Harmful for Mac

1/4

Tooth and Claw is the developer for Harmful, a free adventure game for devices running Mac OS X. It’s a horror adventure game, with an average session lasting only a few minutes. You play using the WASD keys to move, and the mouse to look and left-click to interact.

In the game, someone finds a tape deep in the forest with confidential information. But the tape is damaged with missing footage. You can play either as FBI agent Willis or the killer. For another similar game, try How We Know We’re Alive. 

Game story

Harmful starts with a chilling statistic. According to the FBI, there are between 25 and 50 serial killers active in the US at any given time. In this game, an unknown person finds a tape with damaged footage. FBI Agent Willis receives a second tape with additional information, which begins his investigation. 

Install and play

You can download the free ZIP file or donate any amount to the developer. Then, extract the file and run the game from the EXE file. On the first screen, select your screen resolution, graphics quality and the screen you want to use. Ensure you tick the box next to ‘Windowed’; otherwise, you can’t move your mouse between screens. When you select ‘Play,’ you will see a suggestion that recommends the use of headphones. On the next screen, select ‘Play Tape’ to begin.

The game’s graphics look as if you’re watching a badly damaged tape, occasionally showing actual footage. It displays the time and date at the bottom left. You can use WASD or the arrow keys to move, and the mouse to look around and left-click to interact. 

Playing the game can be difficult, as there’s no help guide to interact with objects and no clues about which items you should interact with. 

Game setting and graphics

The setting is a dark, gritty landscape creating silhouettes from the little light available. The constant pixelation and movement created by the damaged footage create a disturbing effect. The damaged sound effects from the tape also help to contribute to the eerie feeling. 

Amazing graphics

Harmful creates a chilly, eerie atmosphere through the gritty graphics, and the gameplay intensifies that feeling. Although it’s easy to move around with WASD or arrow keys, the game is challenging as there are no clues about which objects you should interact with.