Thirty Seconds: Slain At Home

No one’s paying attention, so here’s the truth: I am very much bitchless

Thirty Seconds: Slain At Home is a very short horror game, but I think the simple idea works well for what it is trying to do. I start in a child's bedroom and pretty quickly realise that something is seriously wrong. There is not much explanation given to me at first, which I actually liked because it made me pay attention to the room and wonder what was going to happen when I interacted with the door. The gameplay is extremely simple. I really only have two things to worry about, interacting with objects and hiding. I can look around the bedroom and bathroom, mess with things like the train set, bed, desk and lights, and then decide where I want to hide. The wardrobe, closet, under the bed and even the bathtub can all be used as hiding places. It sounds basic, and it is, but I think that simplicity works because I am mostly focused on figuring out what is happening rather than learning complicated mechanics. What I liked most is that my choices can change how the story ends. Certain interactions can reveal another ending, so I have to experiment a bit instead of assuming there is only one way through it. I like this kind of setup in a short horror game because it gives me a rea…