‘SAFA’ Is Essentially ‘Silent Hill’ in Pakistan, and It’s an Impressive Debut for a Two-Person Indie Studio (Demo Impressions)

I slowly walk down a dimly lit street, the crackle of electricity in the air surrounding me. I’ve just obtained a pistol, and the damp crunch of the dirt beneath my feet echoes loudly. I don’t know if I’m going to make it to the school or not, as I search for my son in SAFA, but I’m going to do whatever I can to make sure he’s safe. The immediately oppressive vibe of the world, alongside the great use of lighting, makes every step feel as if it may be my last. While this demo build is an early work in progress, I already see the vision, and I can’t wait to see the final result from this two-person development team.

Indie Horror Done Right, Relying on Genuine Terror Rather Than Cheap Scares

The Middle Eastern country of Pakistan is a rare destination in gaming. It’s an unfamiliar zone, far away from the typically American settings made for many games in the genre. And it makes a solid first impression in SAFA. Armed with nothing more than a flashlight to start, I needed to navigate my way into the city, unsure of what my mission was. Alone, confused, and creeped out, I headed into a small town, a single light working as my beacon of hope.

As I approached the stall, a man waited behind the counter. Speaking in Urdu, he relays a bit of information to me. He helps me discover where the school is, alongside two specific ways that I can get to this location. Of course, the simplest way resides behind a lock, and I can’t just walk right through. I need to travel through a Mosque, which is terrifying in the dead of night. Without spoiling much of what happened next? The premise of SAFA has its hooks in me, from its location and vibe.

Although the demo build I played was an Early Build of the game, I already see the potential that lies beneath the surface. Right now, the issue of teleporting enemies and shoddy hit detection should resolve itself before the game releases. And performance, for the most part, could use some additional refinement. But the fact that I was genuinely terrified, unsure of where something could pop out of? That’s the sign that we’ve got something special on the horizon.

As Updates Continue To Come In, ‘Safa’ Has What It Takes To Be an Indie Horror Success

SAFA is being developed by only two people, and it’s shaping up to be an impressive debut title for A Happy Lotus. There’s still some work to do on the optimization front, and the hit detection is currently a little iffy. Beyond that? The vibes are great, the sound design is suitably creepy, and it genuinely feels creepy beyond words. With some more polish, this could be a horror icon in the indie scene.

It’s been a while since I’ve played a horror game that genuinely gave me the creeps, and SAFA hit that mark straight away. Being trapped with just a flashlight and eventually a way to defend myself, it makes every moment one of hesitation. I never knew when something could pop out at me. And even if it did, would I have enough ammo to survive the encounter? While there is currently no release window for SAFA, it’s safe to say this is one that I’ll be keeping a close eye on.