Tales After Dark: Something Upstairs
A downloadable game for Windows
An episodic found-footage horror
A month ago I moved into the cheapest apartment I could find. Divorce. Debt. I just needed somewhere to disappear. The landlady said only one thing: "Don't go near the top floor."
The first week was quiet. Then the footsteps began — every night, at the same time, right above me. But the flat upstairs has been empty for half a year.
I started recording everything on my phone. In case something happens.
Features
- Short story-driven horror (~20–30 min)
- Found-footage / VHS aesthetic inspired
- Fully localized in 5 languages — English, Russian, German, Spanish, French
- A chase you won't forget
- Made by one person
Controls
- WASD — move · Mouse — look
- E / LMB — interact · F — flashlight
- Tab — phone · Shift — run
⚠️ Contains:
- sudden loud noises
- jump scares
- dark themes
⭐️ Enjoyed the game?
If you survived the night, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment below! Every review helps a solo dev out immensely 💖
🐛 Found a Bug?
If you encounter any glitches, performance issues, or bugs, please drop a comment below with a brief description.
Your reports help make the game better for everyone 🛠️
Headphones recommended. Play in the dark.
Twitter/x
💬 Join the Community! Discuss theories, get sneak peeks of upcoming episodes, and report bugs on our Official Discord Server!
If you have problems with the passage, you can watch the video
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- 700+ Downloads & Chapter 2 Development Update! 🚀19 hours ago
- Optimization Update: Bug Fixes, Smooth Performance & Polish!4 days ago
- Thank you for 100 Downloads! 🎉4 days ago
- Update v1.5: Bug Fixes & New Scene Added!5 days ago
- Update v1.4: Bug Fixes & Thank You!10 days ago
- A small update on the stats & Episode 2: Ashwood Hollow is in development!14 days ago
- Update v1.3: New Languages & Bug Fixes! 🌐🐛31 days ago
- Version 1.2 Update: Improvements, Bug Fixes & Atmosphere Polish!33 days ago
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Don't answer the door! Instead, enjoy this no commentary playthrough, then experience the game for yourself and support the creator:
Really enjoyed this game! It had a great VHS aesthetic, a solid eerie build-up, and a genuinely good mystery regarding what was actually happening upstairs. It checked all the boxes for everything I enjoy in a Fears to Fathom type game. I am definitely looking forward to the next installment. Thanks for making fun games!Thanks a lot for the video showcase and for playing! Loved the recording and how you captured the atmosphere. Really appreciate the kind words and the comparison to Fears to Fathom — means a lot! Thanks again for the support
This was nice and short, I liked the fears to fathom elements, and nice to see something different! However, I wish maybe the game could've been a bit longer and maybe slowly discover more of the lore and context rather than have to read 13 notes in 1 diary aha. But I liked the creepy concept of something is going on upstairs.
Question is, was this all a on-going loop, like some sort of hell or was it all really a dream? I hope it wasn't haha.
Here is my video!
Thank you so much for playing and for making a video! Watching gameplay always helps a ton to see what works and what needs improvement.
I really appreciate the constructive feedback regarding the story presentation. Dropping 13 diary pages at once was definitely a bit of a text dump, so for future updates (and the next episode), I'm working on pacing the lore much better through environmental storytelling and gradual discoveries instead!
As for your question about the ending — I love leaving a bit of mystery and theory-crafting for the players, but I can definitely promise you it wasn't just a lazy "it was all a dream" cliché haha.
Thanks again for the support and for sharing your video!
Hi, I played your game. Of course, it wasn’t without its mistakes. The game is great for a start! Special thanks for localizing it into several languages. It wasn’t entirely clear in some moments what was required of me, as the text disappears quickly, and sometimes it doesn’t say at all what needs to be done.
A small request for future projects — add the current goal in the corner of the screen.
I also recorded a video about your game; I didn’t mention it in the video itself, but the game left a good impression. Good luck with the development!
Большое спасибо за игру, за видео и за добрые слова! Очень рад слышать, что игра в целом понравилась и что ты оценил поддержку нескольких языков.
Спасибо, что указал на проблему с слишком быстрым исчезновением текста и не всегда понятной задачей. Идея добавить отображение текущей цели в углу экрана — отличная, я обязательно учту это в обновлениях и будущих проектах, чтобы сделать геймплей более понятным!
Удачи с каналом и ещё раз спасибо за поддержку!
Short but not too shabby!
Solid fears to fathom inspired horror game with a very sinister premise! This game was eerie indeed. Really captures the dread of living under a creepy neighbor. Made a video on it.Thank you so much for playing and creating a video! Comparing the game to Fears to Fathom is a huge compliment — I really wanted to capture that grounded, unsettling dread of a creepy neighbor.
I'm putting even more effort into the atmosphere and narrative tension for Episode 2!
tried playing your game but it wouldnt let me eat the meal when i sat down. i roamed around for 20 minutes. sat in every chair. nothing. was this a bug?
Hey, thanks for giving it a shot! That’s not a bug — the game gives a hint for what to interact with, and it sounds like it might’ve been missed in the moment. Try paying closer attention to the on-screen prompts next time you sit down, that should point you to the right spot. If it’s still not working after that, there’s also a full playthrough on YouTube you can check for reference. Let me know how it goes!
Timestamps included
Thanks so much for including it in the video! Glad it gave you those fears to fathom vibes, that’s exactly what I was going for. Really appreciate you taking the time to check it out!
Thanks for playing and for the full playthrough! Really appreciate it. Mind sharing which bugs you ran into? Would love to fix them for future updates.
Yea so sorry i was in a little rush, i would mainly recommend to make a glowing outline for objectives or something to help steer the player in the right direction, and maybe before it was time to get water or food out of the fridge, to say im not hungry or thirsty rn, like not being able to interact with the front door till it was time, so maybe less bugs i guess and more intuitive gameplay would help for dumb players like myself, but keep up the good work i really enjoyed this one!!🙂
This was pretty cool, atmosphere was great and the scares got me. There was a lot on the notes but it was well written and I enjoyed reading it. Nice job here, dev!
Really glad the atmosphere and scares landed for you! And thanks for actually reading through the notes, glad they added something extra to the experience. Appreciate you playing and the kind words!
Thank you so much for playing the game and featuring it in your video!
You made a really fair point about the 13 notes — I agree that dropping all that lore via text at the end was a bit much, and I'm definitely reworking storytelling in Episode 2 to make it much more environmental and natural!
Glad you enjoyed the atmosphere and concept overall.
Uma premissa interessante. A execução em si não foi das melhores. Porém o jumpscare foi muito bem feito!
Achei que o jogo está vazio de imersão por exemplo.
Thank you for playing and for the honest feedback! Glad you liked the jumpscare! I'm taking all notes on immersion and execution to make the experience much better in Episode 2.
If you have a free moment, please leave a quick rating on the itch.io page — as an indie dev, it really helps me out a lot!
I really enjoyed the game and had a great time with it overall. The atmosphere was probably my favorite part — it was really well done and kept me interested throughout the experience.
The ending felt a little confusing and abrupt to me, especially the chase sequence, but it didn't take away from how much I enjoyed the game as a whole.
It was a very good experience, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what you make next, whether it's more chapters for this game or completely new projects. Great work, and I hope you keep developing games like this!
Thank you so much for such detailed and encouraging feedback! I'm really glad you enjoyed the atmosphere.
I'm taking all the notes regarding the pacing and the ending into account to make the chase sequences and story clearer in Episode 2, which is already in development!
Tales After Dark: Something Upstairs nails the retro indie horror vibe. The sound design and pacing do a fantastic job of building dread without relying solely on cheap jump scares. The house feels genuinely unsettling. Highly recommended for fans of classic lo-fi psychological horror.
Thank you so much! Really glad the atmosphere landed — sound design and pacing are exactly where most of the effort went, so it means a lot that it came through. More episodes are on the way, hope you'll stick around for what's coming next.
I played Tales After Dark: Something Upstairs and was really impressed. The atmosphere is dark and captivating: the creaking floorboards, the dim light, the feeling that someone is watching you — all of this works great for immersion. I liked that the tension isn’t built just on jump scares, but on a growing sense of unease; even simple actions like checking a room feel risky.
The exploration mechanics are well thought out: the items aren’t just there for show — they actually help you progress through the story. There aren’t too many puzzles, so they don’t break the rhythm, but they do make you pay attention to the details. The story isn’t dragged out, and the ending leaves room for reflection — it makes me want to check out the other parts of the series.
Thank you so much for such a detailed and thoughtful review! I'm really glad to hear that the atmosphere and psychological tension worked for you — building suspense without relying heavily on jumpscares was one of my main goals.
Knowing that the exploration and mechanics felt natural makes all the work worth it. Stay tuned, more stories in the Tales After Dark anthology are on the way!
Tales After Dark is a must-play for horror fans. The monochrome art style is stunning, the sound design is incredibly atmospheric, and the writing is top-notch. Each story is gripping, cleverly connected, and genuinely unsettling. No cheap jump scares—just pure, smart storytelling that stays with you.Tales After Dark is a must-play for horror fans. The monochrome art style is stunning, the sound design is incredibly atmospheric, and the writing is top-notch. Each story is gripping, cleverly connected, and genuinely unsettling. No cheap jump scares—just pure, smart storytelling that stays with you.
Thank you so much for such an amazing review! Hearing that the sound design, story, and atmosphere resonated with you means the world to me. (And hey, a review so good you had to say it twice! 😄) Really appreciate your support! 🖤
Really good game! solid story and some pretty good jumpscares. It was just a bit too dark in the chase scene. :D
Thank you so much for playing and for the feedback! Glad you enjoyed the story and the jumpscares! I've actually adjusted the lighting in the latest update to make the chase scene much easier to navigate without losing the atmosphere. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts! 🖤
Thanks for the game! The atmosphere is super creepy - the sounds and silence really get under your skin. Love the minimalist style, it lets my imagination do scary work. Gameplay is simple but keeps you tense, and the short length is perfect. Can't wait for game!
Thank you so much for playing and for the awesome feedback! I spent a lot of time working on the sound design and atmosphere, so hearing that the silence and audio got under your skin means everything to me. Stay tuned for future updates!
Enjoyed this game a lot. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to the next episodes.
Thank you so much! Really glad you enjoyed it. Next episodes are already in the works, stay tuned!
Tales After Dark is a masterclass in psychological horror. What starts as a simple premise quickly spirals into a claustrophobic descent into madness. The developer didn’t just rely on gore; they weaponized the player's own fear against them. The lighting is chef’s kiss—just enough to see the nightmare coming, but not enough to escape it. It’s rare to find a horror game where you genuinely feel unsafe in the pause menu. This is a hidden gem that punches way above its weight. If you’re a fan of getting scared senseless, support this dev immediately.
Thank you so much for this incredible review! Reading this honestly made my day. I put a lot of work into the atmosphere and lighting to make players feel uneasy, so hearing that it landed so well means everything to me. Thanks for playing and supporting the project!
Really atmospheric and spooky indie horror! The VHS cassette filter is amazing and creates a wonderful retro vibe. Sound design and lighting on UE5 are on point. Definitely worth playing if you like short scary games! 10/10
Thanks a lot for playing and for such a wonderful review! Glad to hear the sound design and retro atmosphere worked well for you. Your support means everything to me!
The game is just 10/10. For a new developer, it's generally 100/10. The atmosphere is very scary, and the screamers just screamed me. I advise you to play :)
Thanks a lot for playing and for this awesome review! I spent a lot of time working on the atmosphere, so I'm happy it scared you. Your support motivates me to make the next parts even better! 💀🎬