Developer: International Cat Studios
Publisher: Future Friends Games, Feardemic
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PS5
The Cabin Factory – Review
The horror genre of games is rather oversaturated, and most of the available indie titles look so similar and often have a nearly identical premise. Then, sometimes a unique title blows up online and immediately makes a name for itself. This brings us to The Cabin Factory, a short but spooky title that was released at the end of 2024 for PC, and it was received very positively by those who bought the game. Now, nearly a year later, the game has finally been ported to console, making sure that console gamers can now enjoy this experience right on time before Halloween. As we missed the original PC release, we were quite stoked to dive into the console port of The Cabin Factory.
Story
In The Cabin Factory, you’ll play as a quality assurance employee of the titular Cabin Factory. It’s your job to inspect all the cabins that pass you on the conveyor belt to see if they are adhering to company standards. As your company makes cabins for spooky attractions, some may end up haunted, so it’s up to you to spot those. The haunted cabins have a story to tell, one that might be connected to the main character, but it’s primarily a narrative open to speculation. All in all, the story value is low, but there is some progress in the game’s plot. We doubt many gamers will play The Cabin Factory for its narrative value, but at least there is an interesting backdrop.
Graphics
Graphically, The Cabin Factory doesn’t disappoint. While the number of assets and environments is extremely limited, International Cat Studios managed to put down a creepy, atmospheric horror experience. The cabin’s interior does change a bit now and then, but more often than not, a few assets get swapped around or a few character models start moving. The somewhat muted and still environments in the cabins bring a certain eeriness to the table, which does make it spookier to explore them and try to spot changes and moving objects that may indicate a haunting. We tried the game out on PlayStation 5, and performance was perfect throughout the entire experience.
Sound
The sound design of The Cabin Factory is purposely minimalistic. You’ll mainly have to work with the ambiance inside the cabins, as you’ll have to pay attention to new noises or potential hauntings. There are, of course, quite a few environmental noises present too, such as the creaking of wood, the crackling of fire, and the wind blowing through the cracks of the cabin. There’s also a bit of voice acting present in the game, which felt fairly decent. All in all, the atmospheric sound design did enhance the overall spooky vibes.
Gameplay
The Cabin Factory is, for the most part, a walking simulator, as there are no objects you can really interact with, except for the safe or danger buttons on your control panel. As stated above, you’ll have to inspect premade cabins that pass on a conveyor belt to check if they are secure and up to code or if they are haunted. Haunted cabins have ‘movable’ elements that indicate a haunting. You’ll have to make eight correct assessments in a row, and you’ll have beaten the game. Make a wrong assessment or get captured by one of the entities you may come across, and you’ll find yourself starting your shift all over again. The premise is rather simple, and reminded us a lot of The Exit 8, which worked with a somewhat similar gameplay concept.
Even though The Cabin Factory pushes all the right buttons when it comes to its general gameplay loop, atmosphere, concept, and presentation, it is still a very short game. In most cases, we reckon a playthrough will take you under an hour before you see the credits roll. While that might turn off a lot of potential buyers, the game is only three bucks on consoles, which is still a great price for an hour of spooky fun. We personally enjoyed being able to finish this title in one sitting, and we can see ourselves playing through this one in the future to spot a few more cabin variations. We did encounter a few instances where we really found it almost impossible to notice if a cabin was haunted or not, which did cause a few (frustrating) progress resets.
Conclusion
The Cabin Factory provides a short but scary horror experience for those who enjoy a more casual experience. While the gameplay loop is extremely simple, and the game doesn’t have any complex mechanics, there is a lot of fun to be had playing through The Cabin Factory, and it does have some replay value if you want to spot all the different haunting variations. If you’re looking for a bite-sized horror experience during this Halloween period, then picking up The Cabin Factory is a no-brainer.
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