We found out yesterday that Off Black Creations’ psychological horror: MOLE, will be releasing on June 15th for $12.99. I decided to check it out with the Demo, where you can complete 1 of the 4 chapters that will be available in the full game.
This chapter, set almost entirely inside a deep-bore mining vessel, absolutely masters psychological horror. Through various notes and excellent environmental storytelling, you learn that your character, Viktor Kaminskyi, is the navigator on this vessel. The Strata Directive Committee Drilling and exploration division has given him the unique opportunity to wipe away his debt and give him a blank slate, in return for his service in this mission.
Dialogue is done with a unnerving garbled sound and slow crawling text subtitles, which really helps add to the sense of unease. Horror has to be one of the most challenging genres for voice actors, especially in a circumstances like this where you don’t even see any of their faces to characterise them visually. I honestly prefer when games take this approach as opposed to risking an otherwise excellent game being let down by cringey or lacklustre vocal work.
Most of the non-verbal interaction and puzzle mechanics take place through the use of cassette tapes on square CRT computer terminals, something that matches brilliantly with the games pixelated aesthetic. Calendars around the game date it as set in 1982, but the technology around you conveys a retro vibe so effectively that it probably need not have told you.
The Slavic industrial workplace environment you’re situated in is very conducive to helpful diegetic tips and hints, keeping puzzles engaging and fun, but not too challenging. Just enough to occupy your mind and leave you appropriately vulnerable to some of the games spookier moments.
Most importantly, at least to me, this game is not going for cheap jump scares. There are certainly some scary moments, but most of the horror comes from anticipation and the occasionally chitters that break through the white noise of the drill at work.
Towards the latter half of the demo you get a taste of the games less literal moments, perhaps a sign of your character losing their mind, or maybe the psychological abilities of whatever horror so very clearly lies in the depths.
Based on some of the screenshots and the recently released trailer, it’s clear that there’s going to be plenty more navigating around your post-war drilling machine, but also the game doesn’t shy away from taking you out of this setting from time to time. It actually opens in grassland, having you dig the grave of your 6 year old son, very uplifting I know. It seems that whatever dark forces are at play, your sons soul is part of the bargain, and might perhaps reside far deeper than 6 feet under the surface.
Considering the $12.99 price tag, I can’t think of any reason to miss this title. Make sure to check it out on Steam and add it to your wish list so you get notified when it’s available. Put together by a team of just four, MOLE is an impressive testament to their passion and familiarity with the genre. It’s touted to be from the same DNA as Wrong Organ’s 2024 Mouthwashing and David Szymanski’s 2022 Iron Lung, and I can’t help but agree. If you’re a fan of either of those games, or perhaps even Markiplier’s recent movie adaptation of the latter, MOLE is a must-play.
