Horror games are a dime a dozen in the Steam marketplace, with each horror game rehashing a familiar formula in hopes of becoming the next big cult hit.

Devour is one of these diamonds in the rough, its simple cat and mouse premise combined with its random elements make this a game a tense, thrilling experience that can keep players engrossed for hours.

Devour: from simple to chaotic

Developed by indie studio Straight Back Games, Devour released at the beginning of 2021, with a straightforward premise: you and up to 3 friends’ team up to stop a possessed cultist, which requires you to complete a basic task 10 times.

The catch? Each time you complete the task, enemies begin to spawn, the main boss becomes more aggressive and chaos begins to culminate with each task completion.

This simple, easy to understand objective erupts into a chaotic dash in the later stages of the game where every moment counts as you try to sprint to the finish.

Devour’s graphics are simple and aren’t a technical marvel to look at, but that’s OK. The maps art direction and sound design more than make up for this. With each map full of odd sounds and creepy lighting, creating a tense atmosphere.

These simple graphics play to the game’s advantage, always offering a solid smooth 60FPS no matter what situation you’re in, whether that’s burning your 5th goat or sprinting through a creepy multi story mental asylum.

The further you progress in Devours stages, the more chaotic things become. From enemies popping up more frequently, to the map boss constantly hitting their enraged status. With all this madness ensuing, Devour never fails to miss a scare offering a consistent playing experience.

A horror game perfect for a live stream

Devour feels like a horror game made for streaming. Each round offers unpredictable moments, if there’s a demon around the corner or if a player has enough time to make it unscathed. The unpredictable nature of Devour’s design keeps both the streamer and audience on the edge of their seat.

Playing with a group of friends takes Devour to new heights, frantically coming up with a plan and then watching it crumble before your eyes. Devour somehow manages to create a tense atmosphere full of screams and dread but also manages to create hilarious moments where groups scramble around losing their minds together, making the mental asylum map feel more like home.

Devour does use a similar formula across all of its maps albeit with minor adjustments but the formula does not overstay its welcome. The procedural generated item placement and scares ensure that each round feels unique and maintains the viewer interest over multiple rounds.

However, horror games in a live stream aren’t for everyone. Devour definitely has a scary tone, a lot of jump scares and an uncomfortable atmosphere for the uninitiated so this will need to be kept in mind when streaming Devour.

Engage with your audience

Devour is best played in a group, rewarding cooperative game play as players dash around the map.

This cooperation also allows for the audience to be invested in the streamer’s decisions. Devour offers opportunities for viewer input on what the players should do next and watch the madness unfold when things don’t go to plan.

Along with Devour’s heavy emphasis on cooperation, the procedural generation plays to Devour’s advantage and helps keep the audience invested throughout each round. Devour surprises players with unexpected twists, ensuring that the gameplay remains unpredictable. This element of surprise keeps the audience engaged as players are eager to discover what pops up next.

More content coming!

When Devour was first released, there was only one map. This one map would become stale after a few rounds.

Fast forward 2 years, Devour now has multiple maps, a progression system and achievements offering players various reasons to come back for more.

Along with an active development scene, Devour is always pumping out new updates and maps on a consistent schedule, always offering something for returning players.

Devour

PC (2021)

Performance

Streamability

Audience Engagement

Replayability

Summary

Devour is something special, delivering a clever chaotic experience that is easy to understand but hard to master.

When Devour is at its craziest, it somehow creates a tense chaotic atmosphere that can deliver frights and laughs in equal measure.

Devour has become a horror cult hit, thanks to its passionate developers, and invested community, offering a great experience for streamers, keeping their audience invested with every hastily made decision.

4.3