Have you ever wondered about what really scares you? In The Watson-Scott Test, you not only find out more about your darkest fears, but you also explore them in some detail. How is this done? Why with nothing less than a test, of course. With one thirty-question quiz, your deepest fears will be revealed and then demonstrated by the game itself as you experience this weirder than weird title from the aptly named Normal Wholesome Games.
Whether you’re looking for a new experience or you just want a new twist on that same old jump scare, we’ll tell you why we think The Watson-Scott Test is right up your alley.
How to Download The Watson-Scott Test
To download the game, click on the Download button at the end of the review. It is available on Steam. And if you like horror games, check out also Emily Wants To Play Too.
The Game Review
First, the concept of a test as a premise for a horror game is really creative. Ask any former student and they’ll likely tell you that tests are their own nightmare fuel all on their own. Taking these two concepts, of a personality test and horror, and combining them into one immediately wins The Watson-Scott Test points in the creativity department.
In a genre that is often criticized for being stale, this is no small praise. Yet, creativity aside, you’re probably wondering what kind of game it is or, at the very least, whether or not it will scare you. Depending on your taste in your horror, we’re pretty confident in saying it will at least give your heart a jump here and there.
Reviewing this game without giving anything away is a challenge, but we’ll try. To start, the title is navigated via the mouse and has the feel of classic computer adventure games from the day. Think Zork and things along those lines. The user interface is barebones and makes sense upon first glance. There’s nothing complicated going on here. While the game bills itself as a psychological test that transforms into a horror game based upon your answers, there’s more of a narrative here than that might imply.
Each choice leads to a different outcome and, in many ways, this game is a branching narrative title just like many others in this genre. One thing we really enjoyed was the cool audio effects that Normal Wholesome Games employs throughout The Watson-Scott Test. Not only do these draw you in but they also provide you just the right amount of atmosphere to prep you psychologically for some serious scares. Think Five Nights at Freddie’s but without the constant need to monitor the denizens of a haunted Chuck E. Cheese.
The Bottom Line
For fans of horror video games, this title is a no-brainer in terms of whether or not you should purchase it. As for the rest of us? We think it is a pretty cool concept but it might not be for everyone. In fact, the horror is, at times, not very subtle. Still, we have to give high marks for creativity and awesome execution here. We’d actually like to see more of this concept from devs in the future. The idea that a game tailors its scares based upon your psychological makeup is one that is too ripe not to be exploited in more depth.
