The Liminal Dimension - Perfectly Crafted Psychological Horror Game

Creating any work of art that authentically mimics or evokes a sense of being in a nightmare is not an easy feat. However, when such a work of art appears, it is immediately clear whether or not it succeeded. For The Liminal Dimension by Airem, there is absolutely no doubt that the same goal was achieved! The game, which is a first-person psychological horror, manages to induce its players into a repetitive nightmare-like state in its very first minutes.

The title deals with a character who mysteriously finds himself in a hotel or an apartment building, not knowing who he is or what he should do, except to leave the same place. However, very soon, he realizes that this space does not follow the laws of physics and instead is modified with each player passing, adding clues but opening up many more questions. At other moments, it stubbornly refuses to change in any way, keeping the players stuck in some unnerving limbo that is neither the real world nor true illusions. Check out a bit of that atmosphere in my Let's Play of The Liminal Dimension:

As the players get confused, their minds will undoubtedly struggle to make a mental map of this dreadful place, but to no avail. Instead, that sense of unease and pressure to change your predicament only grows and grows, offering an genuinely unique atmosphere of waiting for something bad to happen and hoping that anything finally does happen.

Previously, the same studio created Apartement 1406, another very solid Steam horror game, but The Liminal Dimension takes that approach to a new level. The game traps you in a strange and horrible place, where the act of escape becomes an almost visceral imperative. I'm sure that many people will by no means enjoy this game and even find it nauseating or unpleasantly disturbing. But, for the fans of minimalistic and impactful horror games, The Liminal Dimension might turn out to be one of their favorite indie titles of the year.