Beyond the Static

About Beyond the Static

Beyond the Static is a short horror game by the Temporarily Unnamed Collective, made by OFFLINE, Constantin Liétard and Lazy Eti in seven days for Scream Jam 2024, where it placed 3rd for horror, 3rd for sound design and 9th for enjoyment. It is free on itch.io for Windows, macOS and Linux, with a post-jam version.

Deep in the woods, at the dead of night, there is an eerie research facility, and you have a device that lets you peek beyond the static. A man in a suit, labelled Boss, waits in a shabby office. You hunt for signals, scan and record them onto tapes, and the large map opens up as gates unlock and new areas appear beyond the fence.

It looks like a late-1990s console game, all low-poly buildings, grainy darkness and a radio tower lit against the night sky, and players single out its sound, including how the acoustics change inside buildings. Each recording draws more out of the dark: a floating spirit seen after a scan, and things that stack up after every tape, so you have to learn to avoid them, running on a stamina bar and starting over when you fail.

Players compare it to Voices of the Void and call it one of the few really scary games of the jam, though some found it hard. It suits players who like PSX-style night-time horror in the woods.

How to play Beyond the Static

1. Download it free from itch.io for Windows, macOS or Linux; take the post-jam version.
2. Move with WASD and use left click for the flashlight and to interact.
3. Right-click to bring up the recorder and scan for signals beyond the static.
4. Record each signal onto tape, then get away from what it draws out.
5. Keep an eye on your stamina when you run; players found it runs out fast.

Tips

• Listen carefully: the sound design is its strength and warns you of what is near.
• After each tape, more things come for you, so plan your route before recording.
• Do not turn around out of curiosity when you hear noises behind you, players warn.

Questions