Horror puzzle Short horror Horror PS1 horror

Project Kat - Paper Lily Prologue

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Follow a golden letter into your school after dark.

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Price: Free
Rated: Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam (99% of 5,927 reviews); rated 4.8 out of 5 by 4,619 players on itch.io
Length: about 45 minutes
Players: 1
Controls: Keyboard or controller; the itch.io page lists configurable controls
Made by: Leef 6010
Released: 2021

What frightens Kat follows a mysterious golden letter into her school after dark, where a group of girls hold a seance and a spooky figure appears in a window. Its cute pixel maps sit in heavy darkness, the screen is lit by a single light in some rooms, and the makers warn of blood, light gore, unsettling scenes and death.
Content: blood, light gore, flashing lights, swearing, unsettling scenes.

Project Kat is the free prologue to Paper Lily, a short horror puzzle game by Leef 6010. Kat sets out to uncover the mystery of a strange golden letter, which takes her into her school at night and a seance her classmates are holding. Every puzzle can be solved more than one way, and what you do changes how it ends.

About Project Kat - Paper Lily Prologue

Project Kat - Paper Lily Prologue is a short horror game by Leef 6010, a team of two who made it in their free time. It is free on Steam, where it came out in October 2021, and on itch.io, where you can pay what you want, for Windows, macOS and Linux. It is the prologue to Paper Lily, but its makers say it is also a standalone story you can enjoy on its own.

A mysterious golden letter has been sent to a select number of people, and no one knows what is in it. You guide Kat as she tries to find out. Her search takes her through her school after dark, past a seance in a classroom, locked rooms and a figure in a window, meeting classmates you can befriend or not.

It is a story-based puzzle game in which there is always another way: each puzzle has several solutions and outcomes, and there are minigames where you push desks around and pick locks. Your actions lead to one of several endings. It plays in about 45 minutes, and crows let you save, with the game advising you to save often.

The look is cute, with pixel maps and soft anime portraits, but the rooms are dark and the makers warn of blood, light gore, flashing lights and unsettling scenes. They also say it is really not that bad, which makes it a good first step into story-led indie horror. If you like it, Paper Lily - Chapter 1 continues the story with its own heroine.

How to play Project Kat - Paper Lily Prologue

Get it free on Steam, or download it from itch.io for Windows, macOS or Linux.
Move Kat around the map and interact with people and objects to find clues about the letter.
Solve each puzzle your own way; there are several solutions, and each has its own outcome.
Save at the crows, and save often.
Play again and try other choices to see the other endings.

Screenshots

Portrait of Kat, a dark-haired girl in a sailor school uniform, in a dim room, with a dialogue box

Juli, a long-haired girl with crossed arms, asks if you want to break into this room, beside a dark corridor

Kat as a tiny pixel figure in a pool of light in a dark basement with pipes

A desk-pushing puzzle in a pink tiled classroom seen from above

Tips

Try something different on a second run; how you solve a puzzle changes what happens later.
Talk to everyone; whether you make friends or not matters.
Save before trying an odd solution, so you can go back.
On a Mac, if it says the app is damaged, the makers point to installing it through the itch app.

Questions

Is Project Kat free?

Yes. It is free on Steam, and on itch.io you can download it for any price you choose, including nothing.

How long is Project Kat?

Its makers say it is playable in about 45 minutes.

Do I need to play Project Kat before Paper Lily?

No. It is the prologue to Paper Lily, but its makers say it is a standalone story that can be enjoyed on its own.

How scary is Project Kat?

It is mild: dark rooms, a seance, some blood and light gore and unsettling scenes. The makers call it a horror game but say it is really not that bad.

Does Project Kat have multiple endings?

Yes. The store page says it has multiple endings depending on your actions.