This Amnesia mod offers a new tale without the "chases, scares, or mind-bending monster encounters"
"A Lovecraftian tale, woven tightly into a framework of Occultism, Necromancy, and Gothic Horror."
If you love the idea of the Amnesia games but find it just a little too much to handle (there's no judgement here, my friends), a new mod has created a standalone adventure that retains the spooky atmosphere but removes the "chases, scares, complex mathematical puzzles [and] mind-bending monster encounters".
The Shadow of the Ramlord is an hour-long standalone game created using assets from The Dark Descent and its sequel, A Machine for Pigs, spread across seven maps. It offers "a deeply Lovecraftian tale, woven tightly into a framework of Occultism, Necromancy, and Gothic Horror".
"Our custom story is very much directed towards the player who enjoys a deliberate pace, absorbing the narrative and level design clues, and feeling immersed in a story-first experience," states a recent update (thanks, PC Gamer).
"Shadow of the Ramlord is a Lovecraftian, story-first, narrative-driven custom story that foregoes the tried and true game mechanics done by a million other wonderful custom stories, and instead focuses on driving home atmosphere, immersion, narrative and polish. I recommend playing with headphones on, your full focus on the story, and taking your time with everything. Those looking for chases, scares, complex mathematical puzzles or mind-bending monster encounters will not find that here."
"It hasn't been easy for any of us to get here, and it wouldn't have happened without the stalwart members who remained," the mod author, Glenn Winkelmann Jr., states. "Modding as both a hobby and passion can be taxing on your mind, body, and schedule and I'd like to personally thank each and every team member for giving their all and creating the best custom story we could with the tools, resources and timeframe available to us. I'm proud of our work; and I hope you, the player, will enjoy the atmosphere and story we've cultivated."
For more - or to download it, of course - head on over to the ModDB page.
Modding spooky games to remove the spooks is not new, of course; Developer Frictional Games released an update for SOMA last year that added a 'Safe Mode' option designed for those that find SOMA's stealth sections either too tough or too overwhelming. Once the optional mode is enabled, the game's monster will merely react to your presence inquisitively, rather than try to attack you on sight.