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A good mascot horror among steam horror games
Ever visit Indigo Park? If not, then welcome to the latest adventure into mascot horror games. One of the steam horror games that takes you on a tour of the amusement park! It has recently been remastered with updated designs and story beats.
Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or just someone looking for a fun way to spend your afternoon, I’ve got the lowdown on all the excitement that unfolded. If you want more reviews, check one out here.
Grab your favorite snack and settle in as we dive into another of my horror game reviews and learn what made this game unforgettable!
Overview
Developed and published by Mason Myers, also known as UniqueGeese, Indigo Park: Chapter 1 was released on Steam on May 18, 2024. Currently it is one of several free online horror games.
This game marks Myers’ first official game release, leveraging his previous experiences and feedback from his earlier project, Reincarnated, to create something unique in the indie horror game space.
The game starts by showing you Indigo Park. You are then invited to explore the eerie remains of the abandoned amusement park guided by Rambley the Raccoon, an AI-driven tour guide full of character and charm.
As you traverse parts of the park, you begin to get the feeling you are being watched and soon realize you are not as alone as you thought.
The Story

Indigo Park takes you on a nostalgic yet chilling journey through an amusement park long closed and overtaken by nature. The game begins with a black and white video footage of the park being promoted by Isaac Indigo, founder of Indigo Park.

The footage jumps between recordings of a restricted area to seeing newspaper articles of the parks closure, dated to October 22, 2015. Additionally, you can read a chat between Ed, the protagonist, and Laura. Soon, you are set before the blocked entrance to the park, where you start traversing your surroundings.
As you progress, you encounter Rambley the Raccoon, who volunteers to help give you entrance and guide you through the park. His goal is to give you great experience but overtime admits to the ruined state of the park and sets out to revive the magic it once had.





Upon exploring, you find plushies and board a train, where the ride introduces several characters such as Mollie Macaw, Finley the Sea Serpent, and Lloyd the Lion. Another character is is shown too, Salem, but their section of the ride is destroyed and no information is shared about them.
The recent update added some more to the level design, giving us a bit more details on the characters personalities. There’s also more allusion to that these characters having their own cartoon show such as “Steamboat Serenade” or “A Smelly Scheme.”




The park’s history and the mysterious circumstances of its closure are not fully disclosed but interactions and environmental clues hint that something horrific happened, and could connect to a substance that twists things into insidious entities.
The narrative is rich with a blend of humor and horror, making the exploration both engaging and suspenseful for chapter 1.
The Gameplay


The gameplay of Indigo Park is primarily explorative, with first-person mechanics that allow players to immerse themselves in the environment.
The game incorporates simple platforming and interactive elements, like a 2D arcade machine minigame, important for story context, which enrich the overall experience without overwhelming the player.

As you explore the park, you find collectables. These serve a purpose as you can deliver these collectables to an Information Kiosk. Rambley, who can access the kiosk, will provide additional context and commentary based on the collectable, adding layers to the storytelling and his personality.
This use of the kiosk also loosely emulates kiosk at real-world amusement parks, helping to strengthen the immersion.
Graphics and Audio

Indigo Park utilizes detailed 3D graphics to bring the abandoned amusement park to life, with a focus on atmospheric and environmental storytelling. The audio design complements the visuals perfectly, enhancing the eerie and sometimes whimsical ambiance of the park.
Personally, among the new steam horror games, I found the music good as it fit the amusement park atmosphere but held a subtle eeriness to it. Some of the tones reminded me of Halloween nights as a kid, visiting haunted houses.
Similarly, Rambley the Raccoon, voiced by Vito Z Holmes, adds a lively and engaging element to the audio, making the park feel both haunted and alive.
Performance and Technical Aspects

The game runs smoothly across different systems, reflecting the developers’ attention to technical optimization. Within steam horror games, the user interface and control mechanisms are well-designed and simple to grasp. As this is among mascot horror games, responsive controls is important since the game is targeted to kids.
Due to the simplicity, the game ensures that you can focus on the experience without distraction.
My only critique is with the final challenge. Spoilers ahead, so stop reading if you don’t want to know the events of the game.
When chased by Mollie, I learned that she can mimic voices to trick and lure you. This was interesting to know but felt pointless to know during the chase as any sound she made would let you just know where she was. So, mimicking voices adds nothing.

An idea I had, if the devs remake chapter 1, is that Mollie could use the voice mimicking to intercept our communication with Rambley and lure us into traps. For this to work, I image Rambley would be more communication only rather than on screen, sort of a 1/4 on screen 3/4 just communication.
This change would make Mollie’s ability more relevant and dangerous in chapter 1. Plus, we spot her a couple times while exploring, so her messing with us through her voice mimicry is believable and in-universe.
Length and Replayability

While the first chapter of Indigo Park lasts fairly short, the depth of the narrative and the environmental storytelling encourage replayability. You are likely to return to uncover all secrets from the way things are designed.

If you’re like me, you’ll also return to obtain all collectables to get the more story bits. These features help us fully experience the detailed world Myers created for the steam horror games community. Plus, you get to hear interesting commentary from Rambley about each item that helps the lore.
Closing Thoughts

Much of the story is the same with added details here and there, but the updates and design were great to see. Among free online horror games, Indigo Park still presents a promising start to what could become a good series in the indie horror genre.
Seeing the redesign of areas and the newly added posters helped make the park more immersive. Plus, you could see more of the characters’ personalities in the images. I also noticed that the chase was a bit different from the previous.
Reminiscent of Five Nights at Freddy’s and Poppy Playtime, this game use of similar elements, but altered to fit its narrative and universe, lights a spark in the mascot horror games subgenre.

The game garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews, in horror game reviews, from players and critics alike, making it a must-try for fans of horror and adventure games. Plus, you can’t beat free! If you’re curious for mascot horror history, check out my post on it here.
What do you think of Indigo Park? Have you experienced the haunting yet humorous adventure with Rambley the Raccoon? Share your thoughts and join the conversation below!

Nero lives in the United States, delving into indie horror to mainstream games. Armed with a psych degree and a passion for storytelling, he wrote stories and essays published online and in museum catalogs. Besides writing, he also likes sketching and tuning into rock music. Catch his latest posts or follow him across social media.