DreadOut

**DreadOut** is a horror game developed by Digital Happiness, a studio based in Bandung, Indonesia. The game was originally released on 3rd April 2013 however a full Act 1 of the game released on 15th May 2014 along with the second act on 14th February 2015. DreadOut takes place in fictional town located in Bandung and follows the story of Linda a her friends escaping the twisted town full of horrors.

## Story

### Prologue

Linda awakens herself in an abandoned room. The first thing she hear was her phone ringing outside the room, upon answering the call it was from her friend Ira. Her friend, Ira was panicked because Linda did not answer her call however things turn sour as Ira has been possessed by the ghost. Linda's phone camera also reveal an entity tried to attack her, *Kuntilanak*.

Linda was able to get rid of *Kuntilanak* by using her phone camera to banish the ghosts. Exiting the building, Linda spots Ira in the distance, but for unknown reason approaching Ira causing her to feel an intense pain. Linda navigates the town, haunted by the *Kuntilanak*. Learning to use her camera to defeat the ghost, Linda is left alone. Through her phone, she discovers a hole in the wall, transporting her to a different part of the village.

On the top floor of a house, Ira stands facing a corner. As Linda attempts to leave, Ira transforms into a *Kuntilanak*, seemingly "killing" Linda and sending the player into Limbo. Linda awakens, hears crying, and finds Ira downstairs, explaining she couldn't leave the village. Ira insists Linda is the only one who can leave, handing her the keys to the village exit. A foreshadow to what would happen to Linda and her friends. Linda then goes outside, entering a graveyard and being attacked by *Pocong*. Upon defeating them, she spot a set of three candles. After taking a picture of them with her camera, a battered and bloody body falls down from the sky and reaches out for her, waking her from the momentarily nightmare.

### Act 1

Linda wakes up in a car with her friends and her teacher Ms. Siska going on a trip. As the group heads home, they reach a broken bridge. The bridge connects to an abandoned village without a name. Ms. Siska considers choosing crossing the path or backtrack to find alternative route, Doni dashes ahead in order to find a way across the bridge. Upon reaching the entrance of abandoned village, the group decided to reunite in front of abandoned school. According to Doni's finding, he briefly mentioned the village was left to rot with unclear reason. After approaching the school front door, Doni and Yayan decided to explore inside to see the old architects of the schools in the abandoned village. However this cause the group to split after the strange accidents that has been happening to the group. The most notable one is Yayan is missing along with Ira's strange behaviour feeling as her being possessed.

The darkness consumes the school along with Ms. Siska's group. Linda now must navigate to find a way to escape the school. Upon searching the school, she found a key that has been tied to Babi Ngepet's neck. While avoiding the strange encounter, she finds herself with an entity of Sundel Bolong. Upon defeating the entity she found a clue that the key can be used to open locked closet. However Linda did not realize that cutting Babi Ngepet's neck causing another strange event to happen as she has been thrown in an endless hallway with Demit Lorong approaching her. To escape the hallway she must find a hidden door using her phone. Reaching the exit she was knocked out by Lady in Red that obstructs the entrance to the school gate.

### Act 2

Linda frantically escapes the school and finds herself in a courtyard. However after walking around a bit, Linda realizes that she was boxed in by the walls around her. After a moment of wandering around aimlessly, she is attacked by Tuyuls. She attempts to fight them off, but they overwhelm her, taking both her red bag and her phone. The Tuyuls escape with both objects and Linda goes to try get them back.

While on the way to find the tuyuls who took her bag and weapon, Linda comes across Doni. She attempts to talk to him, but Doni knocks her away. Realizing that her friend is posessed, Linda frantically scrambles away. After a brief chase through the village, Linda manages to block off her posessed friend by hooking an umbrella in the door so it would hold him back. Arming herself with only an umbrella, Linda tries to find a way to escape. Before a few moments, she is attacked by Doni again, who has caught up with her. After hitting him with the umbrella she escapes into a train station.

After a grueling cat and mouse game with Doni, she finally manages to escape into a train car, only to be cornered by Doni. A mysterious ghost chokes Linda, first through Doni, then with it's own hands. After Linda nearly dies from choking, she manages to escape into the next car, where derbis manages to protect her from the Ghost and from Doni. While watching the derbis falling, the Ghosts posesses Doni again, only to crack his neck, killing him, in which Linda cries in shock over her dead friend.

Linda miserably gets up with a heavy heart, trying to keep herself together, despite the fact that she couldn't save her friend. After walking a short distance, Linda collapses, obviously depressed over Doni's death and unable to continue. She falls asleep for a short moment before a mysterious hand grabs her wrist waking her up. It is revealed that one of the deceased corpses in the train car has woken her up, giving Linda the opportunity to use the SLR, an abandoned Camera. Standing up, Linda hears the sounds of her IrisPhone taking pictures and goes to retrieve it.

Turning around, Linda finds the Tuyuls playing once again with her bag and phone near the exit of the train car. She chases the Tuyuls away with the SLR and goes to retrieve her belongings. Before she could exit the train car, the Tuyul boss appears and after a brief fight, Linda retrieves both her bag and her phone and exits the car.

She enters a cave and exits the other side, only for the sun to rise, much to her surprise. Linda stumbles upon a seemingly safe heaven with other women around and a watchful guardian above keeping watch. After sensing a supernatural vibe, Linda manages to solve the puzzle regarding the three candles and when it suddenly becomes night again, Linda knew something was wrong. A path opens up and Linda walks across it, finding the supposedly benevolent guardian floating in front of her. Taking a picture of the guardian, it reveals itself to be the Pocong Radja and a Boss Battle ensues. After a grueling battle with the Pocong, Linda is picked up by the creature. Doing nothing, LInda watches the Pocong Radja perish and she gets up, only to be confronted by the Mysterious Lady in Red. Despite her efforts to defeat the Lady in Red, Linda is soon overwhelmed and sent to the Limbo.

Linda wakes up to find herself in a different place from where she passed out and decides to follow the path. After a moment or two of walking, Linda stumbles upon a Medical Firm, where she hears crying. She observes a strange bulk of clothing that is crying, but is elated to find out that it was just Shelly, who had hidden herself away. Shelly is elated to find Linda and immediately hugs her, quickly asking for the whereabouts of her friends. With Shelly talking too fast, Linda finds herself unable to answer the question and hears mysterious footsteps approaching.

Linda puts herself between Shelly and the mysterious footsteps, ready to defend her friend and nervously awaits the newcomer. A hand appears in the doorway and Linda prepares to defend both herself and Shelly, only revealed to be Ms. Siska, who is injured. The teacher briefly states Linda and Shelly's name and collapses, leading to Shelly and Linda helping Ms. Siska recover.

Ms. Siska later asks Linda to find Ira. Leaving Ms. Siska and Shelly in the Medical Firm, Linda finds and chases Ira, who's still possessed by the "Third Sister", into a room in an abandoned small house. There, Linda has a conversation with the possessed Ira in which Linda tries to get the Third Sister to let Ira go. The conversation will determine Ira's fate, If Linda says something which upset the Third Sister, she will kill Ira.

The Third Sister, who refuse to let Ira go, claimed that Linda knew nothing about her best friend and that it was pitiful that she didn't even know her phone number. Linda is able to prove her wrong if the player inputs the right phone number found in Act 0. However, it The Third sister still doesn't want to let Ira go and she attacks Linda and make her unconscious. Linda soon awake, still inside the house, but unable to re-enter the room where she had conversation with the possessed Ira. Taking a Mansion Key given by the Third Sister.

Returning to the Medical Firm, Linda finds Shelly is already killed and Ms. Siska is nowhere to be found. After mourning Shelly's death, Linda heads to the mansion and encounter the Second Sister again. After defeating the ghost in the mirror hallway, Linda faces the Second Sister after she attempt to open a main door in the first floor. After defeating her for second time, Linda now can enter the door which lead her into a room with a big mirror with fake reflection in it. In the "duplicate room" Linda finds a key which can be used to open the dress room where she will face the Second Sister for one last time.

After eventually defeat the Second Sister, the mirror in the room will be broken, revealing a secret room which lead Linda into Lady In Red/the First Sister's room. There, while Linda sitting in front of a mirror, The First Sister approaches her from behind, taunting her. Linda then dragged by her own reflection (possibly made by Lady in Red's power) in to the mirror.

Linda then regains her consciousness and find that she has returned to the abandoned school. From here, Linda has two choices: enter the school to battle Lady in Red and Demit Pintu or leave the school and escape the town. In the true ending Linda battles Lady in Red and Demit Pintu. After battling Lady in Red, Linda collapses and Ms. Siska comes over, holding a strange bundle and has a strange wound on her neck. She whispers something in Linda's ear before walking away. While she is walking away, it is revealed that the baby she is holding is actually a baby snake.

Sometime later, Linda is shown to have somehow escaped to society, now having shoulder length hair instead of her ponytail and a completely new attire. She walks along the streets of a city listening to something on her headset, seemingly controlling the people she passes by. Linda stops at a bus stop and looks at the camera, taking off her head set where she slightly winces in pain. She open her eyes and Linda stares at the straight ahead, her skin growing paler and her eyes glowing red. It is also been revealed that Linda is actually listening Ira's voice mail, having listened to it at least 2208 times, supposedly to suppress her new powers. Ira tells Linda that it was their turn to be keepers of the darkness. Realizing that her powers were leaking and she was subconsciously controlling the darkness in other people, Linda opens her headsets, accepting her fate as the new Lady in Red.

## Gameplay

In the game, players take on the role of Linda, a high school student who possesses extraordinary abilities. Armed with smartphone, the player can defeat ghosts through the use of these gadgets. When the camera is activated, the game shifts to a first-person perspective, enabling players to capture supernatural entities. Additionally, the camera serves as a crucial tool for unraveling puzzles, which can only be deciphered when viewed through its lens. Moreover, Linda has the ability to interact with specific objects scattered throughout the game world.

When players sense a unique presence, it can be determined between red or blue vignette. If a Red Vignette appears, it indicates that Linda has detected a threatening ghost nearby. Additionally, her stance changes from normal to cautious and hesitant. A Blue Vignette signifies the presence of something or someone significant in the vicinity.

Linda can take two different type of damage, mental and physical. Whenever Linda is mentally attacked by a ghost, she will instinctively clutch her head. In the case of physical attacks, she is typically knocked down or pushed back. The extent of the mental and physical damage inflicted on Linda depends on the strength of the ghost she encounter.

## Characters

* **Linda Meilinda,** The protagonist of the story and one of the high school students trapped in the abandoned village. She is shown to possess some supernatural powers.
* **Shakira "Ira" Irawati**, Linda's best friend.
* **Shelly Angelia,** A 'sassy' high school girl.
* **Doni Maulana**, A fun-loving high school boy.
* **Yayan**, A smart high school boy.
* **Mariska "Siska" Gandasasmita**, A kind and thoughtful teacher of the high school students.

## Development

DreadOut starts as a spiritual successor to Jurig Escape made by Vadi Vanadi (Vanadot) . In 2012, Digital Happiness showcase several prototype of DreadOut. The game started as Third person RPG Horror, First Person Survival Horror, and Third Person Survival Horror inspired by Fatal Frame Franchise. The game fully released alongside with two acts in 2015 .

## Trivia

* According to one of the developer, the game was inspired by Fatal Frame series.
* The development DreadOut started due to a sucessor to one of game director's past game, Jurig Escape and released in 2012.
* According to Dev Diary by Digital Happiness, the game went through many changes in terms of gameplay such as RPG Horror, Action Horror, First Person Survival Horror, Casual Horror.
* It's implied in DreadOut manga that the place is at least traced back as far as the Dutch colonial era (1602-1942).
	+ Furthermore the village is a place for guarding the serpent, which is guarded by the Three Sisters.
* There are many posters based on the face of IndieGogo backers as part of reward for supporting the game, players can find them scattered around the town.
* The game has minor inconsistency, for example the school has been abandoned in 1983 but contradict to the years of abandonment, players can found modern PC and Microsoft Excel Guide book.
* Easter Eggs in DreadOut can be found scattered throughout the game, here are notable instances:
	+ Pocong in motorcycle can be found around the city road, the ghost will try to run over Linda.
	+ Besty The Teddy Bear can be found in school's toilet and infirmary. It is based on reference to PewDiePie naming the bear "Besty"
	+ UFO can be found before entering the school building, looking at the UFO results in getting achivement "They Come in Peace".
	+ A My little Pony poster in the classroom with demolished walls can be found, right next to the room where you can find Small Key.
	+ A gas station can be found based on Indonesia's Gas Station Pertamina.

## Official Links

* DreadOut Official Steam Page
* DreadOut Official Website
* DreadOut Official Twitter
* Digital Happiness Official Twitter
* Digital Happiness Official Website
* Digital Happiness Official YouTube

## Gallery

Linda hiding from one of the monsterLinda checking her phone if there is a monster in front of herLinda meets with Lady In RedLinda experiencing limbo or "death"
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 [1] "Jurig Escape is the precursor of DreadOut franchise and made by @vanadot" via @DH\_games on Twitter.com
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 [2] Dreadout Developer interview on YouTube.com
3. ↑ [3] DreadoutDev\_Diary on YouTube.com
4. ↑ [4] DreadOut version 2.0.0 Released on Steam