Chasing Static
A psychological horror short story set in Wales.
Chasing Static is a psychological horror short story released by Headware Games, the studio of independent developer Nathan Hamley. The game is an exploration-based horror adventure set in an open-ended Welsh countryside. A demo was included in the 2021 Haunted PS1 Demo Disc, and the game was ported to consoles by Ratalaika Games in January 2023.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Headware Games
- Publisher
- Ratalaika Games
- Platforms
- Windows
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X/S
- Nintendo Switch
- Genre
- Adventure
- Released
- Windows, 14 October 2021, Console, 12 January 2023
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Chasing Static is an adventure game where the player controls Chris Selwood in first person, progressing through open-ended exploration to find items and solve inventory-based puzzles. The game lacks combat or death states, though a mysterious entity can chase the player. A Frequency Displacement Monitoring Device enables sonic exploration, letting the player adjust radio frequencies to locate echoes that provide puzzle-solving knowledge and new information.
Plot
Chris Selwood, returning from his father's funeral in Northern Wales, stops at a roadside cafe and passes out after witnessing disturbing visions during a power outage. Waking to find the cafe empty, he explores the town of Hearth to uncover the fate of the village, his father's past, and the Echo Garden Facility. Assisted by researcher Helen via a radio device, he learns of a reality-distorting event.
Development and release
Nathan Hamley, head of Bristol-based Headware Games, developed Chasing Static over one year from January 2020 to the release of a demo in the 2021 Haunted PS1 Demo Disc, a compilation of independent horror game demos by Breogán Hackett influenced by PlayStation aesthetics. Hamley cited PlayStation-era horror games as an influence and described the game as an attempt to pay homage to that visual style. The demo received praise, with TechRaptor calling it the pick of the disc and Bloody Disgusting finding it one of the most polished experiences in the collection. The game was released for consoles including Nintendo Switch in January 2023 in collaboration with publisher Ratalaika Games.
Reception
Chasing Static received mixed reviews. Positive responses highlighted its presentation, writing, and atmosphere. Horror Obsessive praised the sound design and atmosphere, noting an X-Files quality to the story. Rock Paper Shotgun commended the lo-fi look and classic horror puzzling, comparing it to Resident Evil. Dread XP lauded the great writing, multi-layered story, and excellent voice cast, with minimal jump scares. Finger Guns called it a compact narrative thriller with high quality audio and a great script. Negative reviews criticized the short playtime, ending, and limited scope. SUPERJUMP noted the game was extremely short with unskippable cutscenes and no real sense of direction. Another critique described the story as vague and directionless, feeling like a skeletal frame with little context. PixelDie observed the game never overstays its welcome but found the ending falls flat and seems thrown together. Save or Quit described the game as working against itself, with an anticlimactic ending that killed the atmosphere and tore away the psychological horror.
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