The Mortuary Assistantfollows the story of Rebecca Owens, a newly hired apprentice at River Fields Mortuary. Doing embalming work already sets a strong premise for the game, but it takes things a step further by incorporating novel scares, an interesting protagonist, and an overall compelling plot. Additionally, there aremultiple endings inThe Mortuary Assistant– some of which reveal more secrets than others, encouraging multiple playthroughs.
Inindie horror gameThe Mortuary Assistant, players must tend to their duties as an apprentice mortician, except with a demonic twist. The head mortician, Raymond Delver, is hiding something. And as the game progresses, the player must piece together the morbid story behind River Fields Mortuary and its not-quite-dead, not-quite-human inhabitants.
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What Makes The Mortuary Assistant Such a Great Horror Game
The Mortuary Assistantfirst came outas a demo in October of last year. It featured some core gameplay elements, most notably letting the player complete the embalming process on a cadaver. However, it didn’t really delve into the underlying story, only leaving a few hints interspersed between some effective scares. Now, the full game is out on Steam, and players can uncover the whole story themselves.
While it’s immediately clear that something demonic is going on in River Fields Mortuary, the game doesn’t reveal why unless the player puts the right clues together. This gives the narrative more depth, and it’s further improved by Rebecca’s character. The demons within the mortuary prey on her deepest fears and regrets, forcing both her and the player to relive memories she’d rather forget. And as it happens, Rebecca’s past with drug addiction makes for a painfully realistic addition to the overall story.
When it comes to solving the mystery of River Fields Mortuary, Rebecca must survive against the demons’ influence and solve the puzzle that will rid her of it. This is easier said than done, as it entails embalming multiple bodies and exploring the building for different clues. Another thing to worry about is the game’sjumpscares.The Mortuary Assistantrandomizes its scares, which means no two playthroughs are completely alike. This effectively keeps players on edge, especially when the embalming process becomes routine.
If anything, the consistent gameplay loop of embalming bodies lulls players into a sense of security. It gets them accustomed to their grisly tasks and the overall macabre theme, only to catch them off-guard again witha demonic figure watchingfrom atop the shelf or a painfully realistic hallucination of Rebecca’s grisly past.
That said, the game certainly isn’t perfect. Indie horror gameThe Mortuary Assistanthas its fair share of bugs and tedious gameplay segments. However, these don’t stop the game from delivering a great horror experience, especially during that first playthrough. As such, players looking for quick and effective scares will be satisfied aftercompletingThe Mortuary Assistantat least once. On the other hand, players who are looking to unearth the full story will likely find plenty of new things with every subsequent playthrough.
Overall,The Mortuary Assistantexceeds expectations. The morbid setting is already intriguing in itself, but the overarching narrative and how it ties into the gameplay elevate the game further. Plus, many players have praised it for being one of the scariest indie horror games they’ve played in a while. The fact that it wasmade by a solo developer– DarkStone Digital – makes the final product even more impressive.
The Mortuary Assistantis now available on Steam, along with a free demo.
