Appyshka

The Phenomenon of Slender Man. The Myth

Scary things have attracted people for quite a long time, throughout the history of the mankind. One of the recent trends in the world of mobile gaming is Slender Man, as I see it.

The thing is that the phenomenon is not new. Slender Man as we know him origins from the Something Awful forum, where he first appeared in 2009 as a tall faceless figure in a suit with either long arms or appendages on his back. These were Photoshopped pictures where Slender Man could be seen in one frame with a group of children. The meme expanded quickly resulting in more fiction created by SA users and beyond the forum.

There are various legends that can be regarded as the origins of the Slender Man myth. One of them is the legend of Der Großmann, a tall man from the German lore who claimed children. There happen to be other examples from all around the world where the Tall Man features, and all of them might have played a role in what has grown to a Slender Man myth. In the center of it there is a man in a black suit with a blank face who can prolong his arms and throw out branch-like (or snake-like) appendages from his back. The image turned out to be pretty inspiring resulting in photos, drawings, videos, stories, and games.

What Makes Slender so Appealing. Slender Man & Blair Witch

There should be the reason why people became so attracted to this Slender Man. I suggest taking a look at people’s interest in the Blair Witch phenomenon. Blair Witch Project is successful not because it’s a mocumentary. Its success is caused by the intensity of experience that the viewer has while watching the film.

It’s not supernatural that becomes real, but it’s the feelings of fear and danger that are unbearably real. When you watch the film, you can recognize this experience of being trapped and not knowing what’s there. It’s like the the things around you are far out of your control, either physically or cognitively.

So, we come upon certain phenomena in such universes as those of The Blair Witch Project orSlender Man.
First of all, it is our inability to control things. Which leads to fear in general and fear of death in particular.
(What’s most outrageous, there is usually no dying to witness: in Blair Witch, you never see the bodies, while Slender Man “claims you” rather than simply killing.)

On the other hand, it might be also belief that there is something beyond, such as parallel universes or life after death. All this may be scary, but it still gives us a hope: what if we’ll end up some place nice after we cease to exist?

Great Horror Games of Recent

According to search statistics, Slender Man games haven’t been popular just in November. Still, it somehow turned out for me that November WAS the Slender Man month. When I searched the App Store for some SM games, I was amazed. Here’s what I came up with:

Slender Rising ($1.99)

This was the first game of the kind, which I saw appear on the App Store. It was released before November 20, and it was positively acclaimed by the gamers. The game originally had one-tap controls, but about a week ago, joystick controls were added. The main charms of this Unreal-powered game are its graphics. Besides, there are two modes of playing: Day and Night. You would be surprised, but I found that playing in the dim-lit foggy Day mode is scarier than walking in the dark with a flashlight in your hand. The feeling is that you see everything, and seem to be in control, but once in a while Slender Man materializes in front of you. Btw, here you’ll see not the classic faceless guy, but the one with slight face details, which doesn’t make him less scary.

Our rating: 5

Slender: Lost Children ($0.99)

Here, you have a flashlight and a forest around you. From time to time you may bump into Slender Man. The graphics are average, and most of the time you cannot see what’s happening on the screen; so, instead of being scared, you just feel the upcoming rage. Still, the idea with the hints in the child’s drawings is pretty good.

Our rating: 3

Slendr (Free)

In spite of being free, this one is worth downloading. The idea is simple: you tilt your device (or turn it around) and collect evidence materials - until you see Slender Man (or until he sees you). The graphics are artsy and this fast-paced game is pretty good.

Our rating: 4.5

Slender - Bones of Children ($0.99)

This game was recommended by the users as one of the scariest SM games. It is like an arcade game where the little protagonist walks in the maze of bushes with a cone of light in front of him and collects the artifacts (bones of children in this case). A tiny Slender Man figure walks somewhere behind, all dressed in black. However, what makes the game super horrifying are those lifelike apparitions of dead children that pop up by the end. A very nice move! Our rating: 4.5

Village of Slender (Free)

You shouldn’t play it if you don’t like bad graphics or being stuck in walls and trees. Weirdly-colored, Village of Slender is more annoying than scaring.

Our rating: 2

Slender Man! ($0.99)

Along with Slender Rising, this is the best SM game you’re going to play! Firstly, the graphics are really good. Crystal clear night will not hold you back from fearing for your life. You will explore really explorable locations, find the pages with drawings, and see Slender Man at distance staring at you quite a few times. There weren’t any appendages on Slender Man’s that I took notice of, but the cold stare in the cold night is what will chill your nerves.

Our rating: 5

The Woods ($0.99)

Here’s another horror game, which I need to mention, although it doesn’t feature Slender Man. Touch Arcade users have named it “Alan Wake meets SlenderMan,” which tells you best about the game’s style. There is a spirit in the woods that cannot be looked at for long time, but, unlike Slender Man, he is wearing a dark cloak and has antlers on his hooded head. There are also many other ghosts you should be afraid of. The main difference of The Woods from SM games is that you can fight them back with a flashlight. Another difference is that there are some objectives you need to complete. There is also a built-in camera to make record of your jumpscares.

Our rating: 5

And here is me playing The Woods:

So, you get the idea that everybody’s secretly craving for some jumpscares, or even more: for the sensation of fear and the experience of being scared. What could be better than Slender Man games and the like for fulfilling this need of men? Suspense and good graphics can do magic!

Bunny Cannon is what seemed at first to be an unlikely name for Not Doppler's second iOS game. However, after playing it for a while, I had some fun. The game really offers you both some unique humor and quite a bit of challenge.

Bunny Cannon is a puzzle game, which is a result of a little bunny's musings on the subject of the origin of bunnies. Just like all little children who ask adults, "Where do children come from?" this bunny is left with plenty of different explanations, which are mixed up into some almost surreal thing involving a cannon, blue and pink bunnies, and baskets. To become a great puzzle game, this fantasy also needed some obstacles and complex trajectories.

So, while the first Not Doppler game Earn to Die has been a creepily hilarious zombie-smashing game, Bunny Cannon is nothing like it. While being a casual puzzle game, its only similarities with the first game are its humor and style.

EEK! is an arcade tilt controlled game, which is both mesmerizing and enjoyable. There are too few games like this one: its simplicity combined with its original environment make the game a perfect product up there in the App store.

While lots of people around the world get anxious about Disney movies every time one of them is out, there are also quite a few Disney Mobile fans who are waiting for every new release with their breath held. Wreck-it Ralph is a great news for both categories.

Wars Online is a nice strategy multiplayer game, in which you manage your unit and defend your castle from the cunning enemy. You have also an arsenal of cannons, which you shoot just like the fowls in the most popular game by Rovio.