THE TEMPLE: CH 1
Release date: Jun 30, 2025
Developers: Artin Shf
Publishers: SmartGames
Genres: Action, Adventure, Casual, Indie
Categories: Single-player, Keyboard Only Option, Mouse Only Option, Narrated Game Menus, Family Sharing
Supported languages: English

THE TEMPLE: CH1 From the creators of Smart Games comes the first chapter of a new horror saga. In THE TEMPLE: CH1 , you awaken alone within an impossibly vast and dark cathedral trapped in another dimension. You have no memory of how you arrived – only the distant echo of a portal that might be your only escape. Every step you take is drenched in dread, every shadow holds a secret, and every heartbeat feels like a countdown. Core Gameplay First-Person Horror Puzzle: Explore the endless, shadowed halls of a cathedral that seems alive with evil. Your goal is clear – find and activate the portal to escape. To do that, you’ll solve macabre puzzles hidden throughout the twisted architecture. Night Vision Gameplay: Light is your enemy here. You only have a flickering night-vision device to pierce the inky darkness. Use it sparingly, or risk being engulfed by the void. The cathedral’s corridors and chambers loom around you, lit only by eerie glows or the pale green of night vision. Supernatural Encounters: Ghostly whispers and unexpected shadows haunt every corner. Spirit-like apparitions flicker at the edge of your vision. Worse still, something monstrous stalks you in the darkness – a nameless horror that moves between the pillars and pews, its presence announced by distant, guttural growls. You must outwit this creature if you hope to survive. Fear-Based Mechanics: THE TEMPLE: CH1 preys on psychological terror, not gore. The atmosphere is thick with tension: flickering lights, unsettling ambient sounds, and a feeling that something is always watching. There are no jump-scare cheap thrills here – only the slow burn of dread as you progress. Whenever you solve a puzzle or open a new door, the silence threatens to be broken by something unspeakable. Compact Intensity: Despite its relatively short playtime (~1.5 hours), every minute is packed with fear. No handholding, no safe zones – just a relentless climb of suspense until you either find the portal or fall victim to the cathedral’s evil. Story You wake up on cold stone beneath a vaulted ceiling that disappears into darkness. The only light comes from distant torch flames and the faint glow of your night vision. Voices whisper in languages you almost understand. The air smells of decay and incense. You have one thought: Escape . As you move through the vast nave and narrow crypts, grotesque statues and faded murals hint at a nightmare religion that once thrived here. You find cryptic notes scrawled on prayer altars. Each puzzle solution reveals more of this place’s terrible secret. The ghosts of worshippers past seem trapped in endless prayer, reaching out to you with hollow eyes. A distant roar shakes the halls – you’re not alone. Somewhere in this cathedral-dimension, a monstrous predator hunts the living. You are its prey. Every corridor feels endless, every shadow hides a trap. Time loses meaning as reality blurs: are you creeping through ancient history, or across some twisted afterlife? THE TEMPLE: CH1 is only the beginning. As you piece together the mystery of this haunted cathedral, unsettling truths emerge. Who built this temple, and to what god are the invisible masses praying? Can you trust the portal when you find it, or will you step into an even greater horror? Replayability & Unique Experience Shift and Repeat: THE TEMPLE: CH1 has multiple haunting events and hidden secrets to discover. Each playthrough can trigger different ghost encounters or puzzle solutions – the cathedral is mercurial. Will the same room greet you differently next time? Discover Secrets: Scattered throughout the cathedral are lore fragments and collectible clues. Replay to uncover every parchment and inscription. Can you piece together the full story behind the temple’s dark rituals? Adaptive Fear: The game subtly adapts to your fear. Hesitate too long in one place, and something may slip into view; rush without caution, and your heart may stop at the sudden roar behind you. This reactive horror keeps each escape attempt fresh. Looking Ahead: Remember that this is Chapter 1 . Finishing the game reveals new hints about the next installment’s terrors. Play again to catch every detail and prepare yourself for what lurks beyond THE TEMPLE . Mature Content Description Tension & Fear: Constant suspense and a pervasive atmosphere of dread. Jump scares are replaced by slow-building terror and startling supernatural phenomena. Darkness & Horror: The cathedral is pitch-black; you will spend much time in near-complete darkness. The moans of unseen spirits and rustling in the shadows will keep you on edge. Paranormal & Monster Encounters: Supernatural ghosts and a lurking monster make for frightening encounters. These moments are intense and heart-pounding. No Gore or Sexual Content: There is no graphic violence or gore on-screen. Horror here comes from psychological fear and the unknown. There are also no sexual violence or abuse themes . Cinematic Atmosphere: Stormy winds, dripping water, and distant chanting create a cinematic horror audio-visual experience. The mature themes stem from terror itself, not explicit content. Prepare to have your courage tested. The cathedral has secrets, and they hunger for you. Only by confronting the darkness within THE TEMPLE: CH1 can you hope to find the portal and see the light again.