Cursed Digicam | 呪われたデジカメ Spiel

by Rian

Chilla’s Art makes chilling, socially aware horror games set in modern Japan, but in the supernatural theme, I am inclined to say many are hit and miss: cryptic messages, ambiguous threats and motives, seemingly unrelated motifs, and unique gameplay mechanics thrown out midway. As indie games, they have their unique flavor, but as horror games, they don’t connect to the foundation to make a statement.

The premise of Cursed Digicam is rather straightforward: find a suspicious spot, take a photo with a cursed camera, and it immediately displays the haunted image. It is a nice shift from when all things spiritual were films and polaroids. Should you need a hint, the game delivers it in-game, without needing to leave the haunting ambiance. All in all, it is more akin to a linear walking sim with some puzzles.

What weakens the narrative is the shift in structural motifs behind gameplay mechanics as the game progresses. Some of the keywords the game used to present itself radically change roles midway. It is plausible the shake-up is an intended experience; however, it is odder still that the protagonist keeps holding on to his cursed camera, the one that was destabilizing from the get-go. It would make interesting lore, had we played as a character who picked up the camera with history, but it is not a solid story on its own.

Conclusion: Haunting Haunted Camera

Without giving away too much of the narrative itself, I believe the core tension comes from how what is haunting and what is being haunted actively change midway. And much of it does not fully materialize or resolve. The game borrows common horror tropes without dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. The foundation is there — gameplay driven by a paranormal camera — but the narrative never builds on it.