Dead Secret Circle introduces you to seven folks who live in an apartment complex. All of them seem pretty shady, but there’s a serial killer there who’s a bigger problem.
Patricia Gable, the protagonist from Dead Secret (another excellent horror game from the developer) is looking for another killer. Considering the run-ins she had with the masked killer from that title, you’d think she’d be done with this whole thing. She’s not, though, and now finds herself among the tenants of an apartment building. All of them seem to be hiding something and are very wary of you. Since you’re here to start digging around for secrets, it’s no wonder they are. If you dig hard enough, you should be able to figure out what they’re trying to keep from you.
With so many possible threads to follow, it can be difficult to figure out who you should be looking into. The killer, however, won’t have that much trouble finding you. As you work through your investigation, The Laughing Man will find you. The only way to deal with him is to escape quickly, but our killer is very persistent. This makes for some deliriously tense moments as you try to evade them, knowing that eerie grinning face is only a few feet behind you. Being chased by a murderer makes it a bit hard to concentrate on the clues and items you’ll need to pick up to figure your way through the story. That story can change depending on what you do, so you’ll have to focus as best you can while being pursued.
Dead Secret Circle impresses with its chase sequences, often making me feel like my heart was in a vise as I ran, knowing that face was right behind my shoulder. Dealing with that while trying to puzzle out the mysteries of these oddball residents made for a game that was very hard to put down. Except when you get surprised by the killer and fling the whole console out of your hands. This is why I play games in bed.
Dead Secret Circle is available now on the Nintendo eShop, the game’s site, and Steam.