A short horror game
Siren Head is a quick horror game that sends you into the forest and tasks you with coming back alive. It features an original monster and an eerie atmosphere that both indie and horror game lovers can appreciate.
Most horror games follow a similar plot, no matter their length. From Slenderman to White Finger, you run away or attempt to kill a nemesis, explore, and ultimately, try to get out alive.
Original
What differentiates Siren Head from its competitors is the original monster design by Trevor Henderson, a Twitter user whose idea Modus Interactive developers used to make this free game.
A truly creepy enemy
The creator described Siren Head as a skeletal humanoid covered in rusty flesh. The name comes from the fact that the head and neck consist of a thin flesh pole and sirens.
While the creature is slow, it's highly aggressive, playing loud radio broadcasts and generating blood-freezing sounds.
Simple gameplay
In the game, you are a forest ranger searching for a hiker using clues as the night slowly settles. The controls are as straightforward as four keys for moving, click for examining, and Shift for running.
The first-person perspective shows you only what your flashlight illuminates as you examine clues and explore the area. The straightforward mechanics and the short plot make it feel like an interactive story. The very task isn't that challenging, but the experience is appealing.
Old-fashioned design
Your surroundings are pixelated, but the ambience and the fantastic sound effects do cause the classical psychological impact of horror games.
As the sky becomes darker and the monster appears to play its sounds, the player realises that there's more to the game than what meets the eye at first glance.
Engaging
While the plot is somewhat linear and you can't interact too much with the story, the brevity of the gameplay ensures that you stay on the edge of your seat all the way through. Just like Lasting, this simple game created a unique, spooky experience that any indie game fan should try.
