Every week I am saying how important indie game Twitter is because I would never be able to find these games if it wasn’t for people actively updating the development process. Games like Rhythm Quest, Loddlenaut, and this week’s game are just a few examples. I’m walking around an abandoned amusement park wondering why there are animatronics that bleed and why it is a front for a mining operation.

This week is Crow Country.

Crow Country is a survival horror game from SFB Games. The game is slated to release on May 9th, 2024 on Steam and PlayStation Store.

You are a cop, Mara, who has been dispatched to the old, run-down amusement park Crow Country after reports were filed that people have been seeing figures moving in the dark. Crow Country gives you little and gives you more with the notebooks and letters lying around. There are sightings of spooky figures but that takes a backseat to the main story of why there is a load of mining equipment scattered all around the park.

Gameplay is pretty standard PS1 Resident Evil action. You have a gun and you have to manually aim it with the analog stick. Reloading is also manual, so load those bullets in or you will surely get hurt. Shooting enemies at a closer range is critical to incapacitating them, so keep this in mind. You have an inventory/menu system that looks a lot like retro horror games with the status and such scattered about the menu. Maps can be found and I am pretty sure Crow Country checks off what rooms you’ve entered and gathered everything from, which is a huge addition, personally.

You eventually meet spooky animatronics and the player is forced either to run or dispatch them. Ammo is plentiful in the demo, so gunning the spooky men down is good practice. Running is also an option that results in a surplus of ammo. There are times when fighting is the only option to display the aiming and reloading mechanics, and it works well enough for me. One button to reload and one button to shoot is simple.

Other than walking around and avoiding the spooky bad guys there are puzzles! Puzzles are almost as mandatory as the fuck ton of keys needed to open up all of the different gates/doors pretty much anything that resembles a door needs a key. It’s fine though, the main puzzle is not nearly as difficult just as long as you pay attention to your surroundings.

Crow Country is relatively grainy and looks like a ps2 game. The isometric view makes it harder to make out what the hell is making all the grotesque noises in the corner of the room. The game is dark and the flashlight does absolutely nothing to stop the spooky monsters from shambling towards me, it just adds to the atmosphere.

The sound design is peak horror indie game. Gross little monsters are making gross little noises, Mara makes sad noises when hit and the amusement park makes absolutely no noise until the music pops up when someone is in the same room as you. Again, just like the graphics, the sound design adds a lot to the spooky atmosphere.

Crow Country was a fun demo, even though I think I randomly ended it. I opened up a door and it just went straight to the end screen. Regardless of how I got there, the adventure was incredibly fun and spooky. The things walking around shake and make weird fucking noises while trying to kill you. There are a bunch of keys to collect to open certain doors that lead to other areas with more keys to collect. The whole game is a nostalgia trip and I like it. I have it wishlisted and I am ready for it to be released in May