Horror visual novels Surreal horror Short horror Psychological horror

sacrament i.

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In the sanctum they do not allow you to dream. Have you ever seen an angel die?

Platforms: Browser, PC, Mac
Stores: itch.io
Price: Pay what you want
Rated: 4.6 out of 5 on itch.io (91 ratings)
Length: about 30 minutes
Players: 1
Controls: Mouse only: click to advance. Play with sound.
Made by: melessthanthree (words by Colin, music by Nicolo)
Released: 2017

What frightens The narrator and Naomi, in a sanctum where dreaming is forbidden, meet in secret at night, and the story asks, have you ever seen an angel die; told in flickering abstract line art and text with death, blood, brief graphic violence and abuse by a parental figure, as the maker warns.
Content: death, blood, brief graphic violence, abuse by a parental figure, flickering animation.

sacrament i. is a free, 30-minute horror visual novel by melessthanthree, the maker of LUCAH, played with one mouse button in the browser. In a sanctum where dreaming is not allowed, the narrator and Naomi slip away to a secret place at night, told in text over flickering abstract line art.

About sacrament i.

sacrament i. is a short piece of horror interactive fiction by melessthanthree, released on itch.io in 2017 as a precursor to the maker's later game LUCAH. Words are by Colin and music by Nicolo, and it was made in Unity. It plays in the browser, with Windows and macOS downloads, and you can name your own price, including nothing.

It opens on a question: have you ever seen an angel die? In the sanctum, they do not allow us to dream, the narrator says. So at night, the narrator and Naomi go to their secret place, and the narrator dreams for the two of them. Where that leads is the story, and the maker warns of death, blood, brief graphic violence and abuse by a parental figure.

You play it with the mouse, clicking to advance. The text appears line by line on black, broken up by rough white line drawings that flicker and twitch: winged figures, stars, small crosses on a horizon, a title that glitches in red. There is no walking and no puzzle; the fear comes from the words, the music and what the images suggest. Players compare its mood to Neon Genesis Evangelion and The Promised Neverland.

It takes about 30 minutes. The maker later said that all the sacraments are part of the larger game LUCAH: Born of a Dream, so this is also a way in to that world. It suits players who like short, abstract horror stories with an emotional core, played with sound on.

How to play sacrament i.

Open the itch.io page and press Run ceremony to play in the browser, or download the Windows or macOS version.
Turn the sound on, as the maker asks.
Click to advance the text and the animations.
Read to the end; it takes about half an hour.

Screenshots

sacrament i. animation: white text on black appears line by line, 'In the sanctum, they do not allow us to dream. So at night, Naomi and I go to our secret place, and I dream for the two of us.'

sacrament i. animation: a small winged white figure and sweeping white strokes flicker on black before the title sacrament i glitches in red

sacrament i. animation: white line strokes like wings and a four-pointed star flicker on black above small cross-like figures on a horizon

Tips

Read the content warnings on the page first: death, blood, brief graphic violence and abuse by a parental figure.
Play in a dark room with headphones; the music carries much of it.
If the browser version will not load, the Windows and macOS downloads are on the same page.
If it stays with you, LUCAH: Born of a Dream continues its world.