The Most Monstrous of Mascot Horror!
The Most Monstrous of Mascot Horror!
Look at that smile!
The door shuts behind you as the lights above flicker to life. You find yourself in the company store room with one job—grab the documents and leave. The files you need are sitting next to the mascot suit; a small pink rabbit in a black tuxedo. Seems simple enough. Just walk up and grab the documents. Suddenly, the lights flicker. The documents are in hand, but the suit is gone.
The world of mascot horror games is bigger than ever before! The thought of colorful characters that once brought joy being corrupted into chaotic creatures creates a creepiness factor. From the ink and paint classic cartoons of the early 1900’s to the puppets of the 60’s, from the toys of the 90’s to the most terrifying sport of all—Minigolf.
My Esteemed Steam Gamers! For tonight’s feature presentation, prepare to be scared as we go into some favorites of the Mascot Horror Subgenre.
It’s the Faz-Man himself! Image courtesy of Steam.
You can seldom go wrong with the franchise that arguably started it all. Many years ago, independent game developer Scott Cawthon was criticized for the graphics of his Christian games looking uncanny, specifically looking like “Old Chuck E. Cheese Animatronics” in regards to the game Chipper and Sons’ Lumber Co. He took this critique and created Five Nights at Freddy’s.
You play as a night security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, where fun and imagination come to life. This pizzeria caters to fans of all ages with Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie the Bunny, Chica the Chicken, and Foxy the Pirate Fox to sing songs (be advised, Foxy the Pirate Fox is currently out of order). However, the animatronics here do get a bit quirky at night, moving around the building to prevent malfunctions during the day.
This one resource-management-sit-and-survival horror game changed the internet forever, launching multiple careers in terms of YouTubers and game developers alike. This impact led to a ton of sequels from the numbered entries 2-5 as well as several other entries. The franchise has really grown from its roots of these initial games. You may even see some of the later games somewhere on this list.
The Depths of Darkness. Image courtesy of Steam.
Have you ever thought about death? What do you think lies at the end? An empty void? Heaven? Hell? A new life? Or perhaps maybe a combination of them all? Whatever you believe, whoever you pray to, pray you don’t end up here. In this world of torment, you play as a former lawyer named Doug Houser as he seeks retribution after death.
Gameplay wise, Dark Deception brings the classic gameplay of Pac-Man and to say it expands on the formula is an understatement. A number of different maps of varying difficulty, each with unique enemies of different behaviors. Look out for mechanical murder monkeys and killer clowns. With each map you complete, you gain the power of the previous enemies you faced. Speed, teleportation, and more!
Do you dare to dive in and look for the shattered souls of the damned?
Welcome to Cozy Cove! You got the park all to yourself! Image courtesy of Steam.
Working in an office job can be pretty rough. Sometimes you need to just take a day off and swing the club for a few rounds of minigolf. What better place is there for some nice golfing than the newly opened Cozy Cove Golf Course? That’s right! In this game, you’ve Gone Golfing and must play through all 18 holes where absolutely bad will happen. This game has a rather unique golfing mechanic that sets it apart from most horror games.
We’re positively certain that there are no sinister plots afoot. No threats whatsoever. None.
Why are the golf balls looking at me like that?
Welcome to the Studio. We need to make the ink flow. Image courtesy of Steam.
Well howdy doo and a golly gee willikers! Welcome to Joey Drew Studios, where dreams come true! Where just a pencil and a dream can cheat death itself. We’ve had quite a few esteemed guests, so pardon our mess. From our former co-founder Henry Stein to our latest hire, a darling sprouting cartoon artist named Audrey.
For this entry on the list, we will be talking about two games in this duology. A double feature! Everyone loves a classic like the original Bendy and the Ink Machine, the game that put The Meatly on the map with the rest of the Joey Drew Studios development team, where Henry must face monsters of his own unintended design from Alice Angel, Boris the Wolf, and the fearsome Bendy the Ink Demon.
Meanwhile, Bendy and the Dark Revival is a pseudo-sequel to the Ink Machine where starling Audrey must face not only the previous rulers of the studio, but also an assortment of brand new threats.
Here comes the pain train! Image courtesy of Steam.
Welcome to the island of Aranearum!
Wander our extensive forest, take a tour on our very own railroad system, explore deep dark mines, meet our kooky islanders, and meet the wildlife! We have amazing wildlife including trees, grass, seagulls maybe, a giant train with spider legs that will kill you the second he sees you, some ducks probably, spiders, mad raving cultists who worship the aforementioned spider train, and of course our beloved moss.
Oh you can not deny the fun of climbing aboard the Warren Mining Company and taking in the sights while gnawing on some tasty pickles. If that’s not your speed though, the trains also come equipped with a machine gun for shooting. Shooting what exactly? Probably nothing important.
Huggy Wuggy is your best friend. Image courtesy of Steam.
Hello! Welcome to the Playtime Co. Factory!
After getting a letter from your old workplace, you have been invited to an independent tour of the old factory. The Playtime Toy Company has provided joy to children of all ages for decades. Huggy Wuggy is there when you don’t have a friend, Mommy Long Legs is there for stretchy wiggly fun, and the Smiling Critters always lend a paw to their best buddies to learn valuable lessons. Pop in some VHS tapes for instructional videos and use your GrabPack ™ to make repairs as needed.
Small parts may present a choking hazard, sharp teeth may lead to impalement.
What time is it? It’s Playtime!
Be a Friend In the Neighborhood! Image courtesy of Steam.
The last job of the day. Just go in, pull the plug on the broadcast antenna that’s interrupting the news, and head home. Nice and simple.
Oh please. If we’ve learned anything, it’s that NOTHING is ever as easy as it sounds.
You play as Gordon and trudge through the MFN Network Studio, solving puzzles and managing your finite resources to avoid sentient puppets wandering the halls, reminiscent of the work of Jim Henson. This game is easily the least conventional out of all the games we’ve discussed today for one reason: The puppets are not actually trying to hurt you. They don’t hold any ill will towards you, it’s just that it’s been so long since they’ve had a visitor, that they’re a bit excited and might accidentally break your spine. That said, the main thing that separates My Friendly Neighborhood is the tone. This game has a surprising amount of heart and soul in its story, just waiting for you to look around and visit the neighborhood.
When all is said and done, the stage is set for you to wander the halls and explore the studios, restaurants, and resorts. Better start running, because not every smile you see is a friendly one.
