Evil Awaits

Evil Awaits is a 2024 indie action-survival horror game developed and published by the Spanish studio Chai Games. Released on October 22, 2024, for PC via Steam, it is an unapologetic, low-budget love letter to the golden era of 1990s and early 2000s survival horror, drawing massive and obvious inspiration from the classic Resident Evil and Silent Hill franchises.

Core Concept and Story

The premise is a classic, campy horror setup. You play as a lone, unnamed female detective who travels to the remote, mist-shrouded Archdale Castle after receiving a distress call regarding a sudden explosion. Upon arriving, she quickly becomes trapped on the grounds.

What starts as a simple investigation rapidly devolves into a fight for survival. The explosion has exposed a horrifying new epidemic, and the castle is overrun with the undead, mutated monstrosities, and a sinister cult attempting to conduct occult rituals. The narrative unfolds largely through environmental storytelling, scattered journals, and cinematic cutscenes as you attempt to uncover the truth behind the Archdale family curse and escape the grounds. (Fans of the genre will immediately notice the protagonist’s striking visual resemblance to Resident Evil’s Claire Redfield).

Gameplay and Features

Evil Awaits is built on the Unity engine and attempts to modernize the clunky mechanics of retro survival horror while keeping the core puzzle-solving DNA intact:

• The Viewpoint: While it pays homage to fixed-camera classics, the gameplay primarily utilizes a modern, over-the-shoulder third-person perspective with options for first-person aiming.
• Classic Progression: The gameplay loop is purely nostalgic. You explore highly atmospheric environments (including misty docks, tight cemetery crypts, and a sprawling hedge maze), hunt for distinct keys to unlock specific doors, and solve environmental puzzles to progress.
• The Arsenal and Upgrades: You are armed with a mix of melee weapons, defensive items, and standard firearms (pistols, shotguns, sniper rifles). Exploring off the beaten path rewards you with “Toolkits,” which act as the game’s upgrade currency, allowing you to increase clip sizes, weapon damage, and reload speeds.
• The Horde and Bosses: The enemy variety is a highlight, forcing players to adapt. You fight standard zombies, exploding acid-filled grubs, and imposing bosses like the slow-moving “Ogre,” an ethereal ghost woman named Liliana (who requires you to dodge her teleports between chapel pews), and a massive “Leviathan” worm.
• The Skulls of Archdale: For completionists, the game features hidden collectibles called Skulls. Finding them across multiple playthroughs and New Game+ runs unlocks powerful bonus weapons and a secret “Ending B.”

Reception

As a small indie title, Evil Awaits currently holds a “Mostly Positive” rating on Steam.

Players who grew up with PS1/PS2-era survival horror praise the game for absolutely nailing the spooky atmosphere, the satisfying weapon upgrades, and the nostalgic pacing of finding keys and reading creepy diary entries. However, because it is an indie title, it does suffer from a bit of “jank.” Some players have noted that the movement and shooting animations can feel stiff or clunky, and the game has required several patches to iron out bugs regarding missing items and New Game+ glitches.

Quick Note

Evil Awaits is a highly atmospheric, B-movie survival horror pastiche.

In short: It doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel; instead, it wears its Resident Evil inspirations proudly on its sleeve. If you are looking for a fun, puzzle-heavy indie title where you wander through a creepy castle shooting zombies and managing your inventory, it is a highly commendable and charming retro throwback.