Slender: The Eight Pages

If there's one figure that has taken the viral world by storm in the past ten years, it most certainly must be the fabled force known only as the "Slender Man." Since his inception in 2009 as a sort-of "mythical figure" that stalks and torments those unlucky enough to encounter him, Slender Man has grown in public awareness at an increasingly exponential rate. He's quickly become one of the key new figures in both popular culture and the world of horror, haunting the nightmares of those who delve into the plethora of Slender Man related media, which now ranges from stories to web-series and even feature films.

And the rise of this figure is for very good reason. He is amongst one of the very few new icons to emerge within the past decade that has been able to capture the imaginations of virtually all who learn of him. He is the embodiment of many of the inherent fears that are common within everyone. His pale, blank face and dark suit are indicative of the concept of death. His inhuman height and the inky tentacles that sprout from his back remind one of inhuman beasts. His abilities of teleportation harken back to the fear of supernatural forces that cannot be contained. And the fact that he is often depicted as stalking and terrorizing children and adolescents remind us of our childhood fears. In many ways, he is sort-of the perfect diabolical monster... He is a symbol of virtually every fear imaginable.

And one of the pieces of media that truly captures all of the fear this figment of terror is capable of is the elegant, simplistic and experimental computer game known as "Slender: The Eight Pages." It's such a fascinating piece of gaming culture. It eschews virtually everything that modern gamers think of when they hear the words "survival horror." It lacks any and all combat. It's localized to a singular open world map. There's no blood, nor gore to speak of. And the only mechanic in the game is simply to walk about, occasionally to stumble onto one of the eight pages you are seeking to collect, while being silently stalked by the dark figure of so much internet lore.

And yet, this limited game-play is part of the reason why it is such an effective experience in horror. It's so unique in that the fear is built solely through the inherent horror of mere suggestion. You could play through an entire round of the game without seeing the Slender Man and still be at the edge of your seat thanks to its expert use of atmosphere and the constant thought at the back of your mind that at any moment, the Slender Man could teleport to you and get you. Mixed in with its dark visuals and perfect use of sound and low, droning, constant music, and you can't help but be fully absorbed into a constant and all-encompassing sense of dread.

Developed by Parsec Productions using the simple Unity game development tool, "Slender" is easily amongst the finest free-to- play horror games available online. Its concept may seem simple... even shallow. But this isn't so much a game about story and character. No, this is an experiment in the terror that can generated through minimalist and suggestive atmosphere and the player's own imagination. While some may find it inherently boring, the fact is, those who go in with an open mind will likely be chilled to the bone. It's beautifully straight-forward goal in collecting eight scattered pages in a dark patch of woods supplies some of the most intense sequences of pure horror that I've seen in a game since classics like "Silent Hill 2" and "Fatal Frame." And even though it may lose its appeal on repeated or constant play-through's, the fact remains... it's so perfectly put together, that even if only once, this is a must-play for any fan of horror.

I give it a near-perfect 9 out of 10.