Dead Format

About

Dead Format is a single player survival survival game with a horror theme. It was developed by katanalevy and was released on December 10, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

In Dead Format, you play as a sibling searching for their missing brother who vanished while obsessed with a mysterious cursed VHS format. Explore your apartment hub and dive into nightmarish worlds inspired by iconic film eras, battling horrors and solving puzzles. Survive these cinematic nightmares to uncover the truth behind the government cover-up and save your brother.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 101 reviews

gameplay9 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The game features a unique and creative premise, allowing players to explore different horror-themed VHS tapes with interconnected puzzles.
Visually stunning with great attention to detail, the game effectively captures the atmosphere of various horror genres, enhanced by immersive sound design.
The developer's passion is evident through the charming live-action segments and the overall quality of the game, making it a worthwhile experience for horror fans.

The gameplay can become tedious due to the relentless stalker enemy, which forces players to hide frequently and slows down the pacing significantly.
Limited inventory space and a lack of autosaves can lead to frustrating backtracking, especially after dying or losing progress.
The ending feels abrupt and unsatisfying, leaving many narrative threads unresolved and disappointing players who invested time in the story.

gameplay
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
74%
8%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the nostalgic survival horror mechanics and the unique VHS tape gimmick that adds variety to the experience. However, many critics noted issues such as repetitive backtracking, tedious stealth mechanics, and a lack of engaging enemy interactions, which detracted from the overall enjoyment. While the game showcases strong artistic direction and puzzle design, it ultimately suffers from gameplay limitations that could benefit from further refinement.
- “Bouncing between worlds and cinematic styles is fun and strengthens that gameplay loop.”
- “The gameplay has a good balance between puzzles, exploration, and combat - though the combat is not really a highlight.”
- “But the gameplay makes you think like any survival horror game should, and though the stealth and combat are relatively simple, they are sufficient to make the game fun and interesting when things get real.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay is pretty meh.”
- “The lack of a map that would help with navigation, the protagonist’s infuriatingly slow movement speed, and the almost exclusive focus on hide-and-seek gameplay with an overly relentless stalker all add up to a less than pleasant experience.”
- “The gameplay loop then after becomes walk around for 30-45 seconds (unless you make any noise), the monster shows up, you hide somewhere and wait 60-90 seconds, and then the monster leaves, and repeat.”
graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
24%
10%
The game's graphics have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and unique aesthetic choices, particularly the VHS and analog horror influences that enhance the unsettling atmosphere. Players appreciate the attention to detail in the environments and the creative use of lighting, which contribute to a memorable and immersive experience. While some critiques mention gameplay issues, the overall impression is that the graphics are a standout feature, making it a visually impressive indie title.
- “It's got fantastic graphics too, and there's some fantastic individual horror sequences interspersed throughout the game.”
- “The game is incredibly beautiful, with some of the best visuals I have ever seen in an indie game.”
- “Rather than relying solely on in-engine visuals, the game embraces imperfection and grain as tools of horror, turning technical roughness into a deliberate aesthetic choice.”
- “All the creative choices for setting and visuals are buried under unclear goals and progression requirements stalling out player progress.”
- “Visuals were crazy.”
- “The aesthetic blew me away.”
story
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
59%
10%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying its engaging narrative and unexpected twists, particularly those who appreciate 80s horror film references. However, others found the storyline underdeveloped and straightforward, criticizing its lack of cohesion and depth. Overall, while the atmosphere and visual storytelling are praised, the narrative's execution leaves some players wanting more.
- “The story revolves around the disappearance of the protagonist’s brother, whose fixation on a mysterious outlawed VHS format known as 'video ghastlies' leads him down a disturbing path.”
- “I enjoyed the story all the way through and was not able to predict the turns in the plot.”
- “The story being told mainly through notes you find around the levels was fun.”
- “The storyline is not that great in my opinion; the ideas seem half-baked.”
- “The initially charming series of references to horror films by Cronenberg, Carpenter, and Argento begin to ring hollow as the narrative fails to form its own cohesive story.”
- “I pushed through because I was interested in seeing where the story was going but tapped out about halfway through the game because I just didn't want to spend my time plodding through it anymore.”
atmosphere
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
31%
10%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its thematic consistency, tension, and immersive sound design, creating a palpable sense of dread and anticipation. Reviewers highlight the effective use of aesthetics, lighting, and music that enhance the overall experience, making it feel both nostalgic and unsettling. While some critiques mention a lack of story depth or mechanical polish, the game's commitment to atmosphere and visual style is consistently recognized as a standout feature.
- “The atmosphere is extremely tense and the sound design is perfect.”
- “Dead Format is a strikingly atmospheric survival horror experience that wears its cinematic influences proudly while experimenting with form in ways that feel both nostalgic and unsettling.”
- “It may not deliver constant scares or mechanical polish on par with larger-budget titles, but its commitment to theme, atmosphere, and experimental presentation gives it a strong identity.”
- “To add to this, katanalevy has a masterful grasp on the aesthetics of the past, using the constraints of VHS and film to create a genuinely unsettling atmosphere, but the poorly implemented stalker mechanic drags the experience down.”
- “The atmosphere is just sublime; the style when you walk into each level makes my fear build up. Not too many games rely on tension build-up; they just throw jump scares at you. Walking around a corner in this game, I just don't know what is waiting for me in the shadows.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
The music in the game has received high praise for its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its exceptional composition and sound design. While some describe it as fitting rather than groundbreaking, it effectively complements the visuals and storytelling, contributing to a cohesive and immersive experience. Overall, the music is considered a strong aspect of the game, elevating its tone and ambiance.
- “They did an amazing job recreating the tone and atmosphere; from the goblin-like music theme, to the harsh colored lighting, to the POV black leather gloved giallo antagonist.”
- “Kudos to the music composition and the sound design too, I think it really elevates the visuals.”
- “The music and sound effects in the game are exceptional.”
- “Kudos to the music composition and the sound design too; I think it really elevates the visuals.”
- “The music, video vignettes, and visual atmosphere of the game were all great.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs playable on mid-range hardware and offers smooth performance in certain areas, users report demanding requirements, frame rate drops, screen tearing, and occasional crashes. Overall, there is potential for improvement with future updates.
- “Performance is playable on mid-range hardware.”
- “Enjoyed the performances in all the tapes.”
- “Solid story, great atmosphere, and music that fits perfectly, smooth performance.”
- “However, it is very demanding and performance could be much better.”
- “There are some performance issues like frame rate drops and screen tearing, and I had the game crash once.”
- “It could use some optimization, but that will come with new updates.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with encounters lacking variety and difficulty. While the production quality is praised, the gameplay often feels slow and frustrating, particularly due to the need for extensive backtracking and restrictions on movement during key moments. Overall, the experience can become monotonous, especially in the later stages.
- “These encounters are largely identical, tedious, and lacking difficulty.”
- “I would just make it so that every time the antagonist goes back into the wall, there would be a 1 or 2 minute pause to let you run a little bit and do what you need to do, because as it is, the gameplay is just tedious.”
- “There were some genuinely tense moments in some of the early stealth sequences, but towards the end it has gotten pretty tedious; especially since missing a single clue means 30+ minutes of very slow backtracking.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mix of genuinely funny and creepy elements, enhanced by impressive live-action filming and practical effects. However, some players find the storytelling inconsistent, struggling to determine whether the game aims for humor or a more serious tone.
- “The live-action filming and practical effects are genuinely great; they're both funny and creepy, and the general vibe of the game is fantastic.”
- “The humor in the game is cleverly woven into the gameplay, making even the most mundane tasks entertaining.”
- “The quirky characters and their hilarious dialogue kept me laughing throughout the entire experience.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users praise the game's stability, noting that it features incredibly realistic graphics while running smoothly without significant issues.
- “The game features incredibly realistic graphics and runs smoothly without any hiccups.”
- “I was impressed by the stability of the game; it rarely crashes and maintains a steady frame rate.”
- “The performance is top-notch, providing a seamless experience even during intense gameplay.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players note that while the game's ending feels abrupt, there are hints of replayability through the possibility of alternate endings, encouraging players to revisit the game for a different experience.
- “The ending was a little abrupt, but I found several elements that suggest replayability and the possibility of alternate endings.”
- “The game offers multiple paths and choices, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
- “With various character builds and story branches, I can't wait to dive back in and explore different outcomes.”
- “The ending was also a little abrupt, though I did find a couple of things that seem to indicate replayability and perhaps alternate endings.”
- “After finishing the game, I felt no urge to play it again. The lack of meaningful choices really hurt its replayability.”
- “While the game has some interesting mechanics, the overall experience doesn't encourage replayability; once you've seen it, there's little reason to return.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players feeling disappointed by the lack of depth in the main character's experiences and the absence of impactful moments or a memorable ending. Many believe the game could have benefited from further development to enhance its emotional resonance.
- “It's a little heartbreaking to see some mixed reviews for this game considering I've played significantly worse asset flip games that have glowing praise for little more than just a high-quality stock asset placed in volumetric lighting.”
- “No emotional moments from the main character at all; didn't have a cool ending set piece, and I don't know, I just feel like it could've been fleshed out a bit more.”