If there’s a particular challenge that I love in my position as a games journalist, it’s trying to predict what the next big thing will be, be it a game, genre, trend or anything similar. And with Night SIgnal Entertainment’s latest title,Home Safety Hotline,I think I have an idea as to what might be one of the next trends to develop in gaming will be, and it’s a little something I like to call “deduction horror.” It’s something that began withPhasmophobiafollowed byThe Mortuary Assistanta couple of years later. Horror games where the challenge is in trying to decode what unknown horror you may be facing up against, so that you know how to either properly deal with it or to run away.Home Safety Hotlineis a more point-and-click analog horror take on such games, and now it’s time to see if this is truly good enough to help get this subgenre going.
Home Safety Hotlineputs you in the shoes of the latest employee for the titular service, taking calls as they come in, identifying whatever issue is plaguing the caller, and then selecting it to send them the correct information on how to deal with it. Things start out standard, dealing with the likes of ticks, gophers and frozen pipes, but then as more entries get unlocked, suddenly you have to figure out how to figure out what type of gnome, sprite, plant monster, closet labyrinth or other supernatural issue is bugging the customer. Unsurprisingly, you may even begin to question the HSH itself, especially as you begin to get some weird e-mails and start to question their attitude towards things…
So yes, the main goal is identifying threats via use of a 1996-era computer database, and I just realized that one sentence basically sums up the gameplay presentation almost in its entirety.Home Safety Hotlineis a minimalist game, to say the least, as you simply answer calls as they come in, pay attention to the symptoms mentioned, go through the database at your leisure to see what matches while the customer is on hold (time not being an issue here), and then select the answer from a drop-down menu. Not that I’m complaining, as this means the gameplay is nice and simple, has a perfectly-captured old-school PC feel, and most importantly, allows the main focus to be on the story, be it the individual bits of lore for each creature or the issues that your customers are going through.
While the presentation inHome Safety Hotlineis notably low-tech, that doesn’t get in the way of it getting creative with its supernatural hazards and its mythology. There’s the main mascot of the game, the Hobb, which comes in different varieties and needs to be placated with different offerings, lest they go through metamorphosis. Then you have a Fae Flu that causes holes and mushrooms to appear on one’s face, randomly appearing doorways that cause those who pass through to become confused, walking rose bushes with human legs that prey on kids and pets, and much more. Even beings such as leprechauns and trolls are given unique touches, as well as slightly off photos that nicely show off their uniqueness. There’s a reason why an art book is your reward upon completion of the game, and that’s because a ton of love and care went into each phenomenon’s design.
While all the designs make for beautiful yet potentially deadly hazards, the actual horror inHome Safety Hotlinedoesn’t necessarily come through them, but rather the industry around it. Having actually worked at a call center before, I have experienced the particular feeling of soul-crushing helplessness that it can bring first-hand, and this is a game that replicates that feeling perfectly. Each caller is faced with otherworldly threats that could potentially harm, traumatize or even kill them, and all you can do is hopefully send them the correct information package. And all the while, your superiors seem to care not one lick about the actual well-being of the customer. Every entry describes the hazards you face in some rather nightmarish details, but tends to downplay any actualy threat, to the point where wording such as “…otherwise harmless to humans” is common.
Now, this writing does provide a hefty dose of black comedy, which combined with the attitudes of your callers and how nonchalant they can be sometimes as well, is effective and provides particularly good doses of levity. But this also means that it successfully allows the more terrifying elements to subtly sneak in. One memorable call involved a woman complaining about a missing relative in a shrill tone, blaming it on the “Satanists” and whatnot. It was particularly funny, but then it hit hard once I figured out the problem that was ailing them and came to a horrifying truth: their loved one wasdeadnow. The database even said, as eerily calmly as possible, that all they can do now is prepare funeral arrangements. I didn’t expectHome Safety Hotlineto go so hard, but that just shows how top-notch the writing and creativity is here.
All that said, the only issue withHome Safety Hotlineis a lack of any real possible challenge. Unlike with the aforementionedPhasmophobiaandThe Mortuary Assistant,things are more scripted here as opposed to randomly generated, which means that the only thing that can catch you off guard is the occasional network failure that knocks out the database entries, relying on you to have studied the key parts of each hazard. That said, because a lot of the later hazards are more unique in their symptoms, they tend to be easier to figure out, meaning the game actually gets easier as it progresses. Oddly enough, this all makes the more mundane hazards like bees, termites and bedbugs the trickier ones to spot, especially if they’re snuck in alongside the more out-there stuff during the later chapters.
Still, the challenge isn’t the main selling point ofHome Safety Hotline, even if its short length (clocking in at just under three hours) might make one wish there was more meat to it. That would be its stellar writing and the unique breed of horror that it brings to the gaming world via its old-school setup. And the gameplay is still fun enough that, hopefully, we do indeed get a “deduction horror” trend going, as this is a game that easily proves just how enjoyable this little niche can be.
Closing Comments:
Home Safety Hotlineis a unique game in both the adventure genre and the horror genre, using deduction-based gameplay to great effect as folks attempt to decipher just what kind of gnome or fantastical fungus is plaguing each caller. While it could have been tougher, the cleverly-designed blend of supernatural phenomena and sharp comedic writing with a nicely dark edge will keep players hooked until the end. The prospect of working at a call center for things that go bump in the night sure is terrifying (although that goes for any job at a call center, period), but here, it’s a job worth tackling.
Home Safety Hotline
Version Reviewed: PC
