I've never felt smarter than playing this nostalgic horror puzzler that has me changing file types on a '90s computer to solve mysteries

(Image credit: Recurring Dream / Outersloth)

I can think of nothing I would hate more than for someone to go rummaging through my PC once I've popped my clogs.

Not that there's anything particularly incriminating lurking within years of accumulated files, but there's something that feels weirdly private about this hulking setup that takes up half of my tiny apartment, you know? Memes I thought were funny five years ago (they definitely weren't). Or, if you somehow managed to get your hands on the laptop I had as a teen, dozens of utterly humiliating half-written fanfictions that would have me crawling out of the grave to snatch that hard drive off of you.

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Then again, I'm yet to design a series of intricate puzzles scattered across files and folders to pass down to my niece or nephew so that they can unfurl a missing person's case after I die.

That's exactly what I'm on the receiving end of in Desktop Explorer's demo—my uncle's dead, I have his old PC in all its crusty Windows 95-inspired glory, and I have to use all my 20-something years of accumulated computer knowledge to rummage through his files and solve each puzzle.

It is, in fact, incredibly cool. It starts off simple enough as I click through a couple different folders to find where the next puzzle is lurking. But Desktop Explorer really challenges all the different ways I know how to navigate a PC—changing file types, uncovering hidden folders, resizing windows (very difficult), skulking around other people's internet history. It's all in the name of uncovering passwords, which then get used to unlock the next puzzle and delve further into the mystery.

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It's all brought together with some delightful '90s nostalgia in the way Desktop Explorer's OS is designed in all its rugged, basic grey glory. There's even a stationary-based mascot who yaps down in the corner of my screen all the time. We're so back, y'all.

Nostalgia and spooks seem like a given pairing at this point though, and diving deeper into Desktop Explorer's puzzles starts to uncover dark secrets. Its cutesy pastel background and calming vibes house some light horror elements. Things start to get all glitchy towards the end of my demo run, the vibes veer into downright ominous, and the whole thing only makes me hungrier to uncover just what is going on in this mystery.

Unfortunately I'll have to wait a little while. Desktop Explorer is currently slated to release a little later this year, but there's no firm date just yet. It's a shame, because I am absolutely desperate to see just how many more ways the game can use all of Legally Distinct Windows' tips and tricks to really wrinkle my brain and let me flex my puzzling muscles.

Mollie spent her early childhood deeply invested in games like Killer Instinct, Toontown and Audition Online, which continue to form the pillars of her personality today. She joined PC Gamer in 2020 as a news writer and now lends her expertise to write a wealth of features, guides and reviews with a dash of chaos. She can often be found causing mischief in Final Fantasy 14, using those experiences to write neat things about her favourite MMO. When she's not staring at her bunny girl she can be found sweating out rhythm games, pretending to be good at fighting games or spending far too much money at her local arcade.

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