Deep in the Lab - Chapter 1

Deep in the Lab - Chapter 1 takes you back to the gritty, grainy days of 90s survival horror, but it does so with a fresh twist that keeps you on edge. You play as a researcher who wakes up in a sprawling underground facility with no memory of how you got there, and the only way out is down through five floors of twisting corridors, sealed doors, and forgotten experiments.

The game is built on pre-rendered backgrounds that look like they were ripped straight from a classic CD-ROM release, complete with that slightly soft, cinematic feel. You will spend most of your time solving environmental puzzles, hunting for keys and keycards, and managing a painfully limited inventory. Ammo is scarce, health items are rarer, and every decision about what to carry feels like a gamble.

You are not forced into combat. Some of the creatures roaming the halls can be avoided entirely if you learn their patrol routes and use the environment to slip past. Others might be worth taking down, but every bullet you spend is one you cannot use later.

The choice is always yours, and the game never judges you for running.

Expect jumpscares that are earned, not cheap. The sound design does a lot of the heavy lifting, with distant bangs, dripping water, and the occasional low growl that gets your heart pumping before anything even appears on screen. Saving your progress is tied to limited save points, so you have to weigh the risk of pressing forward against the safety of backtracking.

There are also live action video segments that break up the tension, adding a layer of story that feels like a VHS tape you should not be watching. They hint at what went wrong in the lab and who might still be lurking in the dark.

Published by ZeroSpace Games, this is the first chapter of a longer story, and it ends on a note that will make you want the next part right away. If you miss the era of tank controls, fixed camera angles, and that heavy, oppressive atmosphere, this one is for you. Just remember to ration your supplies and trust no one, not even the voice on the intercom.