‘Dead Letter Dept.’ -- The Indie Horror Masterpiece That Made Me Wish I Never Took That Typing Class in High School (Review)

Indie horror games are starting to occupy a special place in my heart. I’ve generally stayed away from the bigger games because they tend to devolve into a jumpscare fest, and that isn’t particularly interesting to me. But the indies? They hit right where they need to. And along with the excellent THRESHOLD, I now have a new favorite: Dead Letter Dept.

Dead Letter Dept. takes the most mundane job ever and turns it into a tight, atmospheric, and genuinely creepy experience. This is a game I’ve been thinking about from the moment my first playthrough ended. And much like THRESHOLD, this game should serve as a reminder that great games don’t have to be high-level graphical showcases that can only be run by a tank of a PC.

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CLERICAL WORK… THE REAL HORROR

waypoint-Indie Horror3 — Screenshot: Belief Engine

The game opens with, appropriately enough, a letter. Written to an estranged family member, you can choose some of the content of the letter which varies in tone from “I’m sorry” to “screw you, I’m never coming back.” This review will focus mostly on my first playthrough as there are multiple paths you can take.

My first letter struck a tone of “I needed to leave, but I wish I didn’t have to.” Somehow, that felt right for what I was getting into. As the intro goes on, it’s revealed that you’ve gotten a data entry job. Nothing too in-depth, just enough to barely make ends meet. Your job is to correct the data in the system for all the mail that the computer couldn’t pick up. Harmless, right?

What starts as a regular Data Conversion Operator job eventually turns into a nightmarish hell where reality is bent and the letters seem to be talking directly to you, whether via directives or by telling some pretty disturbing stories. As a matter of fact, on content alone, this game would have been perfect for Shaun. We all know he’ll also lean hard into an indie horror game. I’m excited to hear how his playthrough went.

‘PT’ HAS DONE FOR HALLWAYS WHAT THE MICHIGAN FAB FIVE DID FOR BLACK SOCKS

waypoint-Indie Horror2 — Screenshot: Belief Engine

There are some light exploration segments, and throughout my time, it became apparent the game wants you to look around a bit. But for my first run through the game, I kept it pretty simple. Which means following the long, creepy hallways down to entrances and exits. It’s a very isolating feeling, and the fact that this is a night job reinforces that.

Once you get into the office, you sit down in front of the computer and get to work. Sticky notes are placed around the screen to let you know what you’re able to do. As each letter pops up, you’re tasked with taking the information highlighted in yellow and correcting it so the system can deliver it to the right place.

As you go through each letter, the messages go from normal — like a letter from one person to another about a couple of lovebirds she owns, to creepy — like one about a guy who ate 20 kilograms of flesh. And the progression of these letters isn’t particularly linear. I did a few regular address corrections in a row before something strange happened. Sometimes, though, the weirdness would come at you pretty quickly.

SLOWLY LOSING SANITY

waypoint-Indie Horror — Screenshot: Belief Engine

This game is indie horror done right. It’s atmospheric as hell. I highly recommend playing this in a dark room with some headphones on. There is some truly well-done sound design, and the creaks and clicks you hear outside of the clicking of the computer will have you questioning yourself. I can think of more than a few times when the ambient noise was scarier than anything happening in the game.

Of course, being a typing game, this is made to play only on the keyboard and mouse setup. But there’s a weird level of immersion as the game progresses. I found myself leaning into the screen looking even closer at the letters. There’s also a zoom function for the typing sequences, which felt immediately like a “press here for the occasional jumpscare” button. But, Belief Engine operates with a refreshing level of restraint. I’ve always felt that one of the best aspects of indie horror is being subtle in its scares.

The jumpscares are there, but not in the ways you would expect. There was a moment when I stopped outside of one of the neighboring apartments to read an eviction notice. As I was leaning into the screen to see it better, I heard ragged breathing in my headphones, and then the screen cracked. When I looked around, there was nothing there, but the breathing got more intense until I decided to move on.

I WILL CONTINUE MY DESCENT INTO MADNESS, i will not let the horror take me

Dead Letter Dept — Screenshot: Belief Engine

The hook? No two playthroughs are quite the same. My second time around, I found a few more little story-based pieces, and it seemed to affect the ending I got on that run. You won’t understand the whole story in just one or two sessions. Your character feels trapped. Life has you feeling like there’s no way out. And while you can move away, there’s no better way to compound that than getting an office job as soon as you touch down.

If I have one criticism about the game, it’s that as the story progresses, the game gets harder to see. It’s an intentional choice mimicking the real-life effects of Computer Vision Syndrome. Make no mistake, it’s a cool and immersive choice, but I do wish it was toned down just a bit. However, that’s something I can live with because it serves the story and horror aspects. Belief Engine knows what they want to do, and it works to the game’s benefit.

One playthrough lasts a little over two hours and says what it needs to say. It’s a lot like Vince Gilligan and Breaking Bad. He knew his story, he gave you five seasons, and he was out. You can do that when you’re confident in your storytelling capabilities. And Belief Engine is absolutely confident in theirs. Dead Letter Dept. is for sure one of the most unique games I’ve played. This is a style of game that’s a risk, and that’s worth celebrating. Because that’s what indie gaming is about. I’m happy to say Belief Engine nailed it. Get this game, turn off the lights, put on some headphones, and lose yourself in it. Indie horror games don’t get much better than this.