Psychological horror Short horror PS1 horror

Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place

Rate it

His bedroom is the only safe place left, until he falls asleep.

Platforms: PC
Stores: Steam
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (94% positive)
Length: 60 to 90 minutes (store)
Players: 1
Made by: White Blanket Games
Released: 2024

Get it on Steam White Blanket Games (maker's page)

What frightens Phil's life has crumbled, and the four walls of his bedroom are the only safe place he has left. He longs for sleep, but terrible nightmares come for him, and between an oppressive home and unbending parents his sanity is pushed close to the edge.

Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place is a short pixel-art horror adventure by Octavi Navarro and Susanna Granell of White Blanket Games. You play Phil, a young man hiding from a crumbling life in his bedroom, whose nightmares threaten what little is left of his sanity. It takes 60 to 90 minutes.

About Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place

Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place is the fifth episode of Midnight Scenes, a series of short horror tales with adventure elements by Octavi Navarro, the pixel artist known for Thimbleweed Park and Photographs, and Susanna Granell. Their studio, White Blanket Games, also made The Supper, The Librarian and Unwelcome. It came out on Steam for Windows in March 2024.

Phil's life has crumbled to dust, and the four walls of his room have become his safe haven. He yearns for sleep, but terrible nightmares haunt him. In this episode his existence is threatened by an oppressive home, intransigent parents and the nightmares that push his sanity close to the edge, and the store says he will have to confront terrifying truths buried deep inside him.

You see it through Phil's eyes, exploring and interacting with what is around him. Scenes switch between small cut-away rooms in a snowbound house, large pixel close-ups of faces lit by phone screens, a view through a telescope at the house across the street, and nightmare images such as a dark figure with glowing eyes and a gaping mouth. Messages from a friend called Noelle appear on his phone.

The horror here is about isolation and loneliness more than monsters, though the nightmares are there too. The store suggests playing it in one sitting, right before bed, with the lights off. Steam players rate it Very Positive. It suits players who like short, story-led psychological horror and pixel art.

How to play Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place

Start the episode in Phil's bedroom on a snowy night.
Move Phil around and click on objects and people to look at or interact with them.
Read the dialogue and the messages that arrive on his phone.
Follow the story as Phil tries to sleep and the nightmares begin.
Play it through in one sitting; it takes about 60 to 90 minutes.

Screenshots

A shadowy figure with three glowing red eyes and a wide open mouth full of teeth against a red background

Phil standing in his cluttered bedroom at night, next to a telescope and a computer, saying 'What the hell is this?'

A view through a telescope of a house across the snowy street, with a dark long-limbed figure by the fence

A pixel close-up of Phil, a young man in glasses, his face lit green by a screen

A split screen of Phil and a smiling young woman, with a phone message from Noelle saying 'Movie Time!'

Phil lying awake with his head on the bed, glasses beside him, in dim blue light

Tips

Play at night with the lights off, as the store suggests.
Look closely at everything in Phil's room; the details tell you about his life.
No fast reactions are needed; take your time with each scene.
If you like it, the other Midnight Scenes episodes, such as The Nanny, are separate short tales by the same makers.

Questions

How long is Midnight Scenes: A Safe Place?

The store says 60 to 90 minutes.

Do I need to play the earlier episodes first?

No. It is the fifth in a series of separate short horror tales, each with its own story.

What is it about?

Phil, a young man whose life has fallen apart, hides in his bedroom from an oppressive home and harsh parents, but cannot escape his nightmares. The store says it explores isolation and loneliness.

What platforms is it on?

Windows PC through Steam. The maker's page lists PC only.