A spooky proof of concept
By Paul Hunter
The last few years have seen a proliferation of solo dev horror games powered by Unreal Engine 5 on Steam. The 9th Charnel is the latest psychological survival horror game from a single developer, this one made by Saikat Deb Creations and published by Soedesco. Rather than chasing big-budget spectacle, it focuses on a cult storyline and a handful of unsettling locations.
If you enjoy smaller horror projects and like checking out experimental indie ideas, this one might catch your interest on PC. Let's dive in and see all that The 9th Charnel has to offer!
The story switches between Michael and Jacques, a second protagonist who interacts with his daughter in their family house, while the cult’s history is revealed through cutscenes and conversations. When their paths finally cross, you see how far the cult has gone, using altered human “Charnels” in its search for answers.
It is very clear the developer wanted this to be story-first, with plenty of unskippable scenes and monologues about guilt and forgiveness. Some of the late religious turns felt a bit heavy-handed to me, but even so, I liked how fully it commits to its strange cult tale. I do wish that cutscenes were skippable as there were a couple of times I had to redo sections that forced me to rewatch the same cutscene over again.
Puzzles are they are fairly good, ranging from simple lever problems to more complex tile and logic puzzles that actually made me stop and think for a bit. Finally cracking one of the tile puzzles felt great and gave me the kind of buzz I'd remember getting after beating classic PS1-era Resident Evil or Silent Hill puzzles.
Stealth and combat are quite rougher though. There are often Stalker enemies patrolling routes and they hit hard, sometimes I'd even get stuck in the world geometry while the brutes would beat me down until I died. And if you do manage to escape, medpacks only top you up a small chunk so I was rarely at full health. The AI also gets instant amnesia the moment you slip into a hiding spot with the monster immediately going back to their usual route. It also weirdly takes a while before you finally find a gun, odd pacing given the game's short three-hour runtime. Getting a firearm helps, but only to a degree given that enemies are bullet sponges, and the shooting mechanic overall feels clumsy.
Once NPCs enter the frame, the illusion cracks somewhat as characters have a stiff wooden movements, and for some odd reason the camera loves shoving right up against their mouths during cutscenes. When you are listening to a serious monologue and the character’s expression barely shifts, it is hard not to notice and get kicked out of the mood.
On the audio front, there's not a whole lot to talk about. I barely noticed the light soundtrack during exploration, and enemy sounds frequently cross the line from unsettling into grating. The voice work is fairly uneven, some of it is decent and holds scenes together, while other lines sound closer to a first take in a bedroom mic setup.
Final Score: 5.5/10 - Mediocre
Developer: Saikat Deb Creations
Publisher: Soedesco
Genre: Survival Horror
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
The last few years have seen a proliferation of solo dev horror games powered by Unreal Engine 5 on Steam. The 9th Charnel is the latest psychological survival horror game from a single developer, this one made by Saikat Deb Creations and published by Soedesco. Rather than chasing big-budget spectacle, it focuses on a cult storyline and a handful of unsettling locations.
If you enjoy smaller horror projects and like checking out experimental indie ideas, this one might catch your interest on PC. Let's dive in and see all that The 9th Charnel has to offer!
Story and Narrative
Story is strongest part of The 9th Charnel, which builds its horror around a cult that believes it can reach Godhood through unsettling experimentations. You follow Michael, stranded in a remote area where the group resides, slowly realising the valley and its unfinished city are part of a much bigger plan.The story switches between Michael and Jacques, a second protagonist who interacts with his daughter in their family house, while the cult’s history is revealed through cutscenes and conversations. When their paths finally cross, you see how far the cult has gone, using altered human “Charnels” in its search for answers.
It is very clear the developer wanted this to be story-first, with plenty of unskippable scenes and monologues about guilt and forgiveness. Some of the late religious turns felt a bit heavy-handed to me, but even so, I liked how fully it commits to its strange cult tale. I do wish that cutscenes were skippable as there were a couple of times I had to redo sections that forced me to rewatch the same cutscene over again.
Gameplay and Mechanics
The 9th Charnel goes for an old-school horror vibe where you creep through corridors, hunt for key items, check notes, and solve environmental puzzles, usually while unpleasant monsters patrols nearby. A lot of progress comes from finding switches or keys and unlocking the next path.Puzzles are they are fairly good, ranging from simple lever problems to more complex tile and logic puzzles that actually made me stop and think for a bit. Finally cracking one of the tile puzzles felt great and gave me the kind of buzz I'd remember getting after beating classic PS1-era Resident Evil or Silent Hill puzzles.
Stealth and combat are quite rougher though. There are often Stalker enemies patrolling routes and they hit hard, sometimes I'd even get stuck in the world geometry while the brutes would beat me down until I died. And if you do manage to escape, medpacks only top you up a small chunk so I was rarely at full health. The AI also gets instant amnesia the moment you slip into a hiding spot with the monster immediately going back to their usual route. It also weirdly takes a while before you finally find a gun, odd pacing given the game's short three-hour runtime. Getting a firearm helps, but only to a degree given that enemies are bullet sponges, and the shooting mechanic overall feels clumsy.
Presentation and Audio
Visually, The 9th Charnel looks solid overall on PC. The abandoned buildings and concrete corridors have enough detail that I bought into the idea of a construction project halted mid-way through, and the scattered construction gear helps sell that idea. Small touches like cluttered desks or half-finished rooms further indicate that people were here until things went sour.Once NPCs enter the frame, the illusion cracks somewhat as characters have a stiff wooden movements, and for some odd reason the camera loves shoving right up against their mouths during cutscenes. When you are listening to a serious monologue and the character’s expression barely shifts, it is hard not to notice and get kicked out of the mood.
On the audio front, there's not a whole lot to talk about. I barely noticed the light soundtrack during exploration, and enemy sounds frequently cross the line from unsettling into grating. The voice work is fairly uneven, some of it is decent and holds scenes together, while other lines sound closer to a first take in a bedroom mic setup.
The Verdict
The 9th Charnel ends up as a scrappy horror experiment, but one that's rough around the edges in many places. I liked its focus on cult themes and dual viewpoints, and the puzzles got me thinking on more than a few occasions. Things fall down though when you factor in the stiff animations, sloppy AI, uneven shooting mechanic, and technical issues that all reminded me it is a small low-budget PC project. Still, as a short, story-centric horror game with its own identity, it did enough to keep me invested right through to the credits.Final Score: 5.5/10 - Mediocre
The 9th Charnel details
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PCDeveloper: Saikat Deb Creations
Publisher: Soedesco
Genre: Survival Horror
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.