Haunted By What You Avoid: A Horror Game That Stares Back
BrokenLore: Don’t Watch isn’t just a game—it’s a psychological mirror. It traps you in a small Tokyo apartment and asks you not to look. Not at the door. Not at the shadows. Not at the thing with too many eyes. But as you explore deeper, the game stops being about jump scares or monsters and becomes something far more unsettling: an introspective descent into social anxiety, guilt, and the mental fallout of isolation.
Created by Saraphini, the same indie team behind BrokenLore: Low, this standalone entry builds on the series’ psychological foundation with a new protagonist, new horrors, and a more refined presentation. It’s short, focused, and razor-sharp with its symbolism—even if some of its gameplay repetition and abstract storytelling may test your patience.
What Is BrokenLore: Don’t Watch?
You play as Shinji, a hikikomori—a socially withdrawn young man shut inside his cluttered, unwashed apartment. One day, he starts receiving strange messages and finds out an old friend has died under suspicious circumstances. From there, the world begins to crack. Eyes appear on walls. TVs whisper things you wish you didn’t hear. And something in the darkness wants you to look at it.
The gameplay takes place in first-person and mixes environmental storytelling, light puzzle-solving, stealth survival mechanics, and symbolic horror. But unlike traditional horror games, this one doesn’t chase you with gore or loud bangs—it gets under your skin through theme, repetition, and its claustrophobic atmosphere.
Gameplay Breakdown: Don’t Look… Or Do?
BrokenLore: Don’t Watch thrives on psychological discomfort. The gameplay loop is deceptively simple but effective:
- Explore and Survive: Navigate your apartment and later dreamlike zones representing beauty, success, education, and family. These spaces evolve visually and emotionally over time.
- Avoid the Entity: A central mechanic is “not looking.” If you stare directly at the lurking entity for too long, it kills you. You’re often forced to cover your eyes or turn away at key moments.
- Destroy the Eyes: Eyes appear on objects, walls, and TVs—constant reminders that Shinji is being watched, judged, and slowly unraveling. Destroying them weakens the entity’s power.
- Unplug the Burdens: Giant televisions appear in surreal dreamscapes, each representing societal expectations—beauty, achievement, marriage, etc. Unplugging them acts as symbolic catharsis.
- Choose Your Ending: Based on your interactions and choices, the game leads to different endings. You can face your fear and leave your prison—or stay locked inside forever.
These systems are tied directly to the narrative, and while not mechanically deep, they serve the emotional weight of the game well.
Visuals: Hyperrealism Meets Retro Surrealism
One of the game’s most striking elements is its art direction. The apartment is grimy, cluttered, and eerily believable, filled with half-eaten food, stacks of manga, and unused electronics. But once Shinji begins slipping into madness, the game shifts—both thematically and visually.
Dream sequences take on a PS1-style lo-fi aesthetic, evoking early horror classics like Silent Hill. This contrast between grounded realism and retro surrealism creates an uncanny atmosphere that feels both nostalgic and deeply wrong.
Lighting is used sparingly and effectively. Environments distort over time, with bleeding walls, crawling shadows, and endless forest mazes, each more abstract than the last.
Audio: Whispered Warnings and Deafening Silence
Sound design in Don’t Watch is subtle but haunting. Ambient silence builds dread. Sudden whispers, footsteps behind you, and corrupted TV broadcasts create unease without overusing jump scares.
The voice acting—only in Japanese—is minimal but immersive, supported by sharp subtitles. Shinji’s voice is quiet and broken, and NPCs speak with a mix of urgency and resignation that enhances the dread.
Music is mostly absent, but when it appears (especially during dream sequences), it strikes hard—blending distorted static, melodic piano, and industrial hums that underscore the game’s themes of decay and inner turmoil.
Narrative Themes: Avoidance Is the Enemy
BrokenLore: Don’t Watch leans heavily on its themes, and it doesn’t hide them.
- Hikikomori Life: Shinji’s shut-in existence is central to the plot. He’s withdrawn, disconnected, and spiraling—his apartment a physical reflection of his mental state.
- Judgment and Shame: The monster isn’t just a monster—it’s a manifestation of societal pressure. The “eyes” represent self-loathing, surveillance culture, and unspoken expectations.
- Escapism vs. Reality: Unplugging symbolic TVs is a metaphor for rejecting societal burdens—but also for rejecting self-awareness. Are you cutting cords to free yourself, or to remain numb?
- Choice and Consequence: The endings are not dramatic—they’re personal. One is a quiet breakthrough; the other, a silent surrender.
The story might feel heavy-handed to some, especially if you’re unfamiliar with hikikomori culture or modern Japanese societal pressure. But for others, it may hit uncomfortably close to home.
🎯 Where BrokenLore: Don’t Watch Stands Out
+ Atmosphere-First Horror That Works
No jump scares needed—this game builds discomfort through setting, sound, and theme.
+ Symbolism with Substance
The eye mechanic, unplugging sequences, and monster design all tie into meaningful real-world issues.
+ Visuals That Shift with the Story
Moving from realistic interiors to nightmarish dreamscapes keeps things visually fresh and thematically potent.
+ Short but Effective Runtime
Clocking in at around 2–3 hours, the game doesn’t overstay its welcome—and offers multiple endings.
+ Part of a Bigger Universe
Post-credits scenes hint at simulation theories and a deeper lore across the BrokenLore series.
🔻 Where It Slips Into the Shadows
– Chase Sequences Lose Tension
Later sections rely on running through forests while avoiding the entity, but they start to feel repetitive.
– Minimal Interactivity
Beyond walking, eye-avoidance, and interaction with objects, there’s little gameplay depth.
– Vague Puzzle Logic
Some progress triggers feel arbitrary, which can frustrate players looking for clear feedback loops.
– Heavy Symbolism, Light Subtlety
If you’re not into metaphor-rich storytelling, the game’s messages might feel too on-the-nose.
– No Real Fail States
Once you understand how the entity behaves, there’s little real threat, which can dull the tension.
BrokenLore: Don’t Watch: BrokenLore: Don’t Watch is a quiet triumph in indie horror. It’s less about monsters in the dark and more about what happens when you stop facing the light. Thoughtful, disturbing, and deeply personal, it captures the horror of isolation in a world that’s always watching. It won’t be for everyone—but for those who want their horror games with substance, symbolism, and a psychological punch, this is a must-play. It’s short. It’s strange. And it might just stay with you longer than any jump scare ever could. – Flare