Dead Secret On The Prairie

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I could hardly see in front of me as a cautiously stepped through the tunnel, the killer likely hot on my trail. In the distance, I saw a light beaming down from above, a possible exit. I approached the light cautiously, peering up towards it. Above me was the opening of a well, and above that was the killer with a mask covering their face. Without any hesitation they were gone, probably off to search for a way to get to me. This is Dead Secret, a mystery based horror game where you take the role of a reporter whose goal is to prove the death of a scientist was truly a murder.

(She might be biting off more than she can chew)

I began the game with the narration of the main character, who along with a broken arm is a reporter desperate for a story to get her away from her home, a small town in Kansas in the year 1965. The death she was investigating was the death of Harris Bullard. It was determined to be of natural causes, but she knew better than to believe that. After the intro concluded I made my way to the home of the deceased, where a crime scene remained vacant and a presence still lurked, watching my every move.

(Who is this Woodcutter character?)

After finding evidence on some of the possible perpetrators as well as on the deceased it quickly became apparent that I wasn’t alone on the property. Trying my best to ignore the feeling of being watched, I searched more and found my way through puzzles that once solved uncovered more secrets. One of these secrets was quite interesting. It turned out that Bullard was being blackmailed before he died. The consequence of not doing what the blackmailer asked unfortunately had already been completed. He was told that unless he did as they said, he would meet a gruesome demise.

(Why did they have to make the mask so creepy?)

Not too long after this discovery, I solved a puzzle which got me a device that Bullard had been working on. It was some sort of headgear that allowed the user to see things that were usually unnoticeable to the human eye. The first thing I saw made me almost jump out of my seat. Right in front of my eyes was the spectral image of a man wearing a Japanese demon mask. I quickly went to remove the mask and upon doing so, he disappeared. I would later find out that this silhouette was there to aid me in my search for the truth. But, until I discovered that every time I saw him I would do my best to avoid him at all costs.

(Don't do that!)

I eventually uncovered enough clues to make my way upstairs to the bedrooms. After searching through them and gaining valuable information I was left with another goal to accomplish. That goal was to find the combination to the safe in Bullard’s room. I was sure that there would be invaluable information inside, so I was desperate to get it unlocked. Just as I was about to head down the stairs I was stopped in my tracks. At the bottom of the stairs was another figure in a Japanese mask. However, this was not a spirit, this was a human being. From the notes, I had gathered up to that point I had identified this mysterious person as someone called, The Woodcutter. It was the person who blackmailed and murdered Bullard.

(Ummm, I think I'll just go back in my room)

Obviously, this Woodcutter character wasn’t very happy about me snooping around trying to discover their identity. So, I decided it was in my best interest to run and hide to prevent an imminent and terrible demise. Unfortunately for me there was only one place between both upstairs rooms that could get you away from the killer. This led me to get jump scared and killed several times before finally finding the only escape, the window. I quickly ran to the window and although my character had a broken arm in a sling, I managed to hop out. This led to my character going unconscious and entering a dream state in a snowy wasteland. At this point I was certain that the attacks by the killer would only get worse and the encounters would only grow more terrifying.

(Please don't check under the bed)

Dead Secret had me hooked from the moment I started playing it. With a killer hunting you and danger at every turn, I was completely immersed in the experience. An interesting thing about Dead Secret is that is formatted for VR as well. I don’t have a VR headset but I believe that the experience would be even more horrifying and immersive if it was played with one. If you enjoy a good story, solving puzzles and a unique experience then I would highly recommend giving this game a try.