Caustic Reality, the one-man game studio founded by Sydney developer Clinton McCleary, has announced the release of his debut game Infliction, just in time for Halloween. McCleary developed almost the entire game as a solo project, acting as a designer, programmer, artist, animator, and sound engineer.
Infliction is a first-person psychological horror game, drawing players into an average suburban home that has been twisted into a surreal, nightmare world. Through environmental storytelling, players search an eerie deserted house by piecing together the story from letters, phone messages, and journals - all while being stalked by a murderous entity. Unlike most horror games, Infliction generates its scares by tapping into feelings of loss, regret, grief, and personal betrayal. Players take on the role of a struggling husband, with gameplay exploring the dark secrets of a fractured home. Players will wander through the heartbreaking remnants of a once-happy family, piecing together clues and trying to atone for past sins. Players can choose to hide or confront the malevolent being that haunts them and experiment with clues and puzzles to unfurl the dark story within.
Since the launch of its successful Kickstarter in July this year, Let’s Plays and streams of the Infliction demo has collected over 4 million views across Youtube and streaming platforms. The developer has focused on polishing animation, audio, narrative and AI features in the game in preparation for its full release today, delivering scares in time for Halloween. Infliction has also been selected for the coveted PAX Australia Indie Showcase and will be available to go hands-on from October 26th to October 28th during Melbourne International Games Week.
Infliction’s creator Clinton McCleary commented: “It’s been a long journey to get Infliction to where it is today. The story is a very personal one, full of fears that sparked when I became a father for the first time. I wanted to bring a true feeling of unease and gradual horror to the game, inspired by the level of detail and sense of place felt in titles like Gone Home. Infliction touches on many intense issues and focuses on creating personal tension, so I look forward to seeing more players experience the dark world that has been crafted here.”
Infliction is available now on Steam.