If you know me well—or even if you’re just remotely aware of my tastes—you’d know that horror isn’t exactly my jam. It’s not the concept itself that turns me off; there are plenty of horror settings I quite enjoy. It’s those darn jump scares that get under my skin. I play games to unwind, not to feel like I need to have a spare change of clothes on standby every time I load up a new title. That being said, I do have a soft spot for psychological horror. It hits that sweet spot of creepiness, delivering just the right amount of chill without the need for flashy gimmicks. And that leads us to today’s topic: DEAD LETTER DEPT., an intriguing addition to the world of psychological horror, set to grace our screens at the month’s end.
Mark your calendars because DEAD LETTER DEPT. is set to drop on Steam for PC on January 30th. The game’s premise is delightfully intriguing. You take on the role of a temp worker in a postal warehouse, tasked with managing undelivered mail for reasons that go beyond just bad handwriting. It’s a setting ripe for mystery and the unknown.
Now, what exactly does this job entail? Well, it’s simple on paper: retype addresses and messages on mail that somehow never reached its proper destination. Easy, right? But as you dive into the piles of unsent letters, patterns start to emerge. At first, it’s just a nudge at the back of your mind, but soon enough, it feels like these scribbled messages might be directed at you.
You’re alone in this dim, somewhat claustrophobic warehouse, distanced from the outside world. Your only connection is through the letters you’re meticulously combing through. As time passes, reality and dream seem to blend in unsettling ways. Stories buried within the mail start to paint a vivid picture, and there’s a persistent feeling that you might not be as alone as you think. Your sanity teeters as you weigh the importance of earning a living against the growing unease you experience in the job.
DEAD LETTER DEPT. unfolds as a typing adventure, where you’ll key in prompts to unlock hidden images within the letters. As you unravel these messages, you’ll uncover the lives of those who never got what they were meant to receive and uncover secrets best left buried. Each playthrough promises a unique experience, thanks to the sheer volume of mail you’ll sift through. But at what cost? You’ll have to weigh the allure of uncovering secrets against the unsettling feelings stirring within.
Does the notion of sifting through someone else’s letters sound intriguing? If it does, DEAD LETTER DEPT. is right around the corner and there’s a demo already on Steam for the curious. But if you prefer the suspense and thrill of discovering the full storyline all at once, just hang tight for a few more weeks until its release.
