Co-op and multiplayer horror Horror The Dark Pictures

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

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Soldiers trapped in a buried temple, hunted by what nests beneath it.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Stores: Steam
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (89% of 11,114 reviews); Metacritic 72 from 58 critics; 4.33 of 5 on the PlayStation Store
Length: about 6 hours
Players: 1, 2 online (Shared Story), up to 5 on one screen (Movie Night)
Made by: Supermassive Games
Released: 2021

No. 26 of the soldier horror games · No. 14 of the horror games set in ruins · No. 18 of the cave horror games · No. 3 of the desert horror games

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What frightens US and Iraqi soldiers fall into a buried Sumerian temple and are stalked through pitch-dark tunnels by pale creatures that drag people away; one wrong choice or missed button press can kill any of the five for good.
Content: gore, violence, jumpscares, strong language, drug references, sexual references.

The third game in Supermassive's Dark Pictures Anthology, a cinematic horror story where your choices decide who lives. At the end of the 2003 Iraq invasion, American and Iraqi soldiers fall into a buried Sumerian temple under the desert and are hunted by creatures in the dark. All five playable characters can die, and the ending depends on you.

About The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

House of Ashes was made by Supermassive Games, the studio behind Until Dawn and The Quarry, and published by Bandai Namco in October 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S. It is the third standalone story in The Dark Pictures Anthology, introduced between scenes by its narrator, the Curator.

In 2003, a US team hunting for weapons of mass destruction is pulled into the ground along with Iraqi soldiers they were fighting. Underneath lies a Sumerian-era temple, and something lives there. You switch between five characters, among them CIA officer Rachel King and Iraqi soldier Salim Othman, choosing what they say and do and reacting to quick-time events when things go wrong. Enemies above ground have to decide whether to trust each other below.

The horror is a creature feature in the dark: helmet lights in black caves, things moving at the edge of the beam, and a heartbeat prompt that asks you to keep calm while you hide. Any character can die permanently, and the story bends around who is left, so a single mistake can follow you to the end.

With soldiers and guns, it has more fighting than a haunted-house story, and it works best as a shared night: online with a friend, or on the couch passing the pad. Once the main story is finished, the Curator's Cut unlocks, replaying it with scenes from other characters' points of view. Steam has a demo and the PlayStation Store a free trial, so you can try it first. It suits players who enjoy horror films and want to steer one.

How to play The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

Choose a mode: alone, Shared Story online with one friend, or Movie Night for up to five players on one screen.
Walk each character through their scenes, looking around and examining objects and clues.
Pick dialogue and actions when prompted; your choices change relationships and the story.
Press the buttons shown in quick-time events fast enough to survive danger.
Match the heartbeat prompt when hiding to keep a character calm and quiet.

Screenshots

House of Ashes screenshot: a wounded soldier is dragged across a dark cave floor by two others

House of Ashes screenshot: a winged stone statue with a creature's face in the gloom of a buried temple

House of Ashes screenshot: a close-up of a soldier's face over the heartbeat prompt used to stay calm while hiding

House of Ashes screenshot: a ruined temple facade in a cave, with a giant broken stone hand lit by beams of light

House of Ashes screenshot: a lone soldier sits on huge temple stairs beside a giant carved stone head, under a shaft of light

House of Ashes screenshot: a soldier wades through dark water with a torch toward a winged demon statue among bones and skulls

House of Ashes screenshot: two characters face each other in red light while a dialogue choice offers three replies

Tips

Turn on the easier quick-time event settings if you want a smoother first play.
Find the pictures hidden in the levels: each gives a glimpse of a possible future.
Do not act on every prompt; sometimes not shooting or not moving is the safe choice.
Once you finish the story, play the Curator's Cut to see scenes from other characters' points of view.

Questions

How long is House of Ashes?

About six hours for one play, split into three acts.

Can you play House of Ashes co-op?

Yes: Shared Story is online co-op for two, and Movie Night lets up to five people share one controller.

Do you need to play the other Dark Pictures games first?

No. Each game in the anthology is a standalone story.

What can you play House of Ashes on?

PC on Steam, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.

Is there a House of Ashes demo?

Yes. Steam lists a demo, and the PlayStation Store offers a free trial.

How violent is House of Ashes?

It is rated M in the US and 18 by PEGI. The ESRB lists blood and gore, intense violence, strong language, drug reference and mild sexual themes, including gunshot wounds, impalings, severed heads and mutilated bodies.