Slender: The Eight Pages is an indie game based on the Slender Man mythology. The premise is simple: walk around a forest at night, using a flashlight to find eight pages with drawings of Slender Man on them. As you collect these pages, Slender will chase you down.
When Slender Man stalks you, he teleports into the camera’s view and causes the camera to lose “sanity” every time you look at him. This loss of sanity is represented by static and distortion appearing on the screen. The game ends when the player loses all sanity and is replaced with a static-covered close-up of Slender Man.
Meet the Famous Slender Man
Slender: The Eight Pages introduces a few mechanics that help to keep it tense and scary. For example, you must collect all eight pages before the Slender Man appears. He will then come out and attack you.
He is a tall, white, faceless humanoid who appears to be watching you. He moves silently, but his movements are noticeable because the static fills up your screen when he’s in view. If you don’t move when he comes out of the woods, he will teleport after you and kill you instantly.
Having a character constantly watching you adds extra tension to the game and allows you to avoid falling into any traps that could make it easy for the Slender Man to kill you. This is especially important in the first level, requiring you to collect eight pages while chased by the Slender Man. This can be a lot of fun but can also become frustrating since you can’t stop taking in the scenery.
Another thing to note is that Slender will re-appear whenever you look back at him, so you should be aware of his presence. You can hear very soft static if he is nearby, but it won’t appear on the screen unless he’s right on you.
You are More Hunted Down After Every Page
The gameplay in Slender: The Eight Pages is basically survival horror. You’re hunted down and hunted down some more as you try to collect eight pages before Slender Man catches you. The pages are nailed to various items throughout the dark woods. When you collect them, you’ll hear noises and see visual distortions that alert you to Slender’s presence. As you collect more pages, Slender will become harder to avoid, and you’ll have a shorter window of time to escape.
However, if you fail to collect all eight pages, Slender will be able to kill you and give you a game over. This is an interesting way of adding tension to the game and collecting all the pages is a good idea.
You’re stuck in a dark forest with only a flashlight and have no weapons or defenses. As you’re running through the forest, a lone entity watches silently in the distance edging closer and closer to your position. The only thing you can do is keep moving, which becomes more difficult as you add more pages to your inventory.
The Graphics are Good Enough, but You are Given Limited Controls
Slender: The Eight Pages graphics could be more spectacular, but they fit the creepy setting well. Unlike most games, you’re not given a lot of options for moving around the environment. Instead, you’re limited to a flashlight and camera zoom.
As you progress, more threatening noises begin to play, and a booming sound begins to emit from the distance as Slender Man gets closer and closer to your location. It’s a paranoia-inducing experience that’s only amplified by the thought that Slender Man could teleport to you at any moment.
