Disturbed

About Disturbed

Disturbed is a free horror adventure by the small studio iBlackpen, released on Steam in October 2016 for Windows, Mac and Linux. Its maker says it was inspired by experiences of depression and addiction, and every scene is hand-drawn in grey tones to carry that mood.

You play Von, a farmer who can no longer save his farm. Something is blighting the land, and with nothing left to lose he sets out to find out what. Each location shows a drawing and a few lines of text, and you choose from a short list of actions: inspect the fountain, enter the tower, climb down the well, open the door.

The horror is in how fragile Von is. Many choices lead straight to a death, from wild animals to things in the dark, and the game keeps count of them with achievements. You can save at any time, so the fun is in trying a path, dying and going back, slowly finding the clues that lead you forward.

Players compare it to the gamebooks and old adventure games where death waits on every page, and praise its art and atmosphere more than its writing. It suits players who want a short, free, grim story they can finish in an evening, and it has a paid sequel.

How to play Disturbed

1. Download Disturbed free from Steam for Windows, Mac or Linux.
2. Read each scene and click one of the listed actions to choose what Von does.
3. Save often in the manual slots, especially before risky choices.
4. When you die, load a save and try another path.
5. Gather clues from places you have explored to find the way forward.

Tips

• Save before every new location; deaths come without warning.
• Remember items and hints from earlier scenes; they unlock safer choices later.
• Dying is part of the game, and many achievements are for finding the deaths.
• If you are stuck, players' Steam guides map out every path.

Questions