A number of modern horror games have taken heavy inspiration from the giants of the 90s survival genre and Carnival massacre proudly wears its inspirations on its sleeve with a nostalgic visual experience paired with a new exciting journey through a haunted abandoned theme park. Carnival massacre launched exclusively for PC via Steam and Itch.io on December 29, 2025, fans of old-school horror gaming can relive one of the best eras of the genre while immersing themselves in an all-new story of facing nightmares brought to life.
Heavily inspired by a number of classic survival horror games, one look Carnival massacre immediately brings back memories of playing Heather Mason Silent Hill 3. The theme park, unsettling mascots, and overall sense of dread faced by a teenage girl trying to find someone she loves all combine to create a familiar, retro-inspired experience that also takes longtime horror fans on a new path.
New Survival-Horror Game is a return to the classic
The upcoming survival horror video game pays homage to the genre's retro classics and brings old-school horror games to modern fans.
The Carnival Massacre trailer evokes memories of Silent Hill 3 and other horror classics
IN Carnival massacreplayers take on the role of 17-year-old Harley, who was reported missing just two weeks after her younger sister Chloe also disappeared. Harley takes in her missing sister, who she has nightmares about every night since Chloe's disappearance. Despite embarking on what she expected to be a simple but heroic journey, Harley is quickly confronted with horrors beyond anything she could have imagined, and the hunt to find her missing sister becomes far more dangerous than expected. While exploring Pebble's Wonderland theme park, Harley must battle disturbing carnival creatures, solve head-scratching puzzles, and manage a limited inventory of items to help her find her sister.
Similar to other retro survival horror games, Harley will have to use weapons to fight the enemies that oppose her, while testing her wits to solve various puzzles before finding out what happened to Chloe. The shootout is reminiscent of both early ones Silent Hill and the original Resident Evil games, while puzzles involving pianos and shadows are more overt in showing appreciation for their spiritual predecessors. Carnival massacre it also features storage box mechanics, similar to the item crates that are available everywhere Resident Evil franchise, while the moment of seeing Harley's dad's car is directly comparable to the opening Silent Hill 2 with James Sunderland's car.
These similarities to legendary survival horror games are proudly touted Carnival massacrealong with their subsequent genre tropes to help attract both veteran and first-time horror fans alike. Gamers who have enjoyed other recent indie entries into the world of survival horror like this Sweet heart, Crows of the earthand Fear the Spotlight you can expect a like-minded story and gameplay experience Carnival massacre. Despite its shorter runtime, clocking in at 2-3 hours in total for many Steam users, players praised the game for its engaging story, fully voice-actuated cutscenes, PS1 aesthetic, and a rock track that seems perfectly suited for a late 90s or early 2000s release.
Carnival massacre is offering a free demo for those who want to try it out before buying outright, though the game itself is only $4.99 regularly and has a 15% discount running until January 12th, making this new survival horror journey just $4.24 at the time of writing. Due to its similarity to well-rated games like Silent Hill 3 and a current “Very Positive” rating on Steam, players looking for a new dose of nostalgia while unraveling the unique mystery surrounding the disappearance may want to take advantage of the ongoing sale to get Carnival massacre for a short but sweet survival horror adventure.
- Released
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August 6, 2003
- ESRB
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M For adults 17+ due to blood and gore, violence
- Engine
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incredible engine
