Lights Off: Director’s Cut by TheDollarGameStore and Insanctum Games is the latest attempt to repeat the nostalgia of early 2000s budget horror games. This Director’s Cut promises improved visuals, additional scares, and expanded gameplay. But does it deliver anything worthwhile, or is it just another forgettable jump-scare simulator?
Developer: TheDollarGameStore
Publisher: Insanctum Games
Platforms: PC (Steam)
Release Date: February 2024
Genre: Horror, Indie horror, Survival, Low-Budget Indie
Gameplay: Repetitive Haunt
The premise is simple: you play as a paranormal investigator (or unlucky urban explorer) trapped in a haunted house, armed with only a flickering flashlight. Your goal? Survive demons for 7 nights.
Objectives
The game follows the an unusual indie horror formula — Turn off all the lights before going to bed and over 7 nights the scares increase.
Presentation: Quick Scares & Dated Aesthetics
Visuals & Atmosphere
The game looks like a mid-tier Unity asset flip, with bland textures and stiff animations.
Sound Design
The audio is a mixed bag. The ambient noises (distant whispers, creaking floorboards) are decent.
Story: Lights off
The narrative is about your childhood fear, turning off all the lights before going to bed. Add a few demons and for the free tag this game comes with, maybe it is just worth a quick download.
Final Verdict: Is It Worth Your Time?
Pros (Barely):
✔ Cheap price, it’s free
✔ Some decent atmospheric moments
✔ Short runtime (you can finish it in under 2 hours)
✔ It has 3 Steam achievements
✔ It has a good concept of sleeping and staying in the light
Cons:
❌ Uninspired, repetitive gameplay
❌ Dated visuals
❌ Predictable scares and poor AI
❌ 3 playthroughs required to get 100% achievements
Game score: 4/10
Horror score: 4.5/10
Lights Off: Director’s Cut is a textbook example of a low-budget horror game. It is likely to provide a few quick thrills and scares for players. If you’re a die-hard fan of indie horror, give it a go.
Available free on Steam
Review made by Go_Boom44. If you want your game or indie game review to feature on South Africa Today then email: gobooom44 (at) gmail.com
