Halfway to Dawn is a chilling experience that will leave you on the edge of your seat, all within just 10 minutes of gameplay. Andrea Baroni's survival horror game for Playdate offers a unique blend of text-based narrative and top-down shooter action, immersing players in an atmosphere of desolation and impending doom. In the first half, players scavenge for resources like first aid kits, guns, ammo, and traps to prepare for the long night ahead. However, success is not guaranteed as players might find empty containers or get hurt during resource collection. The second half of the game becomes a thrilling fight for survival against an onslaught of eerie creatures with limited resources and time until dawn.
Players must choose among different locations to visit, including the mall, pharmacy, gun store, and house. Each choice has its risks and rewards; for instance, you might find a box of shotgun shells but not the gun to use them with. Resting fills up your health bar but takes an hour of game time. As you progress through the narrative portion, the clock ticks down from 6PM to 1AM, after which you must defend yourself against monsters until dawn.
In this intense final stage, monsters attack from all sides and resources are limited. Ammo and first aid kits can only be replenished in limited quantities during breaks that occur every hour. If you run out of ammo before a break, you'll have to fight off the monsters with just a knife.
Halfway to Dawn is a short game, but it packs a punch. The random resource collection creates a different experience each time, making it fun to play over and over again. The synth-heavy soundtrack adds an extra layer of tension, reminiscent of an 80s B-horror movie. If you're a fan of horror games or just looking for a thrilling challenge, Halfway to Dawn is definitely worth checking out on the Playdate Catalog and itch.io for $5.
Note: The writer of this article remains anonymous to focus solely on providing an engaging and informative piece without any personal agenda.
