Few games manage to blend procedural gameplay with full-blown demonic possession as effectively as The Mortuary Assistant. Developed by solo indie developer Brian Clarke under DarkStone Digital and published by DreadXP, this first-person horror sim takes the mundane task of mortuary work and slowly pulls back the skin to reveal something far more sinister underneath.
"Most horror games try to scare you. This one possesses you." — HorrorBytes
Set in River Fields Mortuary, you play as Rebecca Owens, a young woman recently hired as an assistant mortician. What begins as a standard embalming night shift turns into a descent into madness as you realize that something has attached itself to you—and it doesn't want to let go.
⚰️ Gameplay: The Devil’s in the Details
At its core, the game revolves around performing mortuary tasks:
Inspecting cadavers
Recording distinguishing marks
Making incisions, draining fluids, inserting tools
Burning bodies when necessary
But beneath that layer lies a cleverly disguised horror game where each playthrough is different.
"No two shifts are ever the same, which makes paranoia part of the job description." — Bloody Disgusting
Over time, paranormal events escalate—sometimes subtly, like a door slowly creaking open behind you; other times violently, like your reflection smiling on its own.
To escape possession, you must correctly identify which body is cursed and then perform a ritual to banish the demon attached to it.
🔄 Procedural Hauntings: Never Let Your Guard Down
The game thrives on unpredictability. Hauntings are dynamically triggered, and the game uses your habits against you. It’s designed to watch how you play, then mess with your expectations.
Lights flicker only in rooms you revisit
Apparitions appear in your peripheral vision
Audio cues become more distorted the closer you get to the truth
Your sanity meter is invisible. Your fear is not.
🔊 Sound Design & Atmosphere: Suffocating Stillness
There is no soundtrack. Only silence… and the occasional creak, breath, or whisper.
The ambient design is brilliant. You learn to fear the quiet. Every sound is a question: Did I hear that? Or did something want me to?
"The worst part? Sometimes the body twitches just enough to feel real." — GameCrate
🧠 Story & Lore: Possession Runs Deep
While the game can be played in under 2 hours, multiple endings and hidden story fragments create a rich narrative tapestry:
Rebecca’s troubled past
Murky family history
Demonic hierarchies and sigils
Players who dig deeper will uncover lore about different demons, their symbols, behaviors, and rituals. It’s a game that rewards obsessive detail and repeated playthroughs.
🖥️ Graphics, Performance & Platforms
Though made by a solo developer, the visuals are surprisingly detailed:
Skin textures and body modeling are unnervingly realistic
Lighting is cold, clinical, and oppressive
Possession sequences use distortion, glitches, and surreal imagery to unsettle
Platforms: PC (Steam), with VR support planned
Price: $24.99 USD
Developer: DarkStone Digital
Publisher: DreadXP
Minimum Specs:
OS: Windows 7+
CPU: Intel i5 / AMD Ryzen 5
GPU: GTX 960 or equivalent
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 4 GB
Recommended Specs:
OS: Windows 10/11
CPU: Intel i7 / AMD Ryzen 7
GPU: GTX 1070 / RTX 2060 or better
RAM: 16 GB
Storage: SSD for faster loading
🛒 Where to Buy
Steam (PC) — available globally
Humble Store
itch.io
✅ What Works:
🟢 Truly unpredictable horror loop
🟢 Procedural scares never feel fake
🟢 Immersive, quiet dread over loud jumpscares
🟢 Deep lore and multiple endings
🟢 Solo developer achievement of the year
❌ What Doesn’t:
🔴 Lack of guidance may frustrate new players
🔴 Some demon identifiers are too obscure without external guides
🔴 Visual glitches in rare haunt events
🎯 Final Verdict
The Mortuary Assistant is a unique blend of simulation and supernatural horror that proves you don’t need a big team or big budget to craft a chilling experience. Its procedural unpredictability makes each shift a fresh nightmare, and its lore invites obsessive replays.
It’s more than a job.
Score: 8.8 / 10
“Death isn’t the scariest thing you’ll find in River Fields.”
