Despite what Hollywood will tell you, not all horror is truly about monsters that rip you limb from limb. Psychological Horror is one of the most prominent genres because it subverts horror tropes and makes you confront certain primal fears that everyone has. The people behind lily’s world XD, including publisher Kwalee, used this to their advantage when making this investigation title that’s out right now on Steam. In it, you’ll play as someone who finds a laptop from 2004, and you’ll need to find the truth about what happened to its owner…but you’re not exactly alone in your investigation…

“Lily is a typical teenage girl — dramatic, emotional, awkward — but she’s hiding a secret, and her laptop holds the key. Your
explorations into this stranger’s life soon reveal a dark truth, but your actions won’t stay unnoticed for long. Can you find Lily before those who took her find you?

Lily’s laptop is full of clues to her whereabouts. Comb through her blog, decode hidden messages and reconnect with her childhood friends to piece together her story. Lily wasn’t the only one with something to hide: other forces are at work to stop you, and even your own computer isn’t safe from intrusion…

lily’s world XD tells a story of friendship, body image and how it feels to grow up as a lonely nerd online, featuring real photos of the developer and her friends’ teenage selves.”

Sometimes…the greatest terrors are the ones that we’ve honestly faced in our real lives, and it’s clear that this game is meant to represent those who felt alone and lost in those early days of the internet, and the desperate desire to be more than what we were, even if it means covering things up.

The game is out now, and there are even special indie game bundles featurinng the title on Steam for you to enjoy.