Fancy a throwback Survival Horror title set in 1980’s Australia? That’s what you’ll be getting with Affordable Cat’s Loggerhead. Described as a “classic Survival Horror Experience featuring a retro stylistic aesthetic”, Loggerhead is currently aiming for a 2023 release on Steam.
As one would expect for a game touting classic Survival Horror mechanics, Loggerhead features fixed camera angles, tank controls and classic puzzle solving. The game takes place in 1985, where the Australian Government has shut down the Boggarogga Creek campsite in the wake of a series of brutal murders. Despite the warnings (and as horror trope goes), you still have people visiting the campsite despite the closure. Two of those people are Daryl and Tracey, who have been invited for a weekend camping trip with some friends. As you might expect, the duo soon find themselves stranded and trapped in a night of horrors.
“Growing up my first interactions with games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill on the PlayStation really gripped me,” explains Affordable Cat’s Chris Willis. “The slower pace and general sense of dread these games filled me with sparked something in my imagination. Making a game in this style has been a lifelong dream of mine.”
You’ll be able to choose between two playable characters, each with slightly different stats and alternative endings. Loggerhead will feature outdoor and indoor locations that can be explored to find the required items/artifacts to progress. Combat is heavy and gory, with a number of enemies to deal with, including the eponymous Loggerhead, a seemingly invincible pursuer. And seeing that it’s Australia, you of course have the wildlife that only seems to want to kill you.
On top of all of that is the game’s aesthetic. While there are countless of titles using the throwback PS1 style (such as titles from Puppet Combo), Affordable Cat chose to go with more of a “straight to VHS B-movie feel” with Loggerhead. “I want Loggerhead to feel like an old Ozploitation film you would find on VHS tape at a garage sale. Plenty of indie horror games are going for the low-poly PS1 graphics (although I love this) I want Loggerhead to feel more like a bad movie complete with shaky handheld camera work rather than an old game”.