It's enough to check out only several seconds of the Pollen to understand that this Steam video game is not something you see everyday. Instead, it offers a strange and immersive experience where the sense of feeling lost, trapped, and under threat easily blends into the loss of grip on reality itself.
On the surface, the game, created by a FSTR, presents an atmospheric horror title where the players combine exploration and steal mechanics to break free from a maze. However, the same concept is drastically underlined by its graphic surroundings, which is reminiscent of an old-school musical visualisation, similar to those that made softwares like Winamp famous.
— FSTR.TECH (@FSTR689856) January 4, 2025
Because of that, the objectives like finding keys and unlocking doors become much more than simple fetch quests. Instead of a straightforward maze escape, Pollen offers an eerie and menacing world of overlapping colors and scattered shapes, where reality itself forms and then disassembled as players traverse the same spaces and desperately look for an exit.
All of this is great news for anyone who is into indie games that truly strive to offer something different to their players. Instead of rehashing some well-known stealth horror concept, Pollen moves into uncharted territory and brings its players on a mind-bending journey. The game is entering its Early Access on January 15, 2025 but until then, anyone looking to experience something unique and exceedingly immersive should Wishlist the game on Steam and follow its development on X right now. That way, you can enter the strange and novel world of Pollen and see if you can find your way out!
