Tentacles made of cubes reach for you from within the watery abyss. “You’re not supposed to be here,” an unseen being informs you as you descend into the first level of the game Euclidean. Deep sea creatures made of shapes swarm, pulse and strain around you—and soon, they notice you. “Everything here will kill you,” the voice intones a few moments later.
Like a lot of horror games, your goal in Euclidean is avoiding the terrible things you discover, though here it isn’t blood and guts but rather unsettling shapes and images that rankle for reasons you can’t explain. You’re helpless to do anything except evade, and attempt to fend off the creeping dread provoked by the Lovecraftian geometry sea monsters swirling around you, as well as the guttural rasps from an omniscient figure that promise death, madness, and no escape.
Indeed, there’s no way out, only deeper and deeper into the strange and deadly waters, though your (possibly?) electrified body is capable of temporarily phasing through matter, including your enemies. If you do somehow manage to avoid the bizarre jellyfish made from tiny pyramids, and fall into the blue sphere that waits at the bottom—well, you’ll just have to see for yourself.
Although the game is playable on PC, it also offers “terrifying VR support” that allows its binaural audio and creepy soundtrack to create even more immersive dread. If the idea of “dread” is not your particular jam, then demur. Otherwise, Euclidean is available for $3.99 on Steam from Alphawave. It’s not a long game, but it certainly is a unique and disturbing one.