Red Oz Episode 1

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A crash in the night, notes on the walls, and an Oz gone very wrong.

Platforms: Browser
Price: Free
Rated: 4.07 out of 5 from 597 votes on Newgrounds, with about 83,000 views; Jay is Games called it a compellingly creepy and creative twist on the source material
Players: 1
Controls: Mouse only: click objects, use the red arrows to move, click an inventory item to equip it
Made by: Hyptosis
Released: 2015

What frightens A macabre take on the Wizard of Oz: a crash wakes you in your dark house, things are missing, cryptic messages are scrawled on the walls and on notes left for you, one of them about skin, the lights flicker and shadows move, and a threat can catch you if you are not fast enough, with jump scares players still remember.
Content: jumpscares, disturbing themes.

Red Oz Episode 1 is a free horror point-and-click game by Hyptosis, released on Newgrounds in 2015 and still playable in the browser. A crash wakes you in your dark house, cryptic messages appear on the walls, and something is plainly wrong outside, in a macabre retelling of the Wizard of Oz.

About Red Oz Episode 1

Red Oz Episode 1 is a Flash point-and-click game by Hyptosis, the artist who drew Alice is Dead, released on Newgrounds in June 2015. In his words it is his take on the classic Wizard of Oz tale, taking liberties but drawing on lesser-known parts of the original books rather than the films, and set in the same world as his other games. It still runs in the browser on Newgrounds through its Flash player.

Jay is Games describes the opening: a crash wakes you in your dark house, and when you go to look, it is soon clear that something is seriously wrong. Things are missing, cryptic messages are scrawled on the walls and on pieces of paper, and you are not alone, and the view from the windows is not what it should be. You click on objects, read the text box above the inventory, move with red arrows and equip items from the inventory to use them.

The horror is in the atmosphere. Flickering lights, fleeting shadows and little sound keep you on edge, and the notes left for you are, in Jay is Games' words, enough to make your skin crawl. Players remember a creepy voice that talks about your skin, a monster that flies at you, and a jump scare that can kill you if you are slow; loading the game lets you carry on. Hyptosis credited Mike Morin of Alice is Dead as an inspiration, and the unsettling tone shows it.

It is short and light on puzzles, and no second episode followed, so it ends with the story still open. It suits players who liked Alice is Dead or Gretel and Hansel and want another dark fairy-tale retelling to play in a few minutes.

How to play Red Oz Episode 1

Open Red Oz Episode 1 on Newgrounds and press play; it runs in the browser.
Click objects to look at them and watch the text box above the inventory.
Use the red arrows to move around the house.
Click an item in your inventory to equip it, then click where you want to use it.
Read every note, and be quick when a threat appears.

Tips

Read each note and the writing on the walls closely; the clues for the one real puzzle are there.
If something catches you, choose Load Game to carry on from where you were.
Play with the sound on and the lights off for the intended effect, but expect jump scares.