Platform reviewed: PC (Steam Early Access)
Price: $9.99
I have to admit, I wasn’t really into horror games for a long time. I would always get way too stressed out and need to quit. I think I still have about 2 hours in Amnesia and steam says I haven’t played it since 2011. So, horror games are definitely outside my comfort zone. That said, over the past few years, I’ve started to appreciate them and understand their appeal. So when I jumped into SCP: Fragmented Minds Chapter 1, I was excited to explore a new horror experience and learn more about the SCP foundation while dodging monsters and solving puzzles.
SCP (Special Containment Procedures) has been a collective group of contributors online who have been creating new and interesting entries on the SCP Wiki. Many of these entries have gained a large following and have been made into a number of shows, movies and now games. I have always known a small amount when it comes to SCP, but I think it’s really cool when people can come together to build a world and keep it going for so long.
SCP: Fragmented Minds is a first person horror action game that takes place in the SPC universe. Where I was playing as Kovich, a brand new hire sent to Site 113. After some rather unfortunate events I found myself alone trying to find the rest of my crew. The game does a good job of placing me into the atmosphere they are trying to convey: an empty base where something terrible has happened and I am trying to figure out what horrors are around each corner.
One of the key features I enjoyed in the game was the puzzles. I got a tablet pretty early in the SCP that allowed me to hack certain doors. The hacking game consisted of matching up lines of equalizer bars and matching them in the correct sequence. I also had to solve another puzzle where you match up lines for a conveyor crane, in a number of areas. I thought the balance between high-stress past monsters and engaging puzzle mechanics was well done. It kept the gameplay tense but also gave me a chance to slow down and think, which I appreciated.
I did find at certain points that I would get lost easily trying to find the next objective. Which might have been a design choice by the developers. Though I did feel sometimes I was going in circles trying to figure out my next move. I did find a few bugs while playing the game but nothing game breaking: an instance happened where my character would be locked into an animation halfway across the room from an enemy or jumping parts of a section sometimes felt a little finicky, which I did think took me out of the immersion the SCP was trying to portray. They introduced some crafting components early in the game that didn't feel essential in the first chapter, but I believe they’ll become a compelling feature as the game progresses.
Final Grade: B
Overall, SCP: Fragmented Minds Chapter 1 was an engaging experience that successfully blended horror, exploration, and puzzle-solving. While I occasionally found myself lost or running into minor bugs, they didn’t overshadow the tense atmosphere and immersive world the game created. As someone who’s still finding their footing in the horror genre, I appreciated how the game balanced moments of fear with thoughtful mechanics. It was a solid introduction to the SCP universe in a gaming format, and I’m definitely curious to see where the story goes next.
Review code provided by HST Studios.