Find the pages before he finds you
Time is running out! And so is your flashlight battery. Can you survive the night?
Dare you wander in the dark?
Don’t give in to your fear in this first-person survival horror game.
They say you can summon a Slenderman in real life by heading to the woods at night, carving a circle in a tree, and placing an “x” through it. Lay your face against the tree with your eyes closed. Chant: “Slenderman, Slenderman all the children try to run, Slenderman, Slenderman, to him it’s part of the fun, Slenderman, Slenderman, dressed in dark his suit and tie, Slenderman, Slenderman, you most certainly will die.” Or, save the creepy trip to the woods, and download Slender: the Eight Pages first-person survival horror game instead.
Slenderman doesn’t have a generations-old backlog of sightings and stories. This being began as an Internet rumor and grew from there. This mythical creature is “reported” as ranging from six to sixteen feet tall. You would also know him for his lack of a face. His pale, white face is smooth. He wears a black or gray suit, with a snappy red or black bowtie, and a plain white shirt that fits over his extra long arms. Clothe him in a brighter color, ditch the pale skin, and he’d resemble a wacky waving inflatable tube man, sans the enthusiasm. At least he’s a well-dressed supernatural creature. Slenderman's hands and fingers are long -- perfect for grabbing his next victim.
Slender: the Eight Pages, builds on this character. Your goal is to find pages ripped from a story about Slenderman. It won’t be easy. Whoever sees Slenderman suffers paranoia and memory loss. Yes, including you. It goes without saying that you should avoid contact with him. Spoiler alert: After you find a page or two, you are going to see him.
Slender: The Eight Pages. Slender: The Eight Pages is a free indie-developed psychological horror/survival horror video game for Microsoft Windows and OS X. The game is based on the Something Awful forums' creation, Slender Man. The goal of the game is to find a total of eight pages hidden on 8 of the 10 major landmarks in the forest. The 4 themes songs of the Slender's Game, the 1 st- 2nd page, 3rd - 4th pages, 5th - 6th pages and the ultimate 7th pages of the game. Slender: The Eight Pages, formerly known as Slender is a free experimental game developed by Parsec Productions. It was released as a beta in June 2012 for Windows and Mac OS X. The 4 themes songs of the Slender's Game, the 1 st- 2nd page, 3rd - 4th pages, 5th - 6th pages and the ultimate 7th pages of the game.
Can you handle the darkness?
Avoiding contact with Slenderman is impossible. Legend states that those who know more about Slenderman, end up becoming hunted by Slenderman. These experts say that becoming a Slenderman expert results in getting noticed by Slenderman (and not in a good way). After you find that first page, the second, and so on, you will become the object of his obsession -- in a total “I want to kill you” sort of way. There isn’t much more to the story.
Who is the main character? Why does this person want to collect these pages, and how do they even know about the pages to begin with? Why are these pages so important someone would go outside at night, you know, the only time Slenderman is around and able to strike his victims? Alas, no one will ever know, but will die trying.
The title screen is brilliant, with a title reveal and fade out hinting at the darkness ahead. The scene opens with a view of trees and a night sky. The stars look fantastic but there is no time for gawking. You have pages to find. You can move anywhere in the Slenderman world. A fence surrounds the perimeter to keep you on track. You can’t wander too far. Still, there are plenty of places to roam. Flip off your flashlight and try to find the paths in the darkness. Or don’t. You can make your own way.
Why can’t you use your flashlight? You only have so much battery power. If you use it up, you won’t gain more. That light is the best way to find the pages you need and also lets him see you. Sorry, you don’t have any real defense against Slenderman. You can walk away. That’s all there is. This game doesn’t include any form of treasure hunting other than those eight pages. You can’t find more batteries while wandering around the woods. There aren’t any talismans against Slenderman. No headlamps or electric lanterns. No NPCs around to help you out.
As you wander the woods, you will hear the sound of your footsteps crunching on gravel, crickets chirping, and the wind in the trees. The trees cast scary long shadows on the ground. Keep walking. And walking. Still walking? Yeah, keep doing that. Slenderman is nothing, if not repetitive. Everything changes after one of your page grabs. When Slenderman appears, your camera will turn to static. You will see glimpses of Slenderman. This random approach is terror-invoking.
How should you play this game? Go, grab your laptop, grab a pair of earbuds or headphones, and plug it in. This game is best served shaken, not served, in near darkness.
Where can you run this program?
Slender operates on Windows and Mac. It runs on Windows 7 and higher.
Is there a better alternative?
Slender: the Eight Pages is often referenced as inspiration for other game developers. The style of play changed the way people looked at games. Still, there are other options if you enjoy the horror genre.
If fumbling in the dark with a candle and matches is your idea of a good time, try Wick by Hellbent Games. Unlike this game, Wick offers a full storyline in the horror genre with tons more jump-scares. You have to get through the darkness by candle, while searching for more candles, and battling ghosts along the way. Run out of candles and succumb to your fear. Wick is on par with Slenderman in terms of graphics and sound, though Wick offers a developed story and in-game collectibles.
Penumbra: Black Plague also involves darkness and a strong storyline. Taking a cue from Slenderman, this game relies on puzzle-solving, not gun-play. Instead of a forest, you’ll stumble around an underground research base. These games each have something to add so there is no definitive 'better' in this case.
Our take
Slender: The Eight Pages lives up to its promise of providing a great scare. You will jump. The music and sound effects will send a chill up your spine. It’s a great dive in and play game, but it won’t be something you play for hours and that’s okay.
Should I download it?
Yes, if you enjoy creepy, nighttime horror games. The urban legend states he only appears to kids and teenagers. If you want to see Slenderman, and you are above the age of eighteen, this game is your only option.
Highs
- Creepy game fulfills horror genre promise
- Full-screen or windowed game play
- Simple controls
Lows
- Movement can be tricky
- Slow-paced
- Is it possible to win?
Slender: The Eight Pagesfor Windows
0.9.7
| Slender: The Eight Pages | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Parsec Productions |
| Publisher(s) | Parsec Productions |
| Director(s) | Mark J. Hadley |
| Designer(s) | Mark J. Hadley |
| Programmer(s) | Mark J. Hadley |
| Artist(s) | Pau Cano |
| Composer(s) | Marino |
| Series | |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, OS X |
| Release | June 26, 2012 |
| Genre(s) | Survival horror |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Slender: The Eight Pages (formerly called Slender) is a free-to-playindie-developed first-personsurvival horrorvideo game released in June 2012 as a beta for Microsoft Windows and OS X by Parsec Productions, using the Unity engine. Developed by Mark J. Hadley, the game is based on the quasi-folklorememe figure known as the Slender Man, who is depicted as a tall humanoid creature wearing a black suit and tie with a white face and no facial features. The character is known for the ominous (although fictitious) abduction of countless children in dark mysterious settings, such as deep forests and abandoned buildings.
Gameplay[edit]
Slender: The Eight Pages is set in a forest during the middle of the night, and is played from a first person perspective. The player's objective is to collect all eight notes located in various areas of the forest while avoiding the Slender Man. As the player collects pages, the fog in the forest grows thicker, and Slender Man appears closer to the player's character, though the character's sprinting speed slowly increases as well. Slender Man moves by teleporting, creeping around the player, but only from a certain distance. The player is equipped with only a flashlight to see through the dark (its battery life is limited and will eventually shut down permanently if left on for an extended period of time). The player's character has the ability to 'jog', which will eventually tire out the player and make them wheeze if forced to go on for too long, causing slower walking as well. Slender Man will occasionally appear in the player's field of vision, accompanied by a loud slamming noise and/or static on the screen. This then allows the ability to 'sprint' to become available to the player. 'Sprinting' allows the player to move faster than 'jogging' does, but will also decrease the maximum stamina available for 'jogging' and 'sprinting'. A game over occurs when either the player has taken too long to find a note, the player stares at Slender Man for too long, or if Slender Man comes into contact with the player, which will turn them around and end the game. The game over screen shows Slender Man's face up close and blinking static pulses.[1]
Game modes[edit]
In Version 0.9.4 there is a 'Daytime Mode' that can be unlocked. To unlock this mode, the player must beat the game on 'Normal', in which the ending shows the player's character awakens in the daytime after collecting all eight pages and being caught by Slender Man.[2] After waking up, the player can walk around in the daytime for a few seconds before the credits roll. 'Daytime Mode' is simply during the day and without a flashlight. If the player beats 'Daytime Mode' the ending will be the same as before, only the player wakes up at night. After the credits roll, the player will have unlocked '$20 Mode'. In this mode, the gameplay is the same as 'Normal Mode', except that if the player sees Slender Man a song called '20 Dollars' by Americanrap artist Ron Browz starts playing. This is a reference to a fan-originated meme about Slender Man, stating that if a person gives Slender Man $20, he will leave the person alone. This is the only version in which the Player selects these modes in the 'Options' portion of the menu screen, and this is also the only version in which two hidden modes can be played at the same time ('Daytime Mode' and '$20 Mode'). There is also an 'MH (Marble Hornets) Mode', viewing the gameplay as a 'Marble Hornets' entry. The creepy sounds and page collector have been removed, there are static bars on the edges, and the ending is slightly different. The '$20 Mode' has been absent since version 0.9.7; The accompanying readme advises 'One game mode removed - it was only a matter of time as it contained copyrighted material', referring to the Browz track that's used in that mode.
Changes from versions[edit]
The game was first released in version 0.9.0 as Slender. Originally, when the player would be caught by the Slender Man, the game would quit and return to the desktop. It remained this way until version 0.9.3 (the third update), and the player now has the option to either try again or to quit. From version 0.9.7 on, there is an ambiance during the menu screen, as well as portions of the eight pages being shown. There are also now links to the Slender Man Mythos Forums and some popular web series based on the Mythos such as the Marble Hornets and the TribeTwelve. As of this version, the game was officially renamed Slender: The Eight Pages to avoid confusion with its sequel, Slender: The Arrival. '$20 Mode' was also removed from this version due to copyright issues. 'MH Mode' was renamed to 'Marble Hornets Mode' (simply the unabbreviated version of the title). Two new light sources became available: a glow stick with almost no light, and almost no range at all, and a crank lantern with a wide range, but a short amount of light which must be replenished by cranking the lantern. The player also gained the ability to pause the game by pressing 'Escape' on the keyboard, but only when there is no static on the screen as to not allow the player to quit in response to being frightened.[3]
The game was given a backstory in its sequel; Slender: The Arrival. It was confirmed that the name of the character controlled in this game is Kate, also known as the Chaser in The Arrival.
Reception[edit]
Some publications noted the effectiveness of the game's minimalist horror approach, contrasting it with many action-basedsurvival horror games of the time period, such as the latest Resident Evil titles.[4] The official website crashed after too many people tried to download the game, leading to subsequent mirror downloads on Reddit and later MediaFire.[5][6]
Legacy[edit]
The Game gained a cult following through let's players such as PewDiePie and Markiplier, this spawned several imitations and fangames, it began a new genre of horror games on YouTube with the most notable release being Five Nights at Freddy's.
Slender 8 Pages Parsec
A sequel was released one year later, named Slender: The Arrival.
References[edit]
- ^'Slender: The Eight Pages'. Giant Bomb. CBS Interactive Inc. September 16, 2013.</refEven if the player's character successfully collects all the eight pages, the Slender Man will continue to chase them. Once all the pages are collected, one is allowed to walk around for a couple of seconds in total silence until Slender Man finally appears behind the player and ends the game. However, instead of the normal death screen appearing, a slightly different version is played in which the static slowly fades out instead of abruptly stopping. A few moments later the player awakens in the forest, now in the daytime, and can move around for a few seconds before the screen goes black and plays the end credits. New game modes are then unlocked. There is also a grace period in the very beginning of the game, during which Slender Man remains inactive for only a few minutes, or until the player collects the first page. However, the difficulty level increases the longer one goes without collecting any pages. The end of this grace period is indicated by a repetitive stomping sound echoing in the background. This sound is heard throughout the rest of the game and gradually gets quicker as more pages are collected, as well as several other layering sounds. These sounds include a low droning sound (pages 3–4), a loud wind (pages 5–6), and then a mysterious and unnerving beeping sound (page 7). Once all 8 pages are collected, the sounds abruptly fade into silence., Jack (September 16, 2013). 'Slender'. Game Informer.
- ^Thielenhaus, Kevin (September 7, 2012). 'Slender Man Game – Secret Modes & Unlockables'. Gamefront.
- ^'Slender: The Eight Pages. parsecproductions.net. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
- ^Josh Brown (July 7, 2012). 'Slender – Proof of The Power of Survival Horror?'. The Gaming Hub. Archived from the original on October 2, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
- ^Jeffrey Matulef (July 4, 2012). 'Free horror game Slender is absolutely terrifying'. Eurogamer. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
- ^William Usher (July 8, 2012). 'Slender Has Gamers Asking Who Is The Slender Man?'. CinemaBlend. Retrieved July 10, 2012.