The Crooked Man

About The Crooked Man

The Crooked Man is a Japanese indie horror adventure by Uri Games, the first game in the series known as The Strange Man. It came to Steam in January 2018 through PLAYISM, with achievements and translations added for the release. Its title and opening come from the old English nursery rhyme about a crooked man who walked a crooked mile.

You play David Hoover, who has just moved into an apartment while going through a rough time. Odd things start to happen in his new home, and when he asks about the former tenant he learns almost nothing. Strangely drawn to this missing man, David goes looking for him, and the trail takes him far from the apartment.

It plays from above in a pixel art style: you walk through rooms, examine objects, pick up items and talk to the people you meet. The developer describes it as a horror adventure with exploration and action elements and hardcore violence, and the scares come from the crooked figure that haunts David along the way. How things go for David decides which of its endings you reach.

It suits players who liked Ib, Mad Father or The Witch's House and want a story with an adult hero and darker violence. It is cheap and Windows only.

How to play The Crooked Man

1. Buy and install The Crooked Man from Steam on a Windows PC.
2. Move David with the keyboard or a controller and press the action key to examine objects and talk to people.
3. Search each room for items and notes; the things you pick up open the way forward.
4. Follow the trail of the former tenant from place to place, and keep moving when the crooked figure turns up.
5. Save whenever the game lets you, so a death does not cost much progress.

Tips

• Save whenever you can; the game has action scenes you can fail.
• Examine everything twice, since items and clues are easy to miss in dark rooms.
• Play again after the credits if you want to see the other endings.

Questions