Red Amazon Is A Free Four-Minute Thriller

Red Amazon [official site] is a lovely little thriller told in only four minutes, made by Bernband creator Tom van den Boogaart. It's wonderfully restrained and a thrill to discover. No, it's not a horror game. No, I don't want to tell you much more. It's free to download so do so, play it, then come back and we'll have a little chat. Good? Good.

Good that, isn't it? Very reserved. It gives you no idea what to expect, so it all comes as a surprise. Yes, I obviously am still writing this as if you haven't played it yet, because I know enough of you fools clearly won't have. For goodness' sake, go play it!

I was mostly expecting a walking simulator, given Tom's past games and the game's intro, so the sound of the shot and the sudden appearance of the car were... most unexpected. The bullets you can collect and the rifle you might find - not to mention that stash of money - suggest that something's about to go down but I was still startled and worried. It summons tension from very little.

Did you catch the chap outside the cabin window, peering in, by the way?

Tom says "you can die/lose/win." I've seen two outcomes but I couldn't tell you which they were - win and die, maybe? I do wonder what that third result is.

Yes, this whole post was written with the aim of minimising spoilers. I know you still haven't played it. That's right, YOU. Gary in Stoke-on-Trent. Come on, man - it's, like, four minutes long and real good. What is wrong with you?