Partum Artifex is an eerie new indie horror game from Adelaide

Horror games are loved by many after a good spook. There’s something about the thrill of playing through a horror narrative that a movie doesn’t quite scratch. Partum Artifex answers the call – it’s a first-person atmospheric horror-puzzle game with a twisted story. Check out the trailer below!

BOO! Who would’ve thought a puzzle game about a twisted serial killer would’ve been so scary? Players are invited to a most ‘exclusive and imaginative’ art gallery… only all is most certainly not as it seems. Each puzzle connects to the mind of the game’s antagonistic serial killer. Slowly, piece your way through this most macabre series of displays. The killer’s end goal is that you’ll help finish his magnum opus – just another Tuesday, really.

You must explore an isolated location, far from civilisation with no hope of being rescued. All that stands between you and the truth is a rickety old house which is the perfect scene for this delve into the depths of the murderer’s mind.

Partum Artifex is a fairly contained experience that can be played in one sitting. The game story backs up this pacing, removing any and all bloat from the experience. The game’s size is one of its best features. When playing it, I’d go as far as to compare it to a movie, but the player is free to explore and move around at will solving the puzzles.

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We’ve only just recently begun to see a rise in horror games being developed in Australia. DarkwebSTREAMER is also being developed in Adelaide funnily enough – I’d like to see the indie space here in Australia lean into these darker games that wish to spook and scare players. It opens us up to a new audience of people searching for that thrill.

I’d liken Partum Artifex to Resident Evil 6 without the combat. There’s something so perfect about exploring an old house in the middle of the forest in first-person that I can’t get enough of even if there are some haunting mannequins. Partum Artifex will have you nervous to know more about the artist behind the artwork, lest you become a part of this gallery of horror.

Partum Artifex is available now on Steam.