Introduction

I’m ashamed to admit that even some of the best horror works have slipped past me over the years, only to be discovered much later. I love the genre, but with so many movies, shows, and games to get through, I still stumble across things I completely missed. One such discovery, made only a little while ago, was Creepshow. A film by two of my favorite horror creators, Stephen King and George A. Romero, Creepshow is an anthology film with multiple interwoven stories. Originally releasing in the early 80s, it took the spirit of series like Tales from the Crypt and Tales from the Darkside and turned it into a movie experience that felt like watching one of those shows. Despite a quiet and modest release, Creepshow grew into a genuine franchise: more movies, comics, a TV show on Shudder, and now a video game. Developed by PHL Collective and published by DreadXP, the Creepshow game follows the anthology format of its source material, weaving together multiple horror stories under a larger narrative. We all know that games based on beloved franchises can sometimes be horror-inducing for all the wrong reasons. Let’s find out if this one has the scares to stand alongside the franchise’s best in our Creepshow review for PC! Big thanks to the developer for giving us here at SunsetNerdVerse a copy to review!

Gameplay

Creepshow isn’t deep in the gameplay department. Players control Danny, a young man searching a burned-down mall with his friends in search of information. But that’s only one thread of the game. Like the source material, Creepshow doesn’t stick to a single narrative for long and weaves in additional tales as you progress.

The core gameplay loop, however, stays consistent: guide a character through various locations, collect items to use later or to advance the plot, and complete mini-games tied to story moments. Creepshow grows repetitive at a surprisingly fast pace, and by the first hour I had a strong sense that I’d already seen everything the game’s gameplay would show me.

The mini-games are okay but rarely feel fresh. One of the earliest has you making hamburgers (something No More Heroes did years ago) with the added tension of bugs and other alarming interruptions popping up mid-task. Not the most riveting design, and that’s where Creepshow consistently falls a little short.

Part of me wonders if the game could have done more here, but I’ve also come to think the repetition isn’t entirely accidental. Exploring relatable but off-kilter environments and performing mundane tasks is exactly what makes the storytelling feel grounded and unsettling. As a gameplay mechanic it’s undeniably repetitive, but as a narrative device it actually works. I can’t call it outright bad, but I can tell you not to come in expecting a high level of mechanical engagement.

Graphics

Creepshow reminds me of several games and visual mediums at once. The cel-shaded art style with vibrant, expressive designs leans close to comic book territory, and there were moments where it genuinely reminded me of the visual language of Telltale Games titles. While the gameplay may not be the most exciting element here, the visuals are quite gorgeous. As an obvious fan of comics, Creepshow‘s aesthetic appeals to me significantly, and I think it captures the tone of the movies and TV show with real accuracy. The creepy character models of the oddities you’ll encounter and the environments that shift from beautiful to decrepit never stopped being visually interesting.

That said, character models can look a little weak at times, and some environments feel notably simple and understated. Given the comic book focus, these are easier to forgive than they might otherwise be. And for those who want to lean further into the source material’s visual identity, there are unlockable filters that give the game a more movie-like aesthetic — a thoughtful touch for fans of the franchise.

Sound

Shuffling footsteps, creepy crawlies, and odd human-like noises in the walls — Creepshow absolutely nails its sound design. The game is fully voiced, with solid performances that give these characters a realistic feel, even if some land closer to average than exceptional. The real standout is The Reader, the game’s narrator. Acting as an otherworldly observer of the horror unfolding around him, The Reader makes even the most mundane moments feel genuinely off-putting. He comments on the suffering of characters with a dark, amused detachment, as if watching a story he finds endlessly entertaining. In many ways, The Reader salvages moments that the gameplay alone couldn’t carry, simply through the quality of his dialogue and delivery. For a horror game, getting the sound right is critical to maintaining immersion, and Creepshow gets it right.

Story

Those who know me as a horror fan know I have firm opinions about the genre. Horror is like music — deeply personal and entirely subjective. What terrifies one person leaves another completely unaffected. The first major story in Creepshow illustrates this perfectly. Our character is a devoted collector of insects who cares for them like family. There’s more to the story (a dying wife, a deep resentment toward a dead-end job, and a slow descent into madness), but the element most likely to provoke a genuine reaction is the bugs. If you love insects, that layer won’t bother you much. If bugs are among your deepest fears, this level will genuinely unsettle you.

That’s really the heart of what Creepshow‘s stories are doing. There aren’t a large number of them, but each is built around something inherently relatable that can tip into fear depending on the individual player. If bugs and the weight of bad decisions don’t scare you, some of the stories may feel underwhelming. Personally, I found both stories solid rather than frightening and a little generic in execution. I’d love to see additional stories added down the line (even ones that don’t involve Danny) but that probably depends on the game’s reception.

Overall Impression

Creepshow is a game I wanted to love without reservation. The visual design, the sound work, and The Reader all contribute to stories that are genuinely unnerving, even when they’re relatively simple. What holds it back is the repetitive gameplay and stories that, depending on your personal fear profile, may not land with the impact the game is reaching for. I enjoyed wandering through off-kilter spaces and watching characters’ lives spiral, but I never found myself thinking this was a remarkable gaming experience. Creepshow leans heavily on its horror anthology structure, and when a story doesn’t fully land, the rest of the game doesn’t have enough to compensate.

Conclusion

Creepshow is a decent multi-narrative horror title with some genuinely cool designs and a real love for its source material — but it fails to fully deliver on its potential. The mini-games and exploration loop simply don’t have the strength to match the stories they surround. As a horror fan, I hope many give Creepshow a try for its genuinely intriguing horror vignettes, but go in with measured expectations around the gameplay. The price of admission is also considerably lower than a night at the movies, which makes it easier to recommend to those on the fence. Give it a go — just know what you’re signing up for.