Chris Pruett
@cpruett.bsky.social
Director of Games @meta. Thirty years of game dev, incl. Dead Secret, Wind-up Knight, and sick Hypercard stacks. I am a walking encyclopedia of horror games.
Right now? Oh I'm just waking up in Tokyo to play DEMON SCHOOL.
November 20, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Right now? Oh I'm just waking up in Tokyo to play DEMON SCHOOL.
I also learned is that Apple's core software was super efficient. I spawned enemy types based on RAM usage, and the Finder ended up as the weak Drone because it only used 2 MB of RAM to run the whole desktop windowing interface. I forced it to be a stronger enemy to avoid accidental Finder kills.
November 15, 2025 at 10:25 PM
I also learned is that Apple's core software was super efficient. I spawned enemy types based on RAM usage, and the Finder ended up as the weak Drone because it only used 2 MB of RAM to run the whole desktop windowing interface. I forced it to be a stronger enemy to avoid accidental Finder kills.
The idea was blatantly copied from Dennis Chao's DOOM-based Linux process manager a year or two before. His page about that project is still up! www.cs.unm.edu/~dlchao/flak...
November 15, 2025 at 10:25 PM
The idea was blatantly copied from Dennis Chao's DOOM-based Linux process manager a year or two before. His page about that project is still up! www.cs.unm.edu/~dlchao/flak...
In college I needed a final project for an OS class and Bungie had just released the source code to Marathon 2, so I made a Marathon Process Manager. All the processes running on the machine are represented as enemies and if you kill them, the process dies. Of course, they also fight back.
November 15, 2025 at 10:25 PM
In college I needed a final project for an OS class and Bungie had just released the source code to Marathon 2, so I made a Marathon Process Manager. All the processes running on the machine are represented as enemies and if you kill them, the process dies. Of course, they also fight back.
Make sure you calibrate your indie level.
November 14, 2025 at 5:30 AM
Make sure you calibrate your indie level.
Ghost Town
I am perhaps a bit biased when it comes to VR games, but Ghost Town is one of the best things I've ever played in VR. It's tight, beautiful, creepy, and very well written. The production quality is excellent and the puzzles are consistently fun.
I am perhaps a bit biased when it comes to VR games, but Ghost Town is one of the best things I've ever played in VR. It's tight, beautiful, creepy, and very well written. The production quality is excellent and the puzzles are consistently fun.
October 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Ghost Town
I am perhaps a bit biased when it comes to VR games, but Ghost Town is one of the best things I've ever played in VR. It's tight, beautiful, creepy, and very well written. The production quality is excellent and the puzzles are consistently fun.
I am perhaps a bit biased when it comes to VR games, but Ghost Town is one of the best things I've ever played in VR. It's tight, beautiful, creepy, and very well written. The production quality is excellent and the puzzles are consistently fun.
Slitterhead
I really wanted to like Slitterhead more than I did. Its mechanics are too simple for its length, the story is hard to follow, and the combat becomes tiresome. But it's also beautiful, full of interesting ideas and unique characters, and has some great exposition systems. The music eats.
I really wanted to like Slitterhead more than I did. Its mechanics are too simple for its length, the story is hard to follow, and the combat becomes tiresome. But it's also beautiful, full of interesting ideas and unique characters, and has some great exposition systems. The music eats.
October 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Slitterhead
I really wanted to like Slitterhead more than I did. Its mechanics are too simple for its length, the story is hard to follow, and the combat becomes tiresome. But it's also beautiful, full of interesting ideas and unique characters, and has some great exposition systems. The music eats.
I really wanted to like Slitterhead more than I did. Its mechanics are too simple for its length, the story is hard to follow, and the combat becomes tiresome. But it's also beautiful, full of interesting ideas and unique characters, and has some great exposition systems. The music eats.
Backrooms Escape Together
I do not find the Backrooms games compelling but Escape Together is notable because it experiments a lot with the formula, with some success. My absolute favorite is the LiDAR mode, which is extremely cool and very scary and I can't believe it's never been done before.
I do not find the Backrooms games compelling but Escape Together is notable because it experiments a lot with the formula, with some success. My absolute favorite is the LiDAR mode, which is extremely cool and very scary and I can't believe it's never been done before.
October 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Backrooms Escape Together
I do not find the Backrooms games compelling but Escape Together is notable because it experiments a lot with the formula, with some success. My absolute favorite is the LiDAR mode, which is extremely cool and very scary and I can't believe it's never been done before.
I do not find the Backrooms games compelling but Escape Together is notable because it experiments a lot with the formula, with some success. My absolute favorite is the LiDAR mode, which is extremely cool and very scary and I can't believe it's never been done before.
Tsugunohi
This series is about as simple as you can get mechanically, and honestly I sort of hate the art style, and yet they have captured an audience with super snackable, super simple shorts that all follow the same format. Out in English now on Steam and Switch.
This series is about as simple as you can get mechanically, and honestly I sort of hate the art style, and yet they have captured an audience with super snackable, super simple shorts that all follow the same format. Out in English now on Steam and Switch.
October 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Tsugunohi
This series is about as simple as you can get mechanically, and honestly I sort of hate the art style, and yet they have captured an audience with super snackable, super simple shorts that all follow the same format. Out in English now on Steam and Switch.
This series is about as simple as you can get mechanically, and honestly I sort of hate the art style, and yet they have captured an audience with super snackable, super simple shorts that all follow the same format. Out in English now on Steam and Switch.
Clock Tower Rewind
A very nice reissuing of a game that never got a proper English release and yet is foundational to much of the grammar of modern horror games.
A very nice reissuing of a game that never got a proper English release and yet is foundational to much of the grammar of modern horror games.
October 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Clock Tower Rewind
A very nice reissuing of a game that never got a proper English release and yet is foundational to much of the grammar of modern horror games.
A very nice reissuing of a game that never got a proper English release and yet is foundational to much of the grammar of modern horror games.
Silent Hill 2 Remake
An impressive remake of a seminal game that has enough self-confidence to make some surprising changes. Triggers weird deja vu for me when I play it. It's great.
An impressive remake of a seminal game that has enough self-confidence to make some surprising changes. Triggers weird deja vu for me when I play it. It's great.
October 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Silent Hill 2 Remake
An impressive remake of a seminal game that has enough self-confidence to make some surprising changes. Triggers weird deja vu for me when I play it. It's great.
An impressive remake of a seminal game that has enough self-confidence to make some surprising changes. Triggers weird deja vu for me when I play it. It's great.
R.E.P.O.
This is *by far* the best entry in the Lethal Company-style "serendipitous multiplayer horror" category. Polished and hilarious and occasionally very scary, the game retains the unpredictableness of the genre but without the jank. Play with friends close enough to forgive you.
This is *by far* the best entry in the Lethal Company-style "serendipitous multiplayer horror" category. Polished and hilarious and occasionally very scary, the game retains the unpredictableness of the genre but without the jank. Play with friends close enough to forgive you.
October 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
R.E.P.O.
This is *by far* the best entry in the Lethal Company-style "serendipitous multiplayer horror" category. Polished and hilarious and occasionally very scary, the game retains the unpredictableness of the genre but without the jank. Play with friends close enough to forgive you.
This is *by far* the best entry in the Lethal Company-style "serendipitous multiplayer horror" category. Polished and hilarious and occasionally very scary, the game retains the unpredictableness of the genre but without the jank. Play with friends close enough to forgive you.
Shift at Midnight
This game isn't even out yet but you can play the demo on Steam. It's a low budget take on the That's Not My Neighbor mechanic, made fun by the relative insanity of the presentation. Mopping blood from the floor after exploding a doppelgänger with a magnum has never been so fun.
This game isn't even out yet but you can play the demo on Steam. It's a low budget take on the That's Not My Neighbor mechanic, made fun by the relative insanity of the presentation. Mopping blood from the floor after exploding a doppelgänger with a magnum has never been so fun.
October 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Shift at Midnight
This game isn't even out yet but you can play the demo on Steam. It's a low budget take on the That's Not My Neighbor mechanic, made fun by the relative insanity of the presentation. Mopping blood from the floor after exploding a doppelgänger with a magnum has never been so fun.
This game isn't even out yet but you can play the demo on Steam. It's a low budget take on the That's Not My Neighbor mechanic, made fun by the relative insanity of the presentation. Mopping blood from the floor after exploding a doppelgänger with a magnum has never been so fun.
Seeing Things
OK, I'm biased on this one, as it was made by my Robot Invader co-founder Casey Richardson, but it's creepy and great and perfect for a streaming session with friends on Discord. The most polished Surveillance Horror game I've ever seen.
OK, I'm biased on this one, as it was made by my Robot Invader co-founder Casey Richardson, but it's creepy and great and perfect for a streaming session with friends on Discord. The most polished Surveillance Horror game I've ever seen.
October 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Seeing Things
OK, I'm biased on this one, as it was made by my Robot Invader co-founder Casey Richardson, but it's creepy and great and perfect for a streaming session with friends on Discord. The most polished Surveillance Horror game I've ever seen.
OK, I'm biased on this one, as it was made by my Robot Invader co-founder Casey Richardson, but it's creepy and great and perfect for a streaming session with friends on Discord. The most polished Surveillance Horror game I've ever seen.
Blood Typers
I had a ton of fun with this game despite many rough edges. Why has it taken so long for the Typing of the Dead mechanics to get repurposed for new games?
I had a ton of fun with this game despite many rough edges. Why has it taken so long for the Typing of the Dead mechanics to get repurposed for new games?
October 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Blood Typers
I had a ton of fun with this game despite many rough edges. Why has it taken so long for the Typing of the Dead mechanics to get repurposed for new games?
I had a ton of fun with this game despite many rough edges. Why has it taken so long for the Typing of the Dead mechanics to get repurposed for new games?
Silent Hill f
I got a lot to say about this game, but the tldr is that it is an absolutely excellent expansion of the SH franchise, beautiful and interesting. Loses some steam in its second half but the combat is fine. Dependency on multiple endings to really flesh out the story is unfortunate.
I got a lot to say about this game, but the tldr is that it is an absolutely excellent expansion of the SH franchise, beautiful and interesting. Loses some steam in its second half but the combat is fine. Dependency on multiple endings to really flesh out the story is unfortunate.
October 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Silent Hill f
I got a lot to say about this game, but the tldr is that it is an absolutely excellent expansion of the SH franchise, beautiful and interesting. Loses some steam in its second half but the combat is fine. Dependency on multiple endings to really flesh out the story is unfortunate.
I got a lot to say about this game, but the tldr is that it is an absolutely excellent expansion of the SH franchise, beautiful and interesting. Loses some steam in its second half but the combat is fine. Dependency on multiple endings to really flesh out the story is unfortunate.
MiSide
A super polished 4th-wall-breaking dating-game-turned-horror for those who have never actually played anything in this genre. This is easy mode: I called it "lozenge horror" because it's so accessible that it doesn't require a lot of thinking. Still, the production is excellent and I had fun.
A super polished 4th-wall-breaking dating-game-turned-horror for those who have never actually played anything in this genre. This is easy mode: I called it "lozenge horror" because it's so accessible that it doesn't require a lot of thinking. Still, the production is excellent and I had fun.
October 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
MiSide
A super polished 4th-wall-breaking dating-game-turned-horror for those who have never actually played anything in this genre. This is easy mode: I called it "lozenge horror" because it's so accessible that it doesn't require a lot of thinking. Still, the production is excellent and I had fun.
A super polished 4th-wall-breaking dating-game-turned-horror for those who have never actually played anything in this genre. This is easy mode: I called it "lozenge horror" because it's so accessible that it doesn't require a lot of thinking. Still, the production is excellent and I had fun.
Homicipher
Make your way through an underworld populated by (hot) monster men by slowly learning their language. Super cool mechanic for guessing at words and building a dictionary so conversations make more sense over time. This system needs to find its way into a bigger game.
Make your way through an underworld populated by (hot) monster men by slowly learning their language. Super cool mechanic for guessing at words and building a dictionary so conversations make more sense over time. This system needs to find its way into a bigger game.
October 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Homicipher
Make your way through an underworld populated by (hot) monster men by slowly learning their language. Super cool mechanic for guessing at words and building a dictionary so conversations make more sense over time. This system needs to find its way into a bigger game.
Make your way through an underworld populated by (hot) monster men by slowly learning their language. Super cool mechanic for guessing at words and building a dictionary so conversations make more sense over time. This system needs to find its way into a bigger game.
Well it's just about Halloween and so I guess I should share some horror games I played this year that you might want to try. I played a lot of games that I didn't like very much, but these all have something cool to offer.
October 30, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Well it's just about Halloween and so I guess I should share some horror games I played this year that you might want to try. I played a lot of games that I didn't like very much, but these all have something cool to offer.
I guess it's been an element of previous icons but I have 100% never noticed it, and if I did, I'm pretty sure I thought it was a weird glass. Like a tea infuser or something. My impression of the Preview icon has been about the ocean.
October 5, 2025 at 4:46 AM
I guess it's been an element of previous icons but I have 100% never noticed it, and if I did, I'm pretty sure I thought it was a weird glass. Like a tea infuser or something. My impression of the Preview icon has been about the ocean.
I can't deal with the new icon for Preview in macOS Tahoe. I guess it's supposed to be a magnifying glass or something? Like one of those monocular glasses that watch makers screw up in their eyes so they can work on tiny parts? Maybe? It looks like a weird beaker and bugs the heck out of me.
October 5, 2025 at 4:44 AM
I can't deal with the new icon for Preview in macOS Tahoe. I guess it's supposed to be a magnifying glass or something? Like one of those monocular glasses that watch makers screw up in their eyes so they can work on tiny parts? Maybe? It looks like a weird beaker and bugs the heck out of me.
About a decade later I wrote a parser for Crash Bandicoot GBA that would convert phonetic romaji into font indexes ("KONNNICHIHA") so that our translators could do their work. You could switch to katakana with the # character. It worked but I felt very sorry for them. We didn't have UTF-8 yet.
October 1, 2025 at 10:41 PM
About a decade later I wrote a parser for Crash Bandicoot GBA that would convert phonetic romaji into font indexes ("KONNNICHIHA") so that our translators could do their work. You could switch to katakana with the # character. It worked but I felt very sorry for them. We didn't have UTF-8 yet.