Basingstoke is a town in Hampshire, England that is overrun with zombies and alien creatures. It’s too dangerous to visit in real life, but thankfully Puppygames has provided a realistic simulation of what it’s like to visit this little-known town.
The first thing you see when you start Basingstoke is a warning about flashing lights and gore in the game. There’s an option to turn both of these features off if you’d rather have a less violent or less flashing lights. This is a nice feature, allowing the game to be accessible for more players.
In this rogue-lite survival horror, you play as one of several survivors trying to escape the ruins of Basingstoke after an apocalypse involving both zombies and aliens. You start with one character unlocked and will gradually unlock more as you complete various tasks. You’ll sneak, craft, and run your way through the infested town using whatever you can find: batons, fire extinguishers, flash grenades, and even sausage rolls.
You have to be careful how you use these weapons however, as many of them won’t last. Melee weapons will break, other weapons will run out of ammo, and many gadgets have limited uses. Often the best strategy is to sneak or run past the zombies, which can be made easier if you throw out a sandwich or a sausage roll to distract them.
The game also has a simple crafting system. Collect enough items and the game will let you know you can craft an item. Various powerful items can be gained this way, including flamethrowers, fruit juice that lets you see in the dark, and many others.
One of the biggest challenges in the game is the lighting. Or rather, the lack of it. This game plunges you into darkness, and it doesn’t let you turn up the brightness. You have to rely on natural light or your torch to find your way through the shadows. Initially this can be annoying, but you’ll start to learn that darkness can be your friend.
Running around with your torch makes noise and attracts creatures eager to snack on your insides. Sometimes you need to sneak past your enemies, but given many areas are pitch black, this adds an extra challenge to a stealthy playthrough.
Being plunged into darkness like this with enemies stalking you, forcing you to sneak around leads to some terrifying moments. You hold your breath as you slowly sneak past that alien with the giant teeth, hoping it never spots you. You panic when you round a corner only to have a small green zombie leap at your face. Despite its cartoonish style, Basingstoke can be a terrifying game to play.
It’s also a very challenging game. While you can save your progress up to a specific level, it still has that roguelike feel. One hit and you die. You have to start the level again. This level of challenge might frustrate some players who are looking for a more casual experience.
Basingstoke blends stealth, survival horror, and British humour into a uniquely challenging experience. It’s not for the faint-hearted or the impatient, but if you’re looking for a terrifying and oddly charming apocalypse, this small town in England town has everything you want and more.
