Can a video game be best enjoyed when you are not actually playing it?
In short: The Quarry is an interactive horror drama where nine teenage counselors face a night of supernatural terror. With 186 possible endings and a script exceeding 1,000 pages, the game blurs the line between cinema and play, offering a movie mode that lets the story unfold without any player input.
Released in June 2022 by Supermassive Games, The Quarry serves as a spiritual successor to the 2015 title Until Dawn. Drawing heavy inspiration from classic teen slasher and monster films like Friday the 13th, The Thing, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the game functions as a digital homage to horror tropes. Players control nine counselors stranded at a summer camp, where their decisions dictate character relationships, plot progression, and survival. Because every character can die in multiple ways, the narrative branches significantly, resulting in 186 distinct potential conclusions.
The game’s structure is heavily cinematic, divided into ten chapters interspersed with intermissions from a fortune-telling narrator named Eliza. This focus on narrative over traditional gameplay mechanics is intentional. Recognizing that many players enjoyed watching previous Supermassive titles as if they were films, the developers introduced a dedicated Movie mode. This feature allows users to set character personality traits and watch the story play out automatically, effectively turning the game into a playable horror movie. This design choice reflects a broader strategy to appeal to a wider audience, including those who may find complex gameplay systems intimidating.
Despite its success in replicating the tension and drama of horror cinema, the game faced criticism regarding its limited interactivity. Reviewers noted that the walking speed during exploration can feel sluggish and that the camera system occasionally creates awkward perspectives. While the production values, ensemble cast—including actors like David Arquette and Lance Henriksen—and branching storylines were praised, some critics argued that the experience often feels like scripted thrills sandwiched between moments of minimal player agency. Ultimately, The Quarry stands as a paradox: a high-fidelity interactive experience that is frequently at its most compelling when the player puts the controller down and simply watches the horror unfold.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Quarry (video game)
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