Slasher horror Stealth horror Short horror PS1 horror Survival horror Horror escape

The Night of the Scissors

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A scrap run, an abandoned post office, and a man with scissors.

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Stores: Steam, itch.io
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (93% of 481 reviews)
Length: about 40 minutes
Players: 1
Made by: Tomás Esconjaureguy
Released: 2022

Get it on Steam itch.io PlayStation Store (included with Cannibal Abduction)Xbox (included with Cannibal Abduction)Nintendo eShop (included with Cannibal Abduction)

What frightens Adam breaks into an abandoned post office for scrap and finds a maniac with a cardboard box over his head and a pair of scissors in his hand lurking inside; you hide in wardrobes and restroom stalls as he hunts you through blood-stained corridors.
Content: gore, drug mention, 18+.

The Night of the Scissors is a short VHS slasher survival horror game by Tomás Esconjaureguy (selewi). Adam breaks into an abandoned post office looking for scrap and finds a scissor-wielding maniac lurking there, and you must hide and sneak through the building to find a way out.

About The Night of the Scissors

The Night of the Scissors was the first horror game by the Argentinian solo developer Tomás Esconjaureguy, who publishes as selewi. It came out on Steam in May 2022 for Windows, Mac and Linux, and later came to PlayStation, Xbox and Switch packed in with his second game, Cannibal Abduction.

Encouraged by a friend, Adam decides to break into an abandoned post office for scrap. Soon he learns that a maniac with a pair of scissors is lurking around the place, ready to kill. The store calls him an unexpected cardboard guest, and he wears a box over his head.

It plays like PSX-era survival horror: tank controls, third-person cinematic camera angles and VHS glitches, with an optional third-person mode. You explore dark storerooms and offices, find codes for locks, and when the killer comes you hide inside wardrobes, restroom stalls and other spots. You never fight back. Bits of a bigger plot turn up as you go.

The maker warns it is meant for players 18 and over and may be too scary for some, with drug mentions and gore. It takes around 40 minutes. It suits players who want one tense Clock Tower-style chase they can finish in an evening.

How to play The Night of the Scissors

Explore the post office from the fixed camera angles.
Look for items and codes that open locked doors and safes.
Listen for the killer and keep out of his sight.
Hide in a wardrobe, restroom stall or other spot when he comes close.
Find your way out of the building.

Screenshots

A wrecked break room with SADDY MEAL scrawled in red on the wall and a dark figure raising its arm

The killer with a cardboard box over his head raises scissors at Adam in a dark room

Close view of a combination safe with the code dials set to 1337

The Night of the Scissors art: pairs of scissors hanging on threads in darkness

Tips

Note every hiding place you pass, so you know where to run.
Codes for locks are found in the building; read what you pick up.
Try the optional third-person mode if the cinematic cameras feel awkward.
If you finish it and want more, Cannibal Abduction is the same maker's longer follow-up.