PS1 horror Haunted house Stealth horror Horror puzzle

Fear the Spotlight

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A séance at school goes wrong, and something with a spotlight walks the halls.

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Stores: Steam, Epic
Price: Paid
Rated: Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam (97% of 1,336 reviews); OpenCritic 80 from 48 critics, 87% recommend; 4.68 of 5 on PlayStation Store (733 ratings)
Length: about 4 hours for the first story, 5 to 7 with the second
Players: 1
Made by: Cozy Game Pals
Released: 2024

No. 11 of the school horror games · No. 25 of the monster horror games · No. 12 of the ghost horror games · No. 9 of the ritual horror games · No. 16 of the flashlight horror games · No. 7 of the stalker horror games · No. 2 of the horror games about bullying · No. 1 of the Ouija board horror games

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What frightens Vivian and her friend Amy sneak into their high school at night for a séance, and it goes wrong: Amy vanishes, the school turns into a nightmare version of itself, and a figure with a spotlight for a head walks the halls. You cannot fight it; you stay out of its beam, hide, and solve puzzles to find Amy and the truth about an old tragedy.
Content: mild blood, violence, horror, bullying, murder in the backstory.

Fear the Spotlight is a third-person horror adventure styled after 1990s horror. Two teenagers hold a séance in their school after dark; one disappears, and the other must sneak past a spotlight-headed monster and solve puzzles to find her.

About Fear the Spotlight

Fear the Spotlight is a third-person horror adventure by Cozy Game Pals, the husband-and-wife team of Bryan Singh and Crista Castro, made in Unity. A first version came out on Steam in 2023; Blumhouse Games then took it on as publisher, and the full game came out on 22 October 2024 on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. Sunnyside High has a dark history. Vivian goes into its empty corridors after hours with the rebellious Amy to hold a séance at a ouija board in the library, hoping to reach the students who died in a fire at the school in 1991, and suddenly she is alone.

The school turns into a decaying 1991 version of itself, and a monster with a spotlight for a head wanders the halls. Vivian has to avoid its gaze, find her friend, and uncover the truth behind the old tragedy, told partly through notes about bullying and a school production of The Phantom of the Opera. There is no fighting: the tense moments are hand-made stealth sections where you hide and move while its light sweeps past.

Between those come tactile puzzles, such as working out an electrical panel with a multimeter, which nod to classic horror games. You explore with a flashlight, a screwdriver, a wrench and other tools. The low-poly look and the 90s setting are part of the appeal, and its makers call it a good first narrative horror game for people new to the genre. Critics agree it is gentle: Eurogamer gave it 3 out of 5 and called it the least scary horror game you are likely to play, while praising the tenderness of its story, and Nintendo Life gave it 9 out of 10.

After the first ending a second storyline opens, set around Amy, which reviewers urge players not to skip. HowLongToBeat players put the main story at about four hours, and GameSpot adds two to three hours for the second. It suits players who want a story-led, not too punishing horror game with puzzles and a strong 90s mood.

How to play Fear the Spotlight

Start the story as Vivian and follow Amy into Sunnyside High after dark.
Explore the corridors with your flashlight and pick up tools such as a screwdriver and a wrench.
Solve the hands-on puzzles that open new rooms.
When the spotlight monster appears, stay out of its beam and hide until it passes.
After the first ending, return to the title screen and play the second story.

Screenshots

Fear the Spotlight screenshot: a girl in glasses hides behind a pillar as a figure with a glowing spotlight for a head walks past

Fear the Spotlight screenshot: a girl in a pentagram T-shirt sits at a ouija board between candles in a dark library, a shadow behind her

Fear the Spotlight screenshot: a close-up puzzle of an electrical panel with fuse slots and a multimeter

Fear the Spotlight screenshot: a student walks a dark stone tunnel toward an ornate door

Fear the Spotlight screenshot: a girl with a flashlight in a dark storage room, a pale figure with glowing eyes at the back

Fear the Spotlight screenshot: a girl in glasses walks between library bookshelves holding a candle

Fear the Spotlight screenshot: a girl with a flashlight in a dark backstage corridor, a pale figure standing at the far end

Tips

Watch the beam, not the monster; its light shows where it is looking.
Examine objects closely; many puzzles are solved by handling things in close-up.
Play the second story after the first ending; it finishes what the first begins.
Headphones help you hear the monster coming.

Questions

How long is Fear the Spotlight?

HowLongToBeat players finish the main story in about three and a half to four hours. GameSpot found the second story that opens after the ending adds two to three hours more.

Is there combat in Fear the Spotlight?

No. You avoid the monster by sneaking and hiding, and solve puzzles.

Is Fear the Spotlight scary?

It is a mild horror game. Its makers describe it as a good narrative horror game for people new to the genre, and Eurogamer called it the least scary horror game you are likely to play. It is rated ESRB Teen for mild blood and violence and PEGI 12.

Who made Fear the Spotlight?

Cozy Game Pals, the husband-and-wife team of Bryan Singh and Crista Castro, developed it, and Blumhouse Games published it.

What platforms is Fear the Spotlight on?

Windows, Mac and Linux on Steam, Windows on the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.