JANITOR BLEEDS is primarily a horror adventure game with some interesting puzzle elements blended in for good measure.
Presentation
The most striking thing about JANITOR BLEEDS is the visual design. It’s retro-inspired, but it’s just one element used to create its own style rather than an attempt to clone it perfectly. When combined with the setting of an aging arcade, it blurs the lines between the real world that the character inhabits and the video game they play.
On their own, the pixelated graphics are nice to look at, but the star of the show is the lighting. Without giving too much away, light is used to drive home a lot of the horror that might not be as unsettling without it. Overall, I thought there were numerous scary moments that didn’t need to rely on cheap jump scares, although I’m a bit of a scaredy-cat when it comes to horror games, so it might not be up to the standards of a horror veteran.
As for the sound design, it more than pulls its weight during certain segments, especially concerning the unnerving atmosphere. Some of the best scares come while you are in an empty room and can only hear something happening through the walls. I could go on and on about the standout moments, but most of their impact comes from how they play with your expectations, and I wouldn’t want to spoil that.
Gameplay
As for gameplay, there are stretches where it feels almost like a walking simulator and others that feature major genre shifts that stand out from the rest of the game. Most of the time, you will be tasked with searching for an item that will allow you to progress to the next area, whether it be the key to a locked door or simply a helpful tool. At times it’s almost like a first-person point-and-click adventure game, especially in the first half. The “gaminess” of these mechanics can be somewhat immersion-breaking, but the omnipresent tension usually helps avoid this.
Story
The overarching narrative didn’t blow me away, but it’s serviceable as a way of building up a mysterious atmosphere. It’s told through a series of messages left throughout the arcade and a good amount of environmental storytelling. It’s on par with what I expect from an indie horror, so in that sense, I wasn’t disappointed, but given how strong the rest of the game is, it stuck out as an underwhelming element.
Verdict
A solid indie horror game that deftly blends a retro art style with a modern, unique take on horror. The only knocks against it are the occasional bugs you experience and possibly its lack of replay value (although personally, I wasn’t bothered by this). I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys horror games, especially those that play like a walking simulator.
