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Among The Sleep Review: Real monsters
Childhood memories are a double-edged sword. On one side, our first word, our first steps, our first plate of spaghetti. These are the happy times that are collected in photo albums and shown to our significant others when parents want to embarrass us. Then there are the darker memories: times we were punished, times we lost something dear to us, times we learned to fear. Among the Sleep, the first game from developer Krillbite Studios, chooses to focus on these more terrifying aspects of childhood, placing you in the snug booties of a two-year-old who wakes from sleep one night to find his teddy bear and mother missing. As you crawl and shuffle your way through your dark home, reality begins to unravel. Soon you and your teddy bear are seeking the safety of your mother in a twisted forest, a boggy swamp and an ominous maze as unnatural things lurk in the shadows, watching, waiting. In this world, there most definitely is a monster in your closet.
Among the Sleep dev timelapse sheds light on shadowy corners
Ever wonder what's lurking behind the shadows in Krillbite Studio's first-person toddler horror game, Among the Sleep? It could be demons, ghosts, gremlins or slavering beasts out for fresh meat – or it could be standard 3D development technology and a lot of subtle tweaking. Yeah, it's probably that last one. All of this intricate environment design sets the tone of Among the Sleep, turning an otherwise normal house into a terrifying maze filled with paranormal vibes and creepy corners. We tried out a demo of Among the Sleep in March and found it horrifying and enlightening – the normal world is huge to a tiny tot.
Among the Sleep Kickstarter ends nearly $50k beyond its target
Krillbite Studio's first-person baby simulator/horror game Among the Sleep has completed its 30-day Kickstarter campaign, raising a grand total of $248,358 from 8,110 backers – nearly $50,000 more than the $200,000 fundraising goal originally set. All that extra cash will be put towards buying ice cream, Oculus Rift compatibility and a developer commentary track, though the campaign's bonus earnings didn't extend far enough for the "supersecret free DLC" stretch goal to be funded. Among the Sleep is expected to launch on PC, OSX and Linux during the fourth quarter of this year, but intrigued folks can go ahead and check out the game's public alpha.
Among The Sleep clears Kickstarter goal with three days to go
Psychological horror Among the Sleep achieved its $200,000 Kickstarter goal this morning. That means the happy, innocent-looking faces of Krillbite Studio can endeavor to provide us with nightmares when the game hit PC, Mac, Linux, and Oculus Rift in Q4 this year. While Among the Sleep was already close to its Kickstarter goal, we suspect some of Krillbite's cheer comes from the validation of doing so after releasing the playable alpha yesterday. That's still available for free on the game's Kickstarter page, if you'd like to experience how the game leverages its scares from a two-year-old's perspective. You can also read Richard's thoughts on a demo which made him "love a teddy bear within the span of a half-hour." Among the Sleep has already cleared its first stretch goal: $200,030 got bought ice creams for each member of the team - which might also explain those happy faces. With three days to go, Krillbite only has two other stretch goals currently listed, with $225K allowing the team to optimize Oculus Rift support, and $230K unlocking in-game commentary.
Among the Sleep free public alpha coming tomorrow
Everyone can freak out at Among the Sleep as of tomorrow, when developer Krillbite releases an alpha build of the indie horror game for free. Krillbite told Polygon it's delivering the free version via its Kickstarter page, freely available for all. Among the Sleep places you in the eyes of a two-year-old, and significantly at the eye level of a two-year-old, experiencing the daunting scale of the world around you. If it's funded on Kickstarter - with five days to go it's at around $180,000 of its $200,000 goal - it'll chill the spines of PC, Mac, Linux, and Oculus Rift (see for yourself) in Q4 this year,
Among the Sleep adds support for Oculus Rift, playable alpha coming soon
From our first encounter with it, we've billed Among the Sleep as a horror adventure game told through the eyes of a child. Now, thanks to the Oculus Rift, you can really play through the eyes of a child. The team at Krillbite has already implemented some simple Rift support in Among the Sleep and captured the results on video. As you can see, the Rift really drives home the scale of the game, as players see grandfather clocks tower high above them, or look down and marvel at their own tiny infant body. The implementation right now is basic, and it will make it into the final version of Among the Sleep, but Krillbite is hopes to add advanced head tracking as the game's first stretch goal on Kickstarter. Right now, even the basic setup looks pretty impressive (and terrifying). In other news, Krillbite is planning to release a playable alpha of Among the Sleep soon. The team is working to iron out a few bugs and create a feedback system before releasing it publicly. The alpha demo should launch "towards the end of the Kickstarter campaign." Among the Sleep has currently raised $136,000 of its $200,000 goal with 11 days left to go.
Among the Sleep Kickstarter launched
The Kickstarter for Among the Sleep has officially launched. Lest you've forgotten, Among the Sleep is a survival horror game played through the eyes of a two-year-old. The game runs with its unique premise, leaving the player to question whether the horrors are real or just the result of a child's imagination. We played it earlier this year and were very impressed.Developer Krillbite Studio is seeking $200,000 to fully fund the game on PC, Mac and Linux, with a planned release in Q4 this year. Backer rewards range from a downloadable soundtrack to alpha test access, art books, a spot in the credits and, of course, copies of the game itself. Our favorite – and the second most expensive at $5,000 – is a plush Teddy.In Among the Sleep, your stuffed bear, Teddy, serves as your loyal companion in the search for your parents. Unlike most teddy bears, Teddy can talk and, as we mentioned in our preview, we instantly fell in love with him.
Crawling in the dark in Among the Sleep
My demo of Among the Sleep begins in complete darkness, the sound of rain pattering a window somewhere. A woman informs me that it's time for bed and begins to sing a lullaby. The music stops and I open my eyes. Rising above me are the unmistakeable bars of a crib. I am a child, and my mother is missing. The next thing I see is my teddy bear slowly moving away from me – by itself. It slides to the back of the crib and up the bars. No, that's not quite right. It's being dragged out of the crib by some invisible force, which proceeds to carry it across the room and out the door.%Gallery-184161%
Among the Sleep aiming for Q4 2013 release
Good news for fans of infant-based horror games, Among the Sleep is scheduled to arrive by the fourth quarter of 2013. At least, that's the plan according to developer Krillbite's Adrian Tingstad Husby. The studio is also planning a Kickstarter for the game this April.If you missed our earlier coverage, Among the Sleep is a horror game played through the eyes of an infant. We got a chance to play it at GDC, and hands-on impressions will be up later this week.
Among the Sleep, a horror game played through the eyes of a child
The effectiveness of a horror game often hinges on its ability to instill a sense of helplessness. Some do this by limiting the number of offensive options. Others do it by removing offensive options altogether. Among the Sleep, from Norwegian developer Krillbite Studio, ups the ante by putting players in control of a two-year-old.Among the Sleep is played from a first-person perspective, presenting a world full of childlike imagination and terror, in which a child (accompanied only by his faithful teddy bear) must survive the nightmare happenings around him. We're not sure mysterious is exactly the right word, at least not judging by the spooky happenings in the trailer. Among the Sleep is slated to arrive next year on Mac and PC.Be sure to check out the Krillbite blog to follow the game's development. We certainly will be.%Gallery-156388%
