Fear The Spotlight Takes On Old School PS1 Horror

Stay out of the bright spotlight, it’s for your own good

Wander The Dark Halls Of Sunnyside High

Be Careful Of The Light

Fear the Spotlight takes you on a horror adventure in the walls of Sunnyside High. Vivian and her rebellious friend Amy enter the school one dark night to hold a séance, only for that very ritual to go wrong and for Amy to go missing. Now alone, Vivian must traverse the dim corridors to find her and escape. But a monster roams the halls as well…avoid its gaze, search for Amy, and uncover the disturbing dark history of the school and the tragedy that unfolded decades ago.

Most of the gameplay is centered around stealth mechanics and puzzle-solving. Players control Vivian and must sneak around to avoid detection from the terror, and solve tactile puzzles. Armed with only a flashlight, find clues on both Amy’s whereabouts and on the tragic truth of the deadly fire incident that happened in these very corridors.

Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

Cozy Game Pals is a two-person independent development team who have long experiences with art and the gaming industry. Crista Castro was a Nickolodeon Art Director and Animaniacs Art Lead, while Bryan Singh lent his skills and expertise in the creation of highly-rated games such as The Last of Us, Uncharted, and Journey. While the pair has created little hobby projects on itch.io, Fear the Spotlight is their first major game.

Fear the Spotlight was originally already released for PC on Steam back in September of 2023, but Blumhouse Games took notice of the game and “loved the game so much that they offered to help [us] in any way they could,” said Singh and Castro.

With Blumhouse Games’ backing, Fear the Spotlight is now being re-released with over an hour of additional story content, adding new languages and improving its translations, and making its debut on consoles as well. For now, the game is unavailable for purchase on Steam in order to make way for these changes. Those who previously bought the game back in 2023 will receive a free upgrade to the new version once released.

“Fear the Spotlight is our love letter to classic '90s horror, with a strong focus on story and atmosphere. We aim to share everything we love about horror in a way that's exciting for longtime fans and welcoming to newcomers,” their website reads.

A Homage To The 90s

Graphics-wise, it really is a homage to the 90s PS1 era with its blocky and grainy visuals, which may touch on the nostalgia of many veteran gamers. Steam users who got to play the first versions gave the game high praises, garnering a Very Positive review rating on the platform. Players called it a “cozy horror game,” so much that even those who are not particularly fond of the horror genre enjoyed their playthrough.

It’s the perfect game to play on a calm weekend evening when you’re feeling particularly spooky but don’t want to sink dozens of hours into playing.

Fear the Spotlight will re-release on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch this coming Fall 2024!