Here's a free walking sim about cryptid investigation that's dripping with early 2000s vibes, complete with fake forums

(Image credit: Under the Sink)

Want to spend some time in the dark streets and woods of a Polish village in the early 2000s? I know I do, which is why I'm playing Krypta FM—and sharing that it exists with you. In Krypta FM you'll do some authentic cryptid investigating in Gozdary, Poland, where you'll take pictures of stuff, post on forums, and listen to radio broadcasts between bouts of wandering around town.

It's ostensibly a horror game, but it's more of an atmospheric vibes-driven exploration with a nostalgic setting and fun stuff to read. Check it out, see the sights, enjoy blocky post-Soviet cars and buildings. "Came for the horror but stayed for the people," reads one player's review.

The town is haunted by some inexplicable goings-on, and people are buzzing about it. Your job is to collaborate with fellow investigators and explore the surroundings—often at night—to find out if the rumored Beast of Gozdary is behind all this stuff. I am deeply here for this vibe, especially for the chunky world design and taking pictures of strange stuff to share on the internet with a blocky plastic early digital camera like the weirdest kid at school in 2004.

I'm always here for the weird little touches in these kinds of indie games. Like, for example, the very assortment of stuff on our protagonist's corkboard. There's a sci-fi kinda poster, sure, and a newspaper article with a UFO on it. There is also… a three-part diagram of a blender. Above all, though, is the massive space-devouring combination cabinet/shelves/closet/desk that fills one entire end of the room with a PC station. They were everywhere, for so long, and the only thing that killed them was that computer monitors are no longer gigantic things that weigh as much as a three-year-old child.

It's pretty well-liked by those who've taken their time with it so far—95% positive Steam reviews at publishing time. That's no guarantee of quality, but it is a sign that genre fans probably won't regret an outing with it. You can find Krypta FM on Steam and itch.io for free.

Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.