1 to 5 players, local or online
Available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Lately, word has reached our ears that the 3-6-9-12 site is not only about children’s digital practices. Indeed, it is now called 3-6-9-12+! That is why we have decided to also present, from time to time, games for a more mature audience. For while there is a recommended age to begin your journey as a gamer, there is no upper limit to continuing it. So there is nothing to fear. And playing at being scared can sometimes do you good!
House of Ashes is the third chapter of the Dark Pictures Anthology, a collection of spine-chilling tales. Exactly like the children’s book series of the same name, but for older audiences. In each episode (each distinct from the others), a mysterious man tells us a story in which five people go through terrifying events.
Each character can then be played by a player, but with no guarantee that everyone will reach the ending alive. In this episode, a battalion of American soldiers is trapped in caves with appalling creatures hungry for fresh blood.
What is special about this series is that it offers a concept accessible to everyone, even those without much experience with a controller. It is therefore closer to an interactive film than to a true video game. You watch long “cinematic” sequences, interspersed with moments when you have to press the buttons shown on screen within a limited time. When you get it wrong, your character puts themselves in danger and can therefore die.
The interest is then no longer entirely on the screen (even following the cheesy plot remains enjoyable), but rather in what is happening on the sofa. It is indeed possible to help, but also to betray your teammates. I therefore warmly recommend playing House of Ashes in a group, like when we were teenagers and huddled together to be less afraid in front of a horror film!
The content of this kind of game is not for everyone, but it is always below the level of thrills offered by the 7th art today. So expect a little gore, but above all lots of laughter at the absurd situations and your friends’ blunders. Allow about 6 hours to reach the end of this adventure.
I chose to tell you about this game because I consider it a good way in for introducing non-gamers to the world of video games. But also for prompting a discussion about what is or is not a video game. What happens when we spend more time watching the screen without touching the controller? Does the game get better when it draws on cinema or when it distinguishes itself from it as much as possible? Did poor Yannick really deserve to die for getting crisp grease on the controller?
A chance, then, to discuss the video game as a cultural object, what its purpose is, but also what makes it fun and, as is so often the case, the social component plays a big part.
Some extra questions to start a discussion:
- What makes a game a game and no longer a film?
- Why do we not like being scared, yet like scaring ourselves?
- Why is it easier in a group than alone?
