Ah, the movie theater! A world of whimsy and wonder to some, a popcorn-scented prison to everyone I know that’s ever worked at one. We all have a story to share… but what goes on behind the silver screens, really? RotHeartGames’ survival horror slasher BOOTH BUTCHER dares to peek behind the curtain… and you’ve got a front row seat!

Developed by RotHeartGames and published by Midnight Rental Games, BOOTH BUTCHER demo puts you in the shoes of Jessica, a night shift worker at The Starlight Theater. You know the one. Don’t stress out too hard–the box office is closed, and the viewers are all gone for the night, meaning you’re in charge of cleanup. Easy-peasy, right?

As anyone who’s played one of the countless minimum wage horror sims can tell you, something stinks at The Starlight… and it ain’t just popcorn or the accident that kid had in Theater 3. Does the demo leave you hanging on the edge of your seat, popcorn spilled and covered in cold sweat? I’ll let you decide.

Let’s All Go to the Lobby

Like so many games of its ilk, the BOOTH BUTCHER demo begins subtly enough. Waking up a few hours before the night shift, you get a chance to explore the protagonist’s apartment before heading off to your job. You can glean quite a bit of background info in this segment, but the game’s about as subtle as a firecracker in a library, so I won’t blame you if you skip ahead.

By the time you arrive at work, it doesn’t take long to surmise that something’s… off. The office keys are stuck in the Slurpee machine. Chilling notes from employees lie strewn about like post-parade confetti. Oh, and the place looks like a tornado caught the midnight matinee. None of this will startle you if you’ve ever worked a closing shift, however, and Jessica’s no different.

The demo’s focus, as you’ve probably guessed, centers around exploring and unlocking The Starlight for cleaning. If you’ve played any of the many games that look similar to BOOTH BUTCHER in the past year or so, you can probably already guess how the rest of the demo goes.

Let’s Check Your Answers

Charming as it appears, BOOTH BUTCHER doesn’t bring many new concepts to the table. Armed with a trusty flashlight you find in the bathroom, you walk around the theater at the pace of a gout patient in search of basement keys. Items you collect, such as a bent quarter used to somehow collect a paperclip from a gumball machine, go into your inventory. If you pick up too much stuff–which, I presume, will occur in the full release–you can store it inside Jessica’s locker in the Staff Room.

Not up for item hunting? There’s an arcade machine you can try out in the aptly named arcade and play a Call of Duty Zombies-esque survival game if you need a break. Aside from that, however, the demo is spent scrounging up tools and notes that’ll unlock new areas.

If I sound vague, it’s because BOOTH BUTCHER is remarkably short. The demo abruptly ends once you grab the basement keys from the manager’s office. Leaving you with one last dose of suspense, the game politely asks you to wishlist the full game… if you DARE… and that’s all, folks!

Do Not Adjust Your Set?

There’s not much to say yet about BOOTH BUTCHER ‘s demo, but this wouldn’t be a review without some constructive criticism, right? I’ll start with the most glaring bit of feedback… or rather, the filter.

I have a love/hate relationship with Puppet Combo games. On one hand, I can’t get enough of the gritty, ‘grindhouse’-esque aesthetic they’ve revived in games. On the other hand, as someone who grew up when VHS was king, I can safely say my tapes were never this fuzzy-looking! As shown in my screenshots, BOOTH BUTCHER cranks this style up to eleven.

The good news is that you can turn the VHS filter off in the options. The bad news is that it leaves the game looking like a Goldeneye 64 level. It’s still too early to judge, but I hope the final release provides a slider or other options like so many other VHS Horror Games do. It’s not exactly nauseating (this coming from a Cruelty Squad fan, mind), but there are moments where it feels excessive.

Lights, Camera, Action?

In conclusion, the BOOTH BUTCHER demo is a hard sell for me. In the absence of new or engaging features and a glaring aesthetic, all I can rely on in the full release is the story. The issue is that apart from Jessica making some cheeky remarks about her job and apartment, the demo doesn’t really delve too deep into the story. Granted, even a novice horror writer knows not to give away the spook too quickly, so I can’t begrudge the decision to hold off.

That said, The Manny’s 2 Demo was of similar length, but managed to pack a lot more story into a similarly sized package. This begs the question: will BOOTH BUTCHER erupt and amaze with slasher shenanigans? Or will it, like so many Indie Horror Games of late, pad the beginning with minimum-wage hurdles and save the actual gameplay for the last two minutes? What can I say? I’m a sucker for suspense.

Don’t take my word for it. BOOTH BUTCHER is part of the Steam June 2026 Next Fest. Give it a whirl here and check out RotHeartGames’ Twitter and Discord.