The Cabin Factory launched on PC (Steam) on December 13 and sold over 30,000 copies during its opening weekend. The indie game studio International Cat Studio created this horror walking simulator and published it by Future Friends Games. The game's objective is straightforward: inspect the cabins, scrutinize every detail, and if you discover they are haunted, make a quick escape…
Walkthrough
In The Cabin Factory, your job is deceptively simple: inspect cabins to ensure they’re not haunted. If all seems clear, press the green button; if something moves—run.
The gameplay offers a unique and tense experience. The cabins are small, but the sense of dread is palpable. The first cabin always seems safe, allowing new players to learn the ropes, but after that, the tension ratchets up. Each inspection feels unpredictable, with scenarios ranging from mildly eerie movements to more intense moments requiring puzzle-solving.
The initial 8 cabins provide a solid hour of spooky gameplay. However, the hauntings can feel inconsistent—sometimes obvious, like a moving object, and other times frustratingly subtle. There were even moments when nothing seemed to move, yet the game flagged the cabin as haunted, leading to disheartening losses.
Once you complete the main cabins, the endless mode starts to feel repetitive. Scenarios begin to recycle, and the lack of meaningful rewards reduces motivation to keep playing.
The biggest disappointment, however, is the game’s ending. It shifts from spooky to silly in a way that undermines the carefully built tension.
Pros:
• Tense and atmospheric gameplay that keeps you on edge.
• A wide variety of scenarios that start spooky and escalate to genuinely terrifying.
• The first 8 cabins feel unique and well-paced.
• A solid first playthrough with a unique premise.
• Hauntings can be genuinely creepy and unsettling.
Cons:
• Repetition sets in post-game as scenarios start repeating with little variation.
• Some hauntings feel unfair or inconsistent like subtle changes being hard to spot.
• Post-game content becomes repetitive with little incentive to continue.
• The ending feels out of place and detracts from the overall experience.
• Occasional inconsistency in hauntings can frustrate players.
Game`s plot
The story in The Cabin Factory is subtle and environmental. It unfolds through scattered clues like radio broadcasts and new people appearing in the house. It’s intentionally vague, leaving room for players to piece together their interpretation of what’s haunting these cabins.
While this open-ended storytelling is intriguing, it might not satisfy players looking for a more concrete narrative.
Pros:
• A mysterious, player-driven story that encourages exploration and imagination.
• Small environmental details reward attentive players.
Cons:
• The lack of clear narrative direction might frustrate players who prefer structured stories.
Audio and Visuals
Visually, The Cabin Factory excels at building atmosphere. The environments are simple but meticulously designed to create unease. Audio is minimal but effective. The ambient sounds—combined with the darkness and visuals—heighten the tension, making every creak and shadow feel significant.
Pros:
• Well-designed visuals that amplify the spooky atmosphere.
• Minimal but effective ambient audio that builds tension.
• Smooth performance with no technical hiccups.
Cons:
• A jarring lighting transition when moving from the console to the cabin, which can take players out of the moment.
In conclusion
This game offers a unique take on the horror genre with its tense inspections, eerie atmosphere, and creative scenarios. It has the potential to be a standout horror title, but it’s currently held back by repetitive post-game content, occasional inconsistencies, and a disappointing ending.
The Cabin Factory is a spooky, atmospheric game with great potential, but some flaws that need addressing...
