If you’ve ever had a conversation with me or have at least been aware of my long-standing stance, you’ll know horror games aren’t my cup of tea. It’s not that I’m opposed to the concept—there’s plenty to love—but the obnoxious jump scares are what really grind my gears. Gaming should be a chill experience, and constantly bracing for a scare doesn’t quite fit that bill for me. However, I’ve found that psychological horror resonates just right. It unnerves me without leaving me desperate for a change of pants. That’s precisely where today’s spotlight game fits in. Let’s dive into DEAD LETTER DEPT., a fresh face in the psychological horror genre making its debut late this month.
You’ll soon find DEAD LETTER DEPT. haunting your PC via Steam on January 30th, and I must say, the premise has piqued my curiosity. In this chilling tale, you step into the shoes of a temporary worker at a postal warehouse, tasked with dealing with a backlog of undelivered mail. While poor penmanship might sound like a common culprit, it’s merely scratching the surface of why these letters end up on your desk.
DEAD LETTER DEPT. invites you into the role of a data entry clerk—sounds simple, doesn’t it? Your job is to type out the words and addresses for mail stuck in limbo. Yet, as you dig into this seemingly mundane task, you notice troubling patterns in the pile. Strange and eerie messages start to feel like they’re intended for you.
Working alone in a dimly lit warehouse, entirely cut off from the rest of the world, your only connection comes through the letters you’re processing. The longer you stay, the more surreal and nightmarish the situation grows. These letters tell bizarre stories and instill an unsettling sensation that you’re being watched. Sure, earning a paycheck is vital, but is this particular job worth risking your peace of mind?
In DEAD LETTER DEPT., you’ll embark on a typing adventure, laboriously deciphering damaged images by entering prompts into your computer. Through this process, you peek into the lives of those who’ve been separated from their mail and unearth heaps of hidden secrets. With countless letters to uncover, each playthrough offers something unique. But is the intriguing peep into these personal stories worth the constant, spine-chilling sensation under your skin? That’s a question for you to ponder.
If snooping through somebody else’s mail intrigues you, then brace yourself—DEAD LETTER DEPT. is on the way. You can experience its eerie atmosphere with the demo available on Steam right now. Prefer to wait for the full experience? Hang tight, the wait is just a couple of weeks.