HORROR SHOW

Strategically sowing the stylish seeds of terror in The Fabulous Fear Machine

AMC Games continues its quest to spotlight offbeat ideas with this narrativefocused strategy game about cultivating a crop of urban legends to spread fear across the world. Developer Fictiorama Studios has twinned that intriguing premise with a distinctive aesthetic – initially exploring styles that drew from German Expressionist art before settling on classic pulp comics, such as Eerie and Creepy. “Their covers had compositions and palettes that were easy to pick out from a crowded shelf, and the writers knew how to enthrall readers with dark scenes that lingered in the mind,” art director Rubén Calles tells us. “After a few rounds of iteration, we were able to blend our own sensibility with that style.” You won’t need to wait for the witching season to spread these terrifying tales: the game is due for release on PC in spring 2022.