Life Eater
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| Life Eater | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Strange Scaffold |
| Publishers | Strange Scaffold, Frosty Pop |
| Director | Xalavier Nelson Jr. |
| Producer | Candace Hudert |
| Designers | Colin McInerney, Tom Vinita, Vaida Plankyte, RJ Lake |
| Programmers | Timothy Gatton, Val Magri |
| Artists | Marianeé Canales, Ben Chandler, Judy McCroary, Mothcula |
| Writers | Xalavier Nelson Jr., Candace Hudert |
| Composer | David Mason |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
| Platform | Windows |
| Release | 16 April 2024 |
| Mode | Single-player |
Life Eater is a 2024 video game developed by Strange Scaffold and published by Strange Scaffold and Frosty Pop for Windows. The game is a narrative horror puzzle game in which the player is a murderer that uses an interactive timeline to learn the routines and vulnerabilities of their victims. The game was concepted by independent developer Xalavier Nelson Jr, who aimed to create a "horror fantasy kidnapping simulator" that explored themes of surveillance in a fantasy horror context. Upon release, Life Eater received mixed to average reviews from critics, with reviewers noting the impact and ambition of its premise, but expressing mixed views on the effect of its gameplay and narrative to execute its concept.
Life Eater is a puzzle game in which the player is a murderer that uses an interactive timeline similar to video editing software to plan an opportunity to abduct a specific victim nominated at the start of every stage.[1] Each round of the game takes place over two phases, with the first phase set out on a timeline representing the routines of one or more victims. The timeline of each victim is segmented by empty slots representing their various activities throughout the days of the week. To uncover these activities and locate the appropriate opportunity to kidnap them, players select a series of actions that represent methods of stalking them. These actions are constrained by a time limit and suspicion meter, requiring the player to manage their time and not raise the meter. Once the suspicion meter passes a threshold three times, or the time limit runs out, the game is over.[2] Some activities on the timeline can only be revealed by taking more intrusive actions at a greater cost of suspicion.[1] Players can reduce the level of suspicion by undertaking activities at cost to their available time. Once the player identifies a sufficient percentage of the victim's activities in that week, they are able to select a victim to abduct.[2]
The second phase of the game presents the player with statements about the correct victim, requiring them to demonstrate knowledge from the evidence they collected in the first phase of the game.[1] Players answer these questions using an interface representing the sacrifice of the victim, removing certain bodily organs based on whether or not the victim met certain conditions such as their habits, living status and appearance. If the player removes the organs correctly based on these conditions, the player is successful, otherwise they must restart the stage. Certain conditions, such as whether the victim lived alone, requires the player to infer the nature of the victim based upon the evidence they have collected, occasionally from the habits of other characters that have been surveilled. As the game progresses, multiple characters are able to be monitored or abducted in the first phase of the game. The instructions on which targets are to be abducted also can be abstract, such as to "find a monster", requiring deeper investigation to abduct the correct victim.[2]
Plot
The player character, Ralph, is a "modern-day Druid" in servitude to Zimforth, a god that threatens to bring about the end of the world unless the player provides them with annual sacrifices. To meet these ends, Ralph abducts and murders specific targets identified by Zimforth by monitoring their personal lives and routines. He also abducts and imprisons a victim, Johnny, placing him in a cage. Over the years in service to Zimforth, Ralph develops increasing paranoia and guilt about their involvement in procuring sacrifices as they develop a one-sided friendship with Johnny. Throughout the game, it is left ambiguous as to whether Ralph is sane or truly tormented by the demands of Zimforth.[3][4]
