The Fabulous Fear Machine Is a Comic Book Horror Game By AMC & Shudder
AMC Games recently announced The Fabulous Fear Machine, a role-playing strategy game where players conquer the world through fear. The title is created by Madrid-based developer Fictiorama Studios, known for the point-and-click adventure video game Dead Synchronicity and spy simulator Do Not Feed the Monkeys. Alongside strategy, The Fabulous Fear Machine will combine social simulation, horror and roleplaying mechanics into one unique experience.
The strategy genre is a pillar of the gaming landscape, with many franchises putting their own unique spin on the careful planning and execution of conquest. Firaxis Games' Civilization VI is a modern staple of the strategy genre, with players able to establish and grow their own civilizations over several centuries. As the latest installment in a long-running franchise, Civilization VI is able to build upon the foundations set by previous installments in the series. Turn-based gameplay allows the player to compete against rival users or computer-controlled opponents, with both civilizations attempting to outgrow or overpower the other. Currently Firaxis Games is developing Marvel's Midnight Suns, another turn-based strategy title which focuses on super-heroics rather than world conquest.
A new trailer for Fictiorama Studios' The Fabulous Fear Machine, posted to YouTube by publisher AMC Games, will let players use fear as a tool to take over the world. Horror streaming service Shudder is also partnership with AMC Games to publish the comic book-inspired title. The plot of The Fabulous Fear Machine appears to revolve around a titular fortune teller machine, which can grant users their greatest desires. In return, the user's story becomes a permanent part of the machine's history. The narrative-driven, real-time strategy game will task players with cultivating several scary stories - or "Legends" - which will gradually spread through the world.
While strategy games may be a bit niche, dedicated developers like Firaxis Games have kept the genre alive and well into the modern day. The studio's work on the XCOM and Civilization series demonstrate its devotion to the craft, but other related titles also exist in the distant past. Firaxis' sci-fi strategy game Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri brought the tactical gameplay into space, with players planning out scientific advancements and encountering alien life. These titles have paved the way for smaller titles, such as The Fabulous Fear Machine, which put their own creative spin on the strategy game genre.
Based on its first trailer, The Fabulous Fear Machine seems to bring a ton of personality into the real-time strategy genre. The video game's retro comic book style calls to mind the pulp horror magazines of last century, while AMC Games' involvement firmly roots the title in the present. While no actual gameplay of The Fabulous Fear Machine has been shown so far, the title's premise and unique style will likely help it stand-out in the strategy game crowd.
The Fabulous Fear Machine will be available for PC in Spring 2022.
Source: AMC/YouTube, Steam