Stealth horror Psychological horror Horror

GYLT

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A girl, her missing cousin and a town shaped by her fears.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Stores: Steam, GOG
Price: Paid
Rated: Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam (95% of 919 reviews); Metacritic 72 on PS5 (16 critics); 4.6 of 5 on PlayStation Store (1,423 ratings)
Length: About 5 to 6 hours
Players: 1
Made by: Tequila Works, Haven Media
Released: 2019

On GOG: one of the GOG horror games.

No. 20 of the arcade horror games · No. 15 of the horror games about bullying

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What frightens Chased by bullies, a girl searching for her missing cousin is dragged into a twisted version of her small Maine town at night, where her fears and worst memories take the shape of grinning, toothed monsters that hunt her through the school, an arcade and the streets.
Content: fantasy violence, mild blood, bad language, bullying themes, monsters, jumpscares.

GYLT is a third-person stealth horror adventure about Sally, a girl in Bethelwood, Maine, whose cousin Emily has disappeared. Chased by bullies, she is pulled into a twisted version of her town where her fears become monsters, and she must hide from them, distract them or face them with a flashlight to find Emily. It takes about five to six hours and has more than one ending.

About GYLT

GYLT is a stealth horror adventure from Tequila Works, a Spanish studio, with a soundtrack by Cris Velasco. It first came out in 2019 as a Google Stadia exclusive. In July 2023 it reached PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, published by Parallel Circles, and a Nintendo Switch version followed in March 2024. Its style is like a dark animated film: rounded, stylised characters in a creepy, melancholic small town.

Sally lives in Bethelwood, a mining town in Maine, and life has been hard since her cousin Emily went missing. She has been putting up posters of Emily all over town. Fleeing a group of bullies one evening, she ends up in a version of the town that is twisted and dark, where her fears are made real. Her school, an arcade, the streets and other familiar places are full of creatures with glowing eyes and too many teeth, and many of them echo the bullying that both girls know too well.

You decide whether to face them or hide. Most of the time hiding is wiser: you crouch behind cover and in tall grass, wait for a creature to pass, and throw lures to draw it away. Sally's flashlight is her weapon, its beam able to stop some creatures, and later she finds a fire extinguisher. Light puzzles open the way through each place as the mystery of Emily's disappearance unfolds.

A first run takes about five to six hours. The story has more than one ending, and what you do along the way, including whom you help, decides which one you see. Critics found it tense and more frightening than its look suggests, though some called it linear and disliked the final boss. It deals with bullying and guilt and suits players who liked Little Nightmares or Among the Sleep and want a stealth game with heart.

How to play GYLT

Explore the twisted town as Sally, picking up items and following clues to Emily.
Stay out of the creatures' sight: crouch behind cover, hide in grass and wait for them to pass.
Throw lures to distract creatures and draw them away.
Solve the light puzzles that block the way forward in each area.
Use your flashlight, and later a fire extinguisher, to face creatures when hiding is not an option.

Screenshots

GYLT screenshot: Sally hides in tall grass by a tree outside the school at night as a shark-headed creature with glowing eyes stands near the lit door

GYLT screenshot: Sally shines a large flashlight at a creature that is freezing solid in a school hallway

GYLT screenshot: Sally shields her face at the door of a dim school cafeteria while a dark shark-headed creature lurks between the tables

GYLT screenshot: Sally crouches in a school corridor watching wooden mannequin figures pick on one sitting on the floor with a bucket on its head

GYLT screenshot: Sally runs through a dark theatre lobby with red curtains toward a lit doorway, past posters of her missing cousin

Tips

Watch a creature's route before you move; most patrol in loops.
Throw lures ahead to clear a path rather than behind you.
Explore side rooms and help those you find trapped; it matters for the ending.

Questions

Is GYLT scary?

It is tense and creepy, with monsters and some jumpscares, but its stylised look and child hero make it gentler than most horror. It is rated ESRB T and PEGI 12.

What is GYLT about?

A girl searching for her missing cousin in a twisted version of her town, where creatures are shaped by her fears, including bullying.

How long is GYLT?

About five to six hours for the story, and around eight to see everything.

Does GYLT have multiple endings?

Yes. The ending you get depends on what you do during the game.

What platforms is GYLT on?

PC on Steam and GOG, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. It began as a Stadia exclusive in 2019.