Fears to Fathom is a horror franchise centered on a series of episodic anthology-style psychological horror video games created and published by Indian game developer Mukul Negi (under the pseudonym Rayll).
| Fears to Fathom | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genres | |
| Developer | Mukul Negi |
| Publisher | RayllStudios |
| Composer | Nathan Hall |
| Platforms | |
| First release | Fears to Fathom: Home Alone 2 July 2021 |
| Latest release | Fears to Fathom: Scratch Creek 10 June, 2026 |
| Spin-offs | Fears to Fathom [Together][1] |
The first six main installments in the series (Home Alone, Norwood Hitchhike, Carson House, Ironbark Lookout, Woodbury Getaway, and Scratch Creek) were developed between 2021 and 2026 by Rayll Studios, an independent development studio founded by Negi, and received generally positive reviews.
Overview
editMain series
editHome Alone (2021)
editThe first installment in the series follows a 14-year-old boy named Miles, who is home alone while his parents are out of town for work.[2]
Norwood Hitchhike (2022)
editThe second installment in the series follows Holly Gardner as she drives on the interstate towards the Norwood Valley. However, she comes up on several unexpected problems and is forced to stay at a nearby motel.[3]
Carson House (2023)
edit| 2021 | Fears to Fathom: Home Alone |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Fears to Fathom: Norwood Hitchhike |
| 2023 | Fears to Fathom: Carson House |
| Fears to Fathom: Ironbark Lookout | |
| 2024 | Fears to Fathom: Woodbury Getaway |
| 2025 | |
| 2026 | Fears to Fathom: Scratch Creek |
The third installment in the series follows a young man named Noah Baker as he becomes caught in a conflict while house-sitting for a media personality.[4]
Ironbark Lookout (2023)
editThe fourth installment in the series follows a fire lookout named Jack Nelson, who is transferred to Ironbark State Park in Washington. However, something abnormal is happening inside the park.[5]
Woodbury Getaway (2024)
editFears to Fathom [Together]
editScratch Creek (2026)
editThe sixth installment in the series follows Tessa Langley and Marcus Reed, a young couple from Oregon whose road trip takes an unexpected detour into the eerie town of Scratch Creek. After their car breaks down, the couple must navigate the decrepit town and make the right choices to survive its hidden horrors.[7][8] Scratch Creek was the first co-op game in the series.[1]
Development
editConcept and influences
editDevelopment for Fears to Fathom began around July 2021 with the creation of its first installment, Fears to Fathom: Home Alone.[1][9] Indian developer Mukul Negi had revealed to IGN India that while working as a solo game developer, he had one "major challenge", which was dealing with a lack of personal motivation while creating the Fears to Fathom. Negi also revealed his struggles during the making of the game, and how he almost gave up on releasing the franchise's first episode. He highlighted that he realized game developers are never really "a good judge of their own games".[10] Negi published the game under his game development studio, RayllStudios, which consisted of him and the Fears to Fathom's composer, Nathan Hall. He would also announce a co-op video game titled Fears to Fathom Together. Negi said that as new episodes came out, visual, gameplay and graphic designs would gradually improve.[10] The Fears to Fathom episodes are known to draw influence from real survival experiences submitted by its players.[11] The story of the second installment, Fears to Fathom: Norwood Hitchhike,[12] was also conceived by Negi, and centers on a 19-year-old girl that experiences abnormalities while driving down the interstate to Norwood Valley. The Fears to Fathom soundtracks featured songs scored by composer Nathan Hall; includes music in the downtempo and chill-hop genres.
Reception and legacy
editThe Fears to Fathom franchise has been generally positive reviews and praised for how it based its game off of the real-life survival stories of players,[11] while other critics had criticized the game's pacing.[13] Ariel Chloe Mann at GamerGrin wrote that Fears to Fathom: Carson House was a "pretty cool mystery" and wasn't "very boring" as the narrative progressed.[13] While The Lineup's Michael J. Seidlinger said that it was "how effectively the game portrays [...] real-world survival stories" that made it "such a scary experience".[11]
Fears to Fathom was cited as an influence for the 2024 stealth horror game, Christmas Mutilator.[14]
References
edit- 1 2 3 Peterson, Kaitlyn (13 June 2026). "Every Major Decision And Secret Ending In Fears To Fathom: Scratch Creek". TheGamer. Retrieved 13 June 2026. Cite error: The named reference ":1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ↑ Shepard, Kenneth (18 September 2021). "Fears to Fathom: Home Alone". Kotaku. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ Zwiezen, Zack (6 January 2022). "Fears to Fathom: Norwood Hitchhike". Kotaku. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "Fears to Fathom: Carson House". Kotaku. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "Fears to Fathom - Ironbark Lookout". IGN. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
- ↑ "Fears to Fathom: Woodbury Getaway". Kotaku. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ "Fears to Fathom® - Scratch Creek". Steam. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ "Fears to Fathom: Scratch Creek". Kotaku. 10 June 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "Fears to Fathom - Home Alone". IGN India. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Games Made in India: Rayll Studios Founder Talks About Fears to Fathom, the Hit Horror Video Game". IGN India. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 Seidlinger, Michael (12 April 2022). "8 of the Scariest Video Games No One Has Ever Heard Of". The Lineup. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
- ↑ C, Anna (17 January 2022). "Fears to Fathom Showcases Terrifying Real-Life Horror Stories". GameRant. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
- 1 2 Mann, Ariel Chloe (17 July 2023). "Fears to Fathom: Carson House Review". GameGrin. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
- ↑ Wilson, Mike (10 December 2024). "Stealth Horror Game 'Christmas Mutilator' Coming to Steam on December 20". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 28 May 2026.