Fighting demons with a six-shooter seems hard enough, but most of Shot in the Dark‘s foes hide in the shadows, meaning you’ll need to keep a real careful eye out for them.
A lone bandit is out for vengeance, but revenge is going to be far from easy in a Wild West filled with bloody rituals and occult creatures. Also, it seems to be perpetually dark out, making it really hard to see what’s going on. It’s so dark that you can barely see the demonic creatures that will pounce on you as soon as you’re within reach. Kind of makes it hard to get that revenge if something devours you whole.
The only way you’ll live for long is if you keep a very close eye on your environment, watching for any clue that will give your enemies away. Maybe they’ll pass near a light source. Perhaps you’ll see them shifting through some tall grass. You might catch a glimpse of some red eyes blinking in the shadows. When you do, you’ll need to take your shot, point & click style. It’s a very precise way to hit something, but that also makes it pretty easy to miss if you aren’t completely sure where to aim.
Shot in the Dark uses this system to add a lot of tension to a game that looks kinda cute (for the most part), creating a deeply-compelling experience across its many stages. Just don’t pull that trigger until you’re completely sure.
Shot in the Dark is available now on itch.io and Steam.
Joel Couture
Joel has been covering indie games for various sites including IndieGames.com, Siliconera, Gamasutra, Warp Door, CG Magazine, and more over the past seven years, and has written book-length studies on Undertale and P.T.. Joel is constantly on the lookout for digital experiences that push the boundaries of what games can be, and seeks to delve into the creative process, meanings, and emotion labor that goes into the work of artists worldwide.