Aephemera

About Aephemera

Aephemera is a short horror game by doublecrow, made in Godot and free to play in the browser on itch.io or to download for Windows and Mac. Headphones are recommended, and the maker suggests the download for anyone recording a video.

It greets you with a line in capitals: thank you for participating in this assessment, these instructions will only be given once. What follows is a series of tests on a black screen. When a shape appears you click it as quickly as you can, you guide the cursor along narrow grey paths without touching the edges, and you are asked whether you recognise any of a row of faces whose eyes are blacked out.

The maker calls it intentionally challenging and admits it may be too hard, so the settings let you lower the difficulty of the dexterity sections or remove the mistake limit altogether. There are also options to reduce motion-sickness from the glitch effects and to turn off flashing images, though the maker warns of a few quick switches from bright to dark that remain. Content warnings include many glitchy visual and audio effects, sudden loud noises and a brief image of a spider.

It takes 15 to 30 minutes. It suits players who like analog-horror tests and surveys that turn on you, such as Assessment Examination or Be Honest.

How to play Aephemera

1. Play in the browser on itch.io, or download it for Windows or Mac.
2. Put on headphones and read each instruction carefully; it is only given once.
3. Click shapes, trace paths and answer questions as the assessment asks.
4. If it is too hard, lower the difficulty or turn off the mistake limit in Settings.
5. Keep going to see what the assessment is really for.

Tips

• Lower the difficulty without shame; the maker says it is intentionally challenging.
• Turn off flashing images in Settings if you are sensitive.
• If the browser version lags, restart your computer or download it, as the maker suggests.

Questions