Going into a spooky house is one thing, but the Moida Mansion? That’s a whole new level of terror. This free game by the creator of Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn evokes the memory of those terrible Tiger Electronics handhelds, but with 100% more scares. And by scares, it’s the thought of running out of AA batteries to play more Moida Mansion.
‘Moida Mansion’ Is 2 Spoopy 4 Me
Moida Mansion plays out as a point-and-click adventure, with the main character (that’s you!) trying to find their friends. A detailed and period-accurate instruction manual fills you in on how you have to play, but the premise is simple. Look and listen, search, and avoid… da MONSTA. It’s quirky, entertaining, and can be completed quickly for a deceptively spooky post-Halloween treat.
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The best part? You can play this on anything that has a browser, and I would strongly suggest giving it a play on your phone. ’80s and ’90s kids who are now filled with crippling anxiety as adults will love the chance to experience the horror of Tiger Electronics… I mean, Moida Mansion as it was intended to be played.
Lucas Pope is quite the mastermind at making bizarre and experimental titles everyone can enjoy. His most recent development, Mars After Midnight, is exclusive to the PlayDate handheld. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to buy one just for this game, but I’ll have to settle for Moida Mansion right now.
There’s a lot of love and care put into tiny details. My favorite is the Moida Mansion machine displaying all of the LCD characters turning on when it’s powered up. The accurate soundbites also help sell the immersion of this “classic” game. All in all, and I have to echo what the Itch.io commenters are saying: we need a physical version of this as soon as possible.
Silent Hill 2 may be a true terror, but this is a solid choice for anyone looking for spooky fun. Also, it took me far too long to realize ‘Moida’ is just ‘Murder’ with a fun accent.
