Welcome to Shift 87, new hire! You’ve just started your first shift at a very unusual job, locating time-space anomalies in ordinary buildings. The task is simple enough: analyze these buildings in their normal states, then find what’s been altered as you loop back through them. But there’s something dark and unsettling in these buildings, and it’ll be a good night if you can reach the end of your shift with your mind intact.

Spot the Subtle Changes in Shift 87’s Eerie Environments

Shift 87 is a mechanically simple game. The player is presented with a small area and asked to study it very carefully. Afterwards, the player is looped back through the same area, but something has changed, and the goal is to successful identify it. Those changes can be as subtle as a single altered texture or as obvious as the presence of a new object or entity.

Psychological Horror and Randomized Anomalies

As this is a horror game, it won’t surprise you to learn that many of these anomalies can get disturbing. Shift 87 leans toward psychological horror over startle scares, but expect to encounter the latter as well. The anomalies are randomized, so one might see the surreal or hellish versions of the area mixed in with much more mundane ones—you might encounter a giant shadowy entity on your first pass, and a few inverted posters on your second pass. As a result, the fear favors paranoia and dread over anything more visceral.

Discover New Anomalies Every Playthrough

There’s a little bit of replay value in Shift 87 since you won’t be able to find every anomaly in a single playthrough. Aside from that, it’s a solid choice if your fans are into horror titles, though keep in mind that it will have a different feel than the faster paced, more startle-driven titles they might be used to.

The Unsettling Experience of Shift 87

In conclusion, Shift 87 offers a unique and unsettling experience for horror enthusiasts. Its focus on psychological terror and subtle changes creates an atmosphere of constant paranoia and dread, setting it apart from more traditional jump-scare-driven games. The randomized anomalies ensure that each playthrough feels fresh and unpredictable, providing a reason to return and uncover new horrors.

Whether you’re a seasoned horror gamer or someone looking for a new thrill, Shift 87 promises a gripping journey through the eerie unknown. Prepare to test your observational skills and your nerve as you delve into the dark and twisted world of time-space anomalies.

STREAMER SCORE

Shift 87 (PC) - 2024

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3.4

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Summary

Pixelsplit’s observation-based horror game, Shift 87, creates a real sense of paranoia with its randomly assigned scares.

Steam

Drew Johnston

ANDREW JOHNSTON is a teacher, writer and journalist based out of mainland Asia. He is a regular contributor to Superjump Magazine, where he specializes in independent video games and the gaming culture of East Asia. He has published short fiction in 30 markets and anthologies including Daily Science Fiction, Nature: Futures and the Laughing at Shadows Anthology.