If you know me, you’re probably aware that I’m not very fond of the horror genre. It’s not the spooky atmosphere I dislike, as some horror settings can be quite captivating. The problem is those pesky jump scares that insist on catching you off guard. To me, playing games is about unwinding, not about having to keep a spare pair of underwear nearby. However, I do have an appreciation for psychological horror. It strikes that delicate balance of unsettling without being over the top, which I find quite appealing. With that in mind, let’s dive into today’s topic: DEAD LETTER DEPT. This fresh addition to the psychological horror scene is making its debut at the end of the month, and it has certainly piqued my interest.
DEAD LETTER DEPT. is set to launch on Steam for PC on January 30th, offering a premise that has me intrigued. In this eerie adventure, you assume the role of a temporary worker in a postal warehouse. Your task? Handling undelivered mail that hasn’t reached its recipient for a variety of odd reasons. Forget bad handwriting; that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the unusual cases you’ll encounter.
Your main duty in DEAD LETTER DEPT. is straightforward: retype addresses and words on mail that never made it to its destination. Simple data entry, right? Well, not quite. As you sift through the mail, unsettling patterns start to emerge, and you can’t shake the feeling that some of these messages are eerily personalized for you.
Alone in a dimly lit warehouse, cut off from the outside world, your only connection to reality is the mail you sort through. The more time you spend there, the stranger and more dreamlike your reality becomes. The letters tell peculiar stories, and you can’t help but feel like you’re being watched. While paying rent is essential, you begin to wonder if it’s worth the toll that this job is taking on your sanity.
DEAD LETTER DEPT. is a unique typing adventure, challenging you to decipher damaged images through various computer prompts. As you delve into these messages, you’ll catch glimpses into the lives of those whose mail you’re processing. Each playthrough promises to be different, with a seemingly endless supply of mail to investigate. But with the sensation of being a voyeur comes a creeping unease that might just prove too much.
If the idea of reading others’ mail intrigues you, then DEAD LETTER DEPT. is a game to watch for. A demo is already available on Steam if you want to dive in early, but if you’re like me and prefer to wait for the full experience, you won’t have to wait long—just a few weeks until it arrives.