Dead Format

About

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

Dead Format is a survival horror game set in iconic film eras. It's 1990s Scotland, and your brother has gone missing after becoming obsessed with a mysterious new VHS format. Follow his trail through the tapes and uncover why the government wants to ban "Video Ghastlies".

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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82%

Audience ScoreBased on 113 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and compelling concept of exploring different horror VHS tape worlds with distinct visual styles and thematic atmospheres.
Exceptional attention to detail in art direction, sound design, and live-action VHS-style footage enriches the immersive and nostalgic horror experience.
Puzzles are creative and well-integrated, encouraging exploration and backtracking between tapes, appealing especially to fans of classic survival horror gameplay and horror cinema.

The stalker enemy introduced midway becomes a repetitive and frustrating gameplay element, often hindering pacing by forcing slow stealth sections and frequent hiding with no way to combat or evade effectively.
Limited inventory space combined with a singular save point located only in the apartment leads to excessive backtracking and loss of progress upon death, negatively impacting gameplay flow.
The story and ending feel abrupt and underdeveloped, leaving narrative threads unresolved and resulting in a less satisfying conclusion despite strong world-building and atmosphere.

gameplay
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
69%
13%
The gameplay offers a mix of classic survival horror elements with intriguing mechanics like switching between VHS tapes and puzzle-solving, but it often feels tedious and repetitive due to excessive backtracking and a relentless stalker enemy. While the atmosphere and creative presentation are praised, many find the core gameplay loop lacking depth and polish, with pacing and enemy design detracting from overall enjoyment. Fans of the genre may appreciate its ideas and artistic direction, but gameplay flaws limit its appeal.
- “The creepy atmospheres, the various puzzles that require you to go from one area to the next to be introduced to new game mechanics; that was my favorite thing about this game.”
- “This game more so leans into the 'progress through area A, get stopped, progress through area B, get stopped and collect an item that lets you go back to progressing area A, etc.' However, the gameplay gimmick of traveling into different VHS tapes makes this style of gameplay feel nice.”
- “The gameplay has a good balance between puzzles, exploration, and combat - though the combat is not really a highlight.”
- “Just finished the game, and it only took me 3 hours to beat, and it was one of the most tedious 3 hours of gameplay I've sat through in a long time.”
- “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), monster shows up, you hide somewhere and wait 60-90 seconds, and then monster leaves, and repeat.”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
36%
8%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their stunning visuals, impressive atmospheric design, and authentic VHS-inspired retro horror aesthetic, which effectively enhances the unsettling mood. While some note occasional technical roughness and dated animations, these are often seen as intentional stylistic choices that contribute to its unique artistic appeal. Overall, the graphics stand out as a major strength, especially for fans of analog horror and vintage film styles.
- “Above all, the graphics and atmospheres were stunning.”
- “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.”
- “Enemy animations are something you'd expect from a game made 20 years ago.”
- “All the creative choices for setting and visuals are buried under unclear goals and progression requirements stalling out player progress.”
- “Visuals were crazy.”
story
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The story offers an intriguing premise centered on the protagonist's search for his brother, with strong 80s horror influences and atmospheric storytelling mainly through notes and environmental clues. However, many find the narrative underdeveloped, with a weak, abrupt ending and unresolved plotlines that make the overall story feel incomplete or half-baked. Despite these flaws, the atmosphere and thematic elements keep some players engaged, especially horror enthusiasts.
- “In the end, the experience and the story of it all is really worth it, especially for horror movie buffs.”
- “I enjoyed the story all the way through and was not able to predict the turns in the plot.”
- “Solid story, great atmosphere, and music that fits perfectly, smooth performance.”
- “I get the plot here with this whole government coverup, but the ending feels abrupt and a big nothing. The brother and secret organization plot kind of just doesn't get resolved really. It feels like this game is only half complete and released as is.”
- “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.”
- “Then the larger story itself comes to a screeching halt within 5 minutes.”
- “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.”
- “- The story, while feeling a bit underdeveloped to me, definitely played up to those 80s horror movie vibes.”
atmosphere
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
31%
9%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its strong, immersive, and tense horror ambiance, with standout visuals, sound design, and thematic consistency that effectively build suspense without relying heavily on jump scares. Many highlight the varied, artful level design and nostalgic aesthetic influences that enhance the experience, though a few note that gameplay elements can detract slightly. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a major strength, often described as thick, unsettling, and integral to the game's identity.
- “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.”
- “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, which keeps my attention.”
- “Having grown up in the 90s, I can say with confidence that the art direction is spot on; the atmosphere is so thick it's palpable.”
- “Most offensively, it's boring, with no scares, no atmosphere, and you end up backtracking through bland, shallow levels again for more weak puzzles.”
- “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.”
- “Good use of sound which not only sets the atmosphere but also presents environmental clues which never leaves puzzles overtly hard (possibly too simple at times or already know where things are leading).”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is consistently praised for effectively enhancing the atmosphere and tone, with compositions that complement the visuals and story well. While not groundbreaking, the soundtrack and sound design are considered exceptional and integral to the overall immersive experience.
- “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.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is often described as tedious and repetitive, with slow pacing and frequent backtracking that can drag down the experience. However, some players find the challenge ultimately fair and the overall reward worthwhile despite the monotony. Improvements to reduce downtime or speed up certain segments could enhance enjoyment.
- “Just finished the game, and it only took me 3 hours to beat, and it was one of the most tedious 3 hours of gameplay I've sat through in a long time.”
- “These encounters are largely identical, tedious and lacking difficulty.”
- “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+ mins of very slow backtracking.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
The game performs well on high-end systems with features like DLSS aiding 4K playability, but remains demanding and could benefit from further optimization. While generally smooth with occasional shader loading and minor lag spikes, some users report frame drops, screen tearing, and rare crashes. Overall, performance is solid but improvements are expected in future updates.
- “Performance wise it ran great on my PC (5800X3D, RTX 5080 + 32GB DDR4 @ 3733MHz). I used DLSS upscaling set to 58% @4K and unlocked the frame limiter.”
- “Performance is playable on mid-range hardware.”
- “Other than some lag spikes loading the tapes, performance during the rest of the game was good and only had to render the shaders once as indicated.”
- “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 need some optimization but that will come with new updates.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is underwhelming, lacking impactful moments or character development, and feels incomplete. Some minor technical issues further detract from the experience, making it less engaging compared to other games.
- “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.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is largely driven by its cheesy b-movie VHS clips and blend of funny yet creepy live-action effects, creating a unique and entertaining atmosphere. However, some players find the storytelling tone inconsistent, unsure if it aims for humor or seriousness. Overall, the humor contributes positively to the game's distinctive vibe.
- “The atmosphere and horror were very good, the cheesy B-movie VHS clips were as hilarious as they were driving the plot.”
- “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 use of visual storytelling is phenomenal.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game runs smoothly and stably, delivering an impressive and realistic graphical experience without performance issues.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Replayability is suggested by hints of alternate endings, encouraging multiple playthroughs despite the ending feeling somewhat abrupt.