Analog Horror is getting bigger and better with some Horror Games blending the Five Nights at Freddy’s gameplay mechanic of Camera Feeds with the rational fear of home invasion and the uncanny valley. Heavily inspired by Alex Kister’s Mandela Catalogue, one of the biggest influences in the Analog Horror Subgenre, Alternate Watch has players shift through Rooms in search for any Anomalies. Be that item duplication and disappearances or the truly creepy and bizarre sightings of the Alternates themselves, intruding in on your home like a parasite looking for a new host to feast on. If you are a fan of Analog Horror like I am, or are interested in playing another Horror Game similar to I Am On Observation Duty, then this one is for you.
What is Alternate Watch About?
Alternate Watch is an I Am On Observation Duty type game in that the player is trying to detect any Anomalies that appear throughout a 6hr in-game period of time. You will shift through 8 Camera Feeds in total, where objects will alter/appear and it is down to you to report your findings. It is the horror equivalent of playing a terrifying game of Spot the Difference. But if you do not find enough Anomalies in time, the threat level gets higher and you are at risk of being taken out by the Invaders.
The Invaders take various forms, from Poltergeist activity to actual beings that are abnormal, creepy and not at all friendly. You need to catch as many Anomalies as possible until 6am arrives for the game to end. There are multiple Modes available in Alternate Watch depending on your preference and sanity level. You can play in color, black and white or go Dark Mode by using only a flashlight.
Related: Alternate Watch Game Guide – How to Identify Alternates.
Alternate Watch is incredibly well-done, with visuals that will leave you thinking that you are playing on a Live Feed in someone’s house. The graphics are incredibly realistic and only made creepier under the Dark Mode.
Where to Play Alternate Watch – All Platforms
Unlike most Indie Horror Games in that they are primarily available on Steam or multiple platforms for the biggest Indie names such as Five Nights, Poppy Playtime, Mortuary Assistant or Layers of Fear, Alternate Watch is strictly only available on Windows. Not only this but, it can only be found on Itch.io. Being a place filled with thousands of mediocre games with a couple of gems in the haystack such as Faith or anything made by Puppet Combo and Chilla’s Art, Alternate Watch stands amongst the pack being that of a fantastic short horror experience with a strong replayability aspect. Not only this but, Alternate Watch is a Free-to-Play Horror Game, much like the majority of games on Itch.io.
Whilst the Developer, Tesseron claims that the game is unfinished, it holds out strong against the intricate spiderweb of PC Horror Games. If you have not tried this game out for yourself, what is stopping you? See how many Anomalies you can spot and if you are feeling brave enough, take on Alternate Watch in Dark Mode and see how you fare.
We have a lot more Horror Game content available at Gamer Journalist to quench your hunger for scares.
