It’s pretty typical to encounter strong male characters as a protagonist in horror games but not children, let alone a toddler. How can a toddler defend himself in the first place? That is why when Among the Sleep was released in the market, it garnered attention due to its unique and out of the norm storyline. The game lets you take control of a two-year-old child, who wakes up in the middle of the night and is led by a strange force to explore the eerie house, looking for comfort.
The game starts with The Toddler celebrating his second birthday with his mother. After answering the door to an unknown caller, the mother returned to The Toddler and gave him a present, a teddy bear. She then took the Toddler upstairs to his room and leaves him to play with his new toy. Later that day, the mother puts him to bed. He then wakes up in the middle of the night to find that his teddy bear has been taken away and that his mother is missing. After finding his stuffed bear, Teddy, in the washing machine, the two journey through several twisted paranormal rooms to find The Toddler’s mother while avoiding the three scary monsters that haunt him.
Among The Sleep will let you explore horror in a different atmosphere. Through the game’s perspective of a vulnerable two-year-old child, you must rely on problem solving and evasion to finish the game and avoid the monsters. In this game, you are vulnerable and scared, and pretty much still trying to make sense of the things around you.
Aside from its atmospheric horror, jump scares, and fluctuating moods that will give you the chills, the game reveals a storyline much deeper than what it seems to offer. It isn’t just about the imagination of a two-year-old child, it hides darkly poignant matters that led to the creation of the monsters present in the game. These are just a few things you will discover as the story progresses.
Among The Sleep is created by the Norwegian developer Krillbite Studio, the same team who developed the free-to-play casual game The Plan. It is available for XBox One, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows PCs and gaming laptops.
On its Steam page, the game has received great positive reviews since its release in the said game library. Critics such as EuroGamer, Kotaku, and Joystiq also praised the game for its atmospheric thrills, deep storyline, stunning graphics, and beautiful soundtrack. Game Informer even described it as “an impressive feat of video game storytelling.” While IGN praised its developers for succeeding to create a “wonderfully eerie atmosphere” made perfect with thru its childlike perspective that gives off a different kind of anxiety.
Interested in the game? Check out its full trailer below: