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SCP – Containment Breach
SCP – Containment Breach is an indie horror game developed by Joonas "Regalis" Rikkonen. It is based on stories from the SCP Foundation collaborative writing project. In the game, the player controls a human test subject, D-9341, who is trapped in an underground facility designed to study and contain anomalous entities known as SCPs.[2] The player must escape the facility during a breach of these entities while avoiding hostile SCPs and other threats. The game was released on April 15, 2012, and was updated periodically until its latest version, 1.3.11, on July 29, 2018.[3] GameplayThe game takes place in a containment facility operated by the SCP Foundation. The player controls D-9341, a test subject who must navigate the facility while avoiding various SCPs and Mobile Task Force (MTF) units. The facility is procedurally generated, meaning the layout changes each time the game is played. The game uses a first-person perspective, where the player can move and sprint freely. One notable feature is the blink mechanic: the player has a blink meter that gradually depletes, forcing the player to blink at specific intervals. This mechanic directly relates to SCP-173, which can only move when it is not in the player's line of sight. If the player blinks or looks away, SCP-173 advances and can kill the player if it gets close enough.[2] The game has three difficulty levels, each with different save mechanics. On the easiest difficulty (Safe), the player can save at any point. On the medium difficulty (Euclid), the player can save only at designated points, and on the hardest difficulty (Keter), no saving is allowed, and the player faces permadeath. In addition to navigating the facility and avoiding SCPs, the player can find various items to help with survival, such as gas masks, keycards, and other tools. Some items, however, may also hinder progress or be anomalous, such as SCP-500, which can heal the player. PlotThe plot of the game follows the player as they attempt to escape the SCP Foundation's containment facility after a breach occurs, releasing several dangerous SCPs. Throughout the game, the player uncovers clues about the breach and the origins of the anomalies through scattered documents and terminals.[2] At the start of the game, D-9341 is one of several test subjects involved in the study of SCP-173, a statue-like entity that can move incredibly quickly when not in the direct line of sight of a human. During an experiment, the facility's systems malfunction, allowing SCP-173 to escape and kill the other test subjects. The player character then attempts to escape as the facility enters lockdown. As the player explores, they encounter other dangerous SCPs, including SCP-106 (a decaying humanoid that can drag victims into a pocket dimension), SCP-096 (a creature that will kill anyone who views its face), and SCP-079 (a sentient AI responsible for the facility's power failure). The player must avoid both the SCPs and an elite MTF unit (Epsilon-11 Nine-Tailed Fox) tasked with recapturing the escaped entities. The game offers multiple endings based on the player's choices throughout the game, including how they interact with SCP-079 and whether they manage to escape the facility. A radio transmission at the end of the game provides further details about the aftermath of the player's actions. DevelopmentThe game was created by Finnish developer Joonas "Regalis" Rikkonen. Before developing SCP – Containment Breach, Rikkonen worked on a simpler game called SCP-087-B based on the SCP-087 story. This project gained popularity, inspiring Rikkonen to create a larger-scale game incorporating more SCPs. The game was developed using the Blitz3D engine, which Rikkonen chose due to its simplicity and his familiarity with it.[4] Rikkonen focused heavily on creating an immersive atmosphere, emphasizing environmental design and sound to enhance the horror experience. He used random map generation and randomized events to keep the gameplay tense and unpredictable. Rikkonen also implemented jump scares to heighten the tension, especially given the nature of SCP-173's mechanics.[4] The game's success led Rikkonen to pursue formal education in game development at the University of Turku after completing upper secondary school. ReceptionThe game received generally positive reviews for its atmosphere and innovative mechanics. Critics praised its ability to create tension and fear despite its low-budget graphics. Rock, Paper, Shotgun compared the game to the TV show Warehouse 13 but noted that SCP – Containment Breach offered a much more intense experience, focusing on fear rather than humor.[5] Edge magazine noted the game's effectiveness at creating fear through its unpredictable nature, calling it "scarier than most recent big-budget horror games." Despite the game's simple graphics, its tension-filled gameplay was widely appreciated.[4] The game was listed as one of the best free PC games by PC Gamer, which praised its use of the SCP mythos as a key component of its success.[6] AdaptationsThe game's premise and assets have been adapted into several other games, such as the multiplayer game SCP: Secret Laboratory, the Unity-based SCP: Unity, and the virtual reality game SCP: Labrat.[7][8] References
External linksOfficial website
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