They say that the most spine-chilling stories are those based on real life, so maybe that’s what makes Content Warning so terrifying.
The co-op horror game, which takes place over three days, challenges players to record scary videos in an attempt to go viral on a fictional platform called SpookTube. The result is a part-satire, part Blair Witch Project-style video with terrified creators instructing each other to get this content on film in between curdling screams.
Released on April Fool’s Day, Content Warning is the latest game by Landfall Games. The indie game studio has a long and proud history of releasing gag games every April Fool’s Day, but it feels like this game is just a little bit too on the money with its jarring commentary on the pursuit of views and clout at any cost possible.
“You absorb [the culture] if you’re hanging out online a lot, which we all do,” Hanna Fogelberg, head of culture at Landfall, said in an interview with Wired. “Even if you don’t watch a streamer or a YouTuber every day, you kind of understand the culture and the memes around it.”
The most ironic part of it all is that now, across Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube, streamers are sharing their own reactions to the game. If only there was a podcast about the reactions subgenre and wider creator economy…
