Ruin your day with the free demo for VR horror game Don't Knock Twice

The VR horror game Don't Knock Twice isn't scheduled for release until March 2017, but if you have a VR headset—either an HTC Vive or Oculus Rift—you can get an idea of what's in store by way of the free demo that developer Wales Interactive released today on Steam. And if you don't, you can enjoy watching the poor woman in this trailer fall over from fright as she plays.

The game is based on a film of the same name, starring Katee Sackhoff, about a mother who becomes "embroiled in the urban legend of a demonic witch" while trying to save her estranged daughter. Uncovering the truth behind that urban legend is also the goal of the game: You'll explore a grand manor, interact with items, uncover clues, and fight or flee from its horrors.

Don't Knock Twice is being developed in both VR and standard editions, but the demo is strictly for the VR version, which obviously has the edge in terms of immersive freakouts. "We made this short demo in VR to show off some of the interactivity features we are working with as well as to try and create a creepy, atmospheric experience in just one single space," the studio said. "The full game will take place in the same traditional manor with access to explore all depths of the environment."

It sounds like fun, in that not-at-all-fun, "Why am I doing this to myself" sort of way that horror games tend to inflict upon players, and it also echoes a little bit of the Black Mirror "Playtest" episode that Tyler covered yesterday, about a fellow who agrees to test an AR horror game inside a creepy mansion. (We should also probably take a moment to remember the time that Tim screamed like a little girl while playing Paranormal Activity: The Virtual Reality Game.) I don't think we're at the point yet where VR has become dangerous and we should quit goofing around with it, but I can't say that I'm all that anxious to stick my face into this kind of experience, either. Amnesia on a standard PC just about broke me, after all.

Don't Knock Twice is set to come out on March 27, 2017. Find out more at walesinteractive.com.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.