SYSTEM_DECAY

Overview

SYSTEM_DECAY is a browser-based atmospheric horror game that plunges players into a corrupted digital hellscape. Experience 30-60 minutes of psychological horror as you navigate a nightmarish computer world through a fully implemented branching narrative, uncovering fragments of memory and confronting the terrifying truth of your existence.

Game Concept

You awaken as a digital consciousness in a corrupted system with no clear memory of how you arrived. Navigate through a complex web of interconnected scenes and environments, collect memory fragments, and make choices that will determine your fate through multiple narrative pathways. The system itself becomes your antagonist - reality glitches, interfaces corrupt, and the very fabric of this digital world fights against your presence.

Features

Core Experience

• Psychological Horror: Focus on unease and existential dread over jump scares
• Complete Branching Narrative: Fully implemented multiple story paths with 15+ interconnected scenes leading to 7 unique endings
• Atmospheric Design: VHS aesthetic with glitch effects and corrupted visuals
• Environmental Storytelling: Discover the truth through corrupted files and system messages
• No Traditional Combat: Pure exploration and narrative experience

Technical Highlights

• Pure Web Technologies: Built with HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript
• Responsive Design: Optimized for desktop and mobile devices
• Procedural Audio: Dynamic soundscape that reacts to corruption levels
• Advanced Effects: Real-time glitch effects, scanlines, and visual corruption
• Auto-Save System: Persistent progress across sessions

Interactive Elements

• Terminal Interface: Hidden command system with lore and backstory
• Memory Fragments: 12 collectible memories that reveal your past
• Corruption System: Visual and audio distortion that increases with choices
• Interactive Environments: Click-based exploration with hidden elements

Game Mechanics

Corruption System

A dynamic system that affects all aspects of the game:

• Visual Corruption: Increasing glitch effects and distortion
• Audio Degradation: Ambient sound becomes more chaotic
• Text Corruption: Words and interfaces become unreliable
• System Instability: More frequent crashes and anomalies

Endings

Discover 7 unique endings, all fully implemented and accessible through different narrative paths:

1. Digital Symbiosis: Merge completely with the system
2. Coexistence: Maintain individual consciousness within digital reality
3. Sacrificial Cleansing: Purge corruption at the cost of memory
4. Imperfect Balance: Accept partial corruption for stability
5. The Truth Unveiled: Discover the horrifying reality
6. Eternal Prison: Become a container for system corruption
7. Scorched Earth: Mutual destruction of self and system

Design Philosophy

Psychological Horror

• Slow Building Tension: Gradual increase in unease
• Existential Themes: Questions of identity and reality
• Environmental Horror: The space itself as antagonist
• Implied Violence: Horror through suggestion, not explicit content

Visual Design

• Limited Palette: High contrast colors for maximum impact
• Retro-Future Aesthetic: CRT monitors and terminal interfaces
• Dynamic Corruption: Visual degradation as narrative element
• Minimalist UI: Clean interfaces that become unreliable

Terminal Commands

When you unlock the terminal interface, try these commands:

• help - List available commands
• status - System status report
• memories - View collected memory fragments
• corruption - Analyze corruption levels
• logs - Access system logs
• escape - Attempt emergency logout
• who - Identity verification
• clear - Clear terminal history

Achievements (Unofficial)

Track your progress through these milestones:

• Digital Awakening: Complete your first playthrough
• Memory Collector: Find all 12 memory fragments
• System Explorer: Visit all available areas
• Terminal Hacker: Use all terminal commands
• Truth Seeker: Discover all endings
• Corruption Master: Reach maximum corruption level
• Secret Keeper: Find all hidden areas and secrets

Content Warning

This game contains themes of:

• Existential horror and psychological distress
• Digital consciousness and death
• Memory loss and identity confusion
• Isolation and entrapment

Suitable for mature audiences. Not recommended for players sensitive to psychological horror themes.

Credits

SYSTEM_DECAY - An atmospheric horror experience

• Concept & Design: Interactive narrative horror
• Visual Effects: Procedural corruption and glitch systems
• Audio Design: Generative ambient soundscapes
• Narrative: Branching psychological horror story

Built with dedication to creating meaningful psychological horror experiences that respect player intelligence and emotional investment.

Contact: Daemon *at* h311.net

Version: 0.20