion is shaping up to be something incredibly special.” – PC Gamer
- “…Dread Delusion is already very much worth it.” – PC Invasion
DreadXP’s upcoming wizard simulator, Hand of Doom, has more arcane magic to unveil. Originally debuted as part of Dread X Collection, the standalone game will release later this year. In the meantime, developer Torple Dook has shared a behind the scenes look at Hand of Doom, showcasing the influences behind this surreal first-person retro adventure in Dreadful Dev Diaries: Torple Dook #02.
And last, but certainly not least, DreadXP has lent its expertise in the ways of love by participating in horror visual novel bundle, Horrors of the Heart, which is live now on Steam. The bundle includes the publisher’s critically acclaimed Eldritch dating sim Sucker for Love, wherein players take on the role of a man who has to make an extremely difficult choice: which Lovecraftian waifu to date.
Also included in the bundle is Cooking Companions, a “dating sim” set in a cabin in the European mountains that may or may not hold a tragic secret, and Scarlet Hollow, an immersive horror-mystery with sharp writing, impactful choices, and meticulously hand-drawn art.
And that’s all for now! Be sure to keep an eye out for future DreadXP Dispatches, where we’ll always fill you in on the frightening and grisly goings on of this delightfully dreadful indie horror publisher.
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