Solace Creek Preview: Don't Waste Your Coins
You don’t want to know what happens when you run out of coins for the Coinmaker.
Solace Creek from Developer starlit studio is a horror game with a focus on stealth and puzzle-solving. You play as a young woman who has woken up in a strange, dark, unfamiliar place. You must venture out into the darkness and try to figure out how you ended up there and, more importantly, how to get out alive.
The location you wake up in appears to be some kind of facility with winding hallways, offices, and machines with no power. Completely bathed in darkness at first, there is no sound other than the echoing of the protagonist's footsteps. In the game’s short demo, available as part of October’s Steam Next Fest, you’ll only meet one other unfortunate soul who seems just as trapped as you are in this strange labyrinth.
The atmosphere that starlit studio manages to create as soon as players pick up the controls for Solace Creek is oppressive and unsettling. Without a flashlight, it’s difficult to see what’s in front of you until you’re right on top of it. Even once you are equipped with a flashlight, it does very little to help light up the sinister corridors. And in case the ever-looming darkness wasn’t enough, there is a creature hiding somewhere in the facility that seems to be attracted to sound and light. You’ll have to pay close attention to possible hiding places around the facility so you aren’t caught when the creature emerges from the shadows.
It is eventually revealed that you are in a place called Solace Creek. A man warns you to conserve your “coins” but doesn’t offer any additional explanation. The young woman does remember that when she first woke up in this strange place, one of the only items she had was a chain adorned with a handful of crimson coins. He also mentions the “Coinmaker” urging you to avoid coming face to face with it.
The Solace Creek demo reveals just enough to keep the player desperate to know more about the main character, this facility, the mysterious man and the creature that wants to catch you. The game plays just like classic, 90s survival horrors. Its unsettling atmosphere, nostalgic and intriguing story make it one to keep a close eye on.
Preview by Becca Smith