For Nebula Games, or rather, Chen Xu's new game,
there were actually quite a number of people still paying attention.
These people weren't just ordinary players, but also included some industry game designers and gaming media.
After all, Chen Xu still carried a labelâthe first-prize winner of the Sci-Fi Game Competition.
Added to that, To the Moon had genuinely moved countless players.
So, the number of people curious about Chen Xu's new work, Outlast, was far from small.
Especially among player groups that followed horror games closely, Outlast had already begun to generate buzz within their communities.
On a certain horror game enthusiast forum, many players had posted threads discussing Outlast.
"Damn it! Today I found a newly launched horror game that scared the hell out of me! At first I thought it was just another run-of-the-mill, low-tier horror game! But holy crap, it's simply unbelievableâI played for half an hour and was so terrified I couldn't continue!"
"I know, you mean Outlast, right? The one made by the same designer who created To the Moon. This game is damn terrifying. I was pretty dismissive at first when those door jump scares happened, but once I reached the catacomb area, I realized I was terribly wrong!"
"Same, I bought it too. Itâs genuinely terrifying, especially when youâre hiding in a closet, praying that fat guy doesnât find you."
"I think the door jump scares were manageable, since Iâm used to them, but that grim combination of night vision mode and pitch-black scenes? I couldnât handle it at all!"
Many players who had already experienced the game were actively discussing Outlast in these forums.
And their conversations attracted the attention of other players who werenât previously aware of it.
Although many players followed Chen Xu, the majority of ordinary players remained completely unaware of him or his work.
When it came to To the Moon, quite a few people knew what it was.
Because both To the Moon and Undertale had gained significant recognition among Independent Game player communities.
But when it came to Chen Xu and his new game Outlast, unless someone had specifically followed him, most players were completely in the dark.
This was precisely why top-tier game developers still spent huge sums promoting their AAA titles.
Because most players were very passive in accepting new gamesâsometimes even after playing exceptional titles, they still had no idea who the game designer or developers were.
In various forum threads discussing Outlast, the topic drew in many players who had never paid attention to Chen Xu before.
"Outlast? That new horror game?"
"Is it really as exaggerated as you guys say? Itâs just a horror game after all."
"If you donât believe it, just try it yourself. Itâs available on both the Official Game Platform and the Nebula Games Platformâthough Nebula is 5 yuan cheaper."
"OJBK, Iâll go challenge it!"
"Iâll give it a shot tooâwhat a bunch of Cowards you all are!"
"Weâll be waiting for your playthrough impressions!"
"Fine, just wait for our message once weâve cleared the game! Heh, whatâs there to fear from a little horror game?"
Full of confidence at first, but just one or two hours later, the players who had declared theyâd challenge the game began returning to the forums.
Compared to their earlier tone of arrogance and dismissal,
this time, just from reading their words, one could sense their current psychological state.
"Holy crap! I nearly died of fright! That lunatic in the wheelchair scared the living hell out of me!"
"I can't take it anymoreâI'm feeling dizzy. When I had to turn on the generator in the catacomb, everything went pitch black, my camera battery was dying, and some guy with a spiked plank was chasing me! I completely broke down!"
"Same here! I was so terrified I almost pissed myselfâthankfully I held it in at the last second."
"I wonder what kind of trauma the game designer must have gone through to create this!"
"Iâm telling you, this is the scariest horror game of the yearâno, of recent years!"
"+1! I totally agree!"
"So, since this game is this good, does anyone have any ideas?"
"Like recommending this game to more players? After all, great things should be shared!"
"Great minds think alike! Letâs go post about it on other community forums!"
"Hehe, I already didâgo upvote my thread!"
"Damn it! Thatâs underhanded! You sneaked in early!"
As the first wave of horror game enthusiasts experienced Outlast and got utterly terrified,
many others who had quit halfway through also rushed to game forums and communities,
ready to post threads recommending Outlast to fellow players.
Of course, most of these players werenât motivated by noble intentions like spreading awareness of an excellent horror game.
Their motives were far simpler: Since I got scared so badly, shouldnât more players suffer the same fate?
Naturally, Chen Xu had also arranged internet trolls in advance to steer the conversation.
Otherwise, it wouldâve been difficult to rapidly generate buzzâthough this tactic only worked if the game itself had the potential.
And did Outlast have that potential?
The answer was obvious.
Thus, on game forums, community boards, and in player groups, this first wave of players began recommending Outlast to their friends and even strangers.
With such a brilliant game, how could one possibly bear the terror alone?
Other players must also experience the 'love' this game so generously delivers!
On various gaming community sites, some players noticed that, at a certain point, a flood of similar posts suddenly appeared.
Almost all of them revolved around a horror game called Outlast.
"Highly recommend the horror game Outlast. Bought it for my roommate whoâs studying for the postgraduate entrance exam. It worked perfectlyâheâs now terrified, and Iâve secured my own graduate admission."
"Bought this game for my kid. Now heâs happily playing it in the afterlife!"
"Other games cost money, but this one costs hearts!"
"Bought in the morning, played in the afternoon, died of fright by night."
"If youâre easily scared, donât buy this horror gameâotherwise youâll definitely regret it!"
"Only those with true courage can dare to play this horror game alone!"
"This yearâs best horror game, OutlastâCowards, stay far away from this one!"
Game forum communities were soon filled with posts like these.
They split into two playstyles: one group played along with memes, luring others into suffering alongside them.
The other group seemed genuinely earnest, describing exactly how terrifying the game truly was.
The meme-driven posts were easy to spot.
But even so, they sparked curiosity in many people.
Could this horror game called Outlast really be that frightening?
Had it really terrified so many peopleâand inspired so many to spread memes trying to lure others into the nightmare?
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