Bad Parenting 1: Mr. Red Face

About Bad Parenting 1: Mr. Red Face

Bad Parenting 1: Mr. Red Face was the first horror game by 2OO2, released free on itch.io in 2024 and then on Steam in October 2024. The maker says the itch.io version will always be free; the Steam version adds a 3D fanart exhibition you can walk around, four graphic filters and a brightness setting.

The story starts from a bedtime myth. Adults tell their children that Mr. Red Face appears late at night to give gifts to well-behaved kids. In a small apartment, Ron finds that the story is not that simple: supernatural things start happening around him, and he tries to protect his family from the red-faced man's plans.

You play in first person, walking through the cramped rooms of the apartment and interacting with what you find, on a linear path that the maker describes as psychological and supernatural. The pictures are blurry low-poly 3D with patterned wallpaper, old televisions and a VHS-like smear, in a style the maker bases on 90s cartoons. The store warns that it contains disturbing scenes that may trigger childhood trauma.

It lasts about half an hour, and suits players who like short, uncomfortable stories about families and childhood fears more than chases or puzzles.

How to play Bad Parenting 1: Mr. Red Face

1. Download it free from the maker's itch.io page, or buy the Steam version for the extra gallery and filters.
2. Move with WASD, look with the mouse and sprint with Shift.
3. Press E or left click to interact with doors, objects and people in the apartment.
4. Follow Ron through the evening as the story moves forward; it is linear, so keep exploring the rooms until something new happens.

Tips

• Play it in one sitting in a dark room; it only takes about half an hour.
• If the mouse feels too fast or too slow, press 1 or 2 to change the sensitivity.
• On Steam, try the graphic filters and brightness setting if the scenes are too dark to read.

Questions