PLOT: During a nasty storm, Ava loses power in her apartment building. Before she can escape to safety, she encounters a mysterious killer who’s picking tenants off one by one.
REVIEW: When I heard Netflix was getting a new horror game on its app, I was like, “Meh.” I’ve never played a game on the platform, despite having a Netflix subscription since the streaming service’s introduction. Still, when I heard that David Fincher, Zach Cregger, and Sean Krankel, founder and studio director of Night School Studio, were involved in its development, I snapped to attention. The game Unhinged is a short, polished, first-person horror experience that has players trying to escape a killer during a power outage, and it’s fun, funny, intense, interactive, and worthwhile.
In Unhinged, you play as Ava (voiced by Zoë Kravitz), a young woman who wakes up during a wicked storm that has knocked out the power in her building. While navigating in the dark, Ava’s friend, Claire (voiced by Sadie Sink), warns her that there’s an intruder in her bedroom. The situation quickly spirals out of control, and the game becomes a fight for survival as Ava tries to escape a deranged killer.
The game, which you can play on Netflix via your TV or computer, has you use your real-life phone as your controller, with the device acting as a flashlight and a way to receive calls and texts from your friend Claire and the building’s superintendent Ben (voiced by Troy Baker). The phone also helps you navigate the building and interact with objects via a point-and-click mechanic. As Ava’s situation intensifies, how you move around the building becomes imperative to your survival, as the window to act is short.
Night School Studios, the makers of games like Oxenfree, Oxenfree II, Afterparty, and Next Stop Nowhere, handle the bulk of the game’s development, with help from Bloober Team (Silent Hill Remake, Chronos: The New Dawn), and other studios. Unhinged includes roughly 10 instances where the player can die, leading to cutscenes that flesh out the paper-thin story ever so slightly and add more gruesome visuals to the experience. I did not die on my first playthrough, leading to a nail-biting 40-minute play session that felt good from beginning to end. The game’s developers encourage players to die at least a few times to see more of the game, but the short playtime makes Unhinged perfect for multiple sessions and exploration of the little story there is.
Just because Unhinged is short does not mean it’s not worth your time. It took me all of two minutes to set up Netflix on my LG OLED TV (I usually use my PS5 to watch Netflix) and turn my phone into a controller using a URL code on the screen at the game’s start. Having never played a game on Netflix before, I was surprised and delighted by how simple yet innovative the experience was. My real-life phone screen became Ava’s personal device, with flashlight, text, and call buttons at the bottom. At one point in the experience, my character fell, and my screen cracked, the broken bits spidering out from the bottom-right corner. When my hands became bloodied, the liquid left smeared, crimson fingerprints on my screen. It’s little details like this that made me look at the interface and go, “Oh shit! That’s cool.”
With star power like Zoë Kravitz, Sadie Sink, and Troy Baker taking center stage, the voice-acting performances are top-notch. Kravitz hard-sells Ava’s terror, bewilderment, and sense of urgency, while Sink, as Claire, adds an intensity to the game by constantly checking in on Ava’s status via her smartphone. In a way, Claire is more of a villain than the actual killer, as she’s always texting and calling at times when Ava should remain silent. Still, her calls help keep the story flowing and underscore the need for Ava to book it when the killer’s not looking or distracted by his handiwork.
While the story is short, it still feels complete. Unhinged throws you into the mess right away, and communications with Claire and the killer keep the plot moving with a distinct sense of urgency. There’s never a moment to rest as you’re making your way through the building, the killer hot on your heels and your best friend panicking from somewhere nearby. The story ends on a note that could lead to a sequel, but all the beats you need for a satisfying narrative are there.
For what it is, a short, sweet, and thrilling slice of interactive horror, Unhinged is the kind of game that, if there were more like it on the Netflix app, I would consider looking at the platform as another option in my regular gaming rotation. The experience gave me P.T. vibes (If you know, you know), and I’d happily play a sequel, though there’s no guarantee we’ll get one. I’ll be the first to say it’s easy to pass on Unhinged because it’s on the Netflix app, but as your attorney, I advise you to seek it out. It makes for a spooky hours’ worth of fun, and it is as polished as one of these experiences gets. Unhinged also proves that games don’t need to be 14-100+ hours to be worth your time. If you’ve got about an hour to spare, a Netflix subscription, and a smartphone, turn off the lights, and give this one a go.
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