Black Mist puts players inside a claustrophobic darkness, with shadows creeping in close. They can light their way and unveil the dangers lurking in the shadows using a shot from their gun, but each bullet draws from the same power as their life force, costing health with each blast. This makes every decision to shoot a tense affair, but with deadly things waiting in the darkness, players may have no choice.
Black Mist sets up random room compositions when players set out, meaning no amount of experience will prepare them for whatever corridors and dangers await them. Players can try to find out what’s all around them by moving through the dark, which will light up whatever area is close around them, or listen to the sounds nearby enemies make. Lighting the way with a shot is most effective, though, but when those blasts cost a little life each time, it won’t be long before players are fumbling blind.
Players do have a few tools they can use to fight back. Black Mist features forty-nine pieces of equipment to help them stay alive and deal more damage, but players must use batteries to fuel them. This limits players from equipping everything, and a small energy cost to switch equipment means players will again have to consider if their actions are worth the damage they’ll take.
Mixing roguelike action and systems that draw from health in multiple ways, players will need to plan out ever single step they take throughout this dark world, all while dealing with the tensions of what’s breathing close by, creating a tense experience for those who pick it up.
Black Mist is available for $ 4.99 on Steam. For more information on the game and developer Nyan Fort, you can follow them on Twitter.
