Stealth horror Psychological horror Horror puzzle Survival horror

Penumbra: Black Plague

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No weapons, an infected research complex and a voice in your head.

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (94% of 2,998 reviews); Metacritic 78
Length: about 4 to 8 hours; Requiem adds about 4 more
Players: 1
Made by: Frictional Games
Released: 2008

Get it on Steam Steam (Gold Edition, with Requiem)Official site

What frightens Trapped in a shadowy research complex under the Greenland ice, Philip has no weapons and is hunted by infected staff who shamble through the dark corridors, while something inside his own head begins to talk to him.
Content: gore, violence, disturbing imagery, jumpscares.

Penumbra: Black Plague is the second episode of Frictional Games' Penumbra series. Philip, still searching for the truth about his father, is trapped in an underground research complex in Greenland, unarmed, hiding from the infected and solving physics puzzles while a voice in his head works against him. The Gold Edition adds the puzzle expansion Requiem.

About Penumbra: Black Plague

Penumbra: Black Plague is made by Frictional Games, the studio that went on to make Amnesia and SOMA, and continues the story of Penumbra: Overture. It came out in 2008; the Gold Edition on Steam includes the puzzle expansion Penumbra: Requiem and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Philip came to Greenland looking for the truth about his father's disappearance. Now he is trapped deep in a shadowy underground complex, surrounded by enemies and assaulted by terror on all sides. He must collect clues and solve puzzles to find a way through, while an infection gives him an unwanted companion: a sarcastic voice in his head that calls itself Clarence.

Unlike Overture, there are no weapons. The infected roam the corridors, and the only answers are to keep to the dark, hide and run. The physics system lets you pick up, move and use almost anything not nailed down, and the puzzles use it: machinery, doors, codes in notes and objects to stack and carry.

Critics found it better than Overture, with tighter design and a stronger story, though some puzzles are less logical. Requiem, the expansion, is all puzzles and few threats. It suits players who liked Overture or Amnesia and want the game where Frictional's no-weapons horror took shape.

How to play Penumbra: Black Plague

Explore the complex in first person, reading notes and documents for clues and codes.
Grab and move objects with the mouse to open doors, work machines and solve puzzles.
When you meet the infected, hide in the dark and stay out of their sight; you cannot fight them.
Listen to Philip's thoughts and the voice in his head; they carry the story.
Play Requiem afterwards for a puzzle-only epilogue.