KOBOLD: Chapter I

About KOBOLD: Chapter I

KOBOLD: Chapter I is a VR horror game by the German studio anotherworld, released on Steam in November 2018. It needs a PC VR headset with tracked controllers and supports room scale and free movement.

You play an urban explorer investigating the case of a missing boy. With a flashlight you go into an abandoned villa in the middle of a dark forest in Germany, pick up and examine objects, look for clues and go deeper into the house and beyond it, into what the makers call a mystical world where your actions can have grave consequences.

Its selling point is realism: the rooms were captured with photogrammetry, so peeling wallpaper, children's drawings, candle wax and dust look like real places in the headset. That makes the quiet rooms and dark corners unsettling, and the store promises it will entice and terrify. The makers also released a short film that sets up the story and the missing boy's background, which you can watch before playing.

Players describe it as a short experience of about an hour that looks impressive for its age. It suits VR owners who want a slow, realistic haunted-place exploration rather than a shooter.

How to play KOBOLD: Chapter I

1. Buy it on Steam and play with a PC VR headset and tracked controllers.
2. Watch the short film first if you can find it; it introduces the missing boy's story.
3. Explore the villa with your flashlight, picking up and examining objects.
4. Follow the clues deeper into the house and beyond.
5. Take care with what you do; the makers say your actions can have consequences.

Tips

• Turn the room lights off and use headphones for the full effect.
• Look closely at small objects; the photogrammetry rooms hide clues in details.
• Move slowly; it is built for looking, not rushing.
• Plan for about an hour in one sitting.

Questions