REACTOR - Stylish Sci-Fi Horror Game with a Happy AI Buddy Who Helps You Research an Alien Lifeform!

[@annetipasto]

"I love your name, and now I've forgotten it" 😭😭 UNNECESSARY

[@pencilonpaper1026]

I'm sad now :(

[@NCXDKG]

Feelsbadman

[@fungus322]

sadge

[@joshjess9841]

This felt as sad as it was horrific. I felt bad that you, the player, wasn't fast enough to escape, but I feel even more sad for L.O.L.A., that was just the AI.

[@jhonnoilcringeincarnato8593]

It's sad that they didn't even noticed the body of the protagonist and even thought that they were on a different planet

[@picoultimate7707]

Yeah. She showed genuine concern when the lifeform almost hurt the main character and when she was losing her free will and suffering from memory loss.

[@picoultimate7707]

@@jhonnoilcringeincarnato8593 And that body was left trapped in the strange fauna for millennia, as the protagonist is left to be stuck until he passes away.

[@raynconearbuds9177]

Bruh I always see these top comments spoiling the game even when didn’t press comments

[@i.robles5785]

I think it's really interesting how everything but the AI is black and white. It kind of gives me that feel that the AI is the only thing that gives "chuck" some kind of semblance of normal. It actually made me think and wonder if we would end up with AI's as a second companion because no one else is there. It doesn't seem like a new concept but this game just made me think about it some more.

[@Brandon-1996]

The base should have had more plant life, besides the single one in the middle. Humans like a natural environment. There are different ways to make things more comfortable when you're stuck on a lonely gray rock for a year.

[@DisemboweII]

I always thought that would be an obvious step in human advancement; imagine a world where you're never alone and you have an artificial "mirror" entity that perfectly matches all of your tastes, behaviours and fits your ideal partner perfectly. You'd never be lonely, you'd have a best friend, life partner and lover all rolled into one. Everyone would have one. No-one would ever be alone. A horror game revolving around someone losing this soul mate / partner, or their mysterious disappearances leading to alien / eldritch / biomechanical / whatever mutations happening to people that could set up something pretty shocking and disturbing. I flip between robots with sentient A.I. or otherworldly "guardian angels" / "higher selves" being the best candidate for such a setting. Imagine you're born into a world where your higher self is tangible and there to keep you company, has done since the day you were born, then one day other people's start disappearing with no reason or warning and they begin to... _transfigure..._

[@picoultimate7707]

@@Brandon-1996 Yeah. And the strange red entity was the only thing other than L.O.L.A. that showed any kind of colour, but not the happy kind, sadly.

[@keentrasborg2566]

Where I live, care centres for the elderly have experimented with giving robotic pets out to residents and have noted an increase in mood (And suspected increase in life expectancy because of improved mood). And that's just the result of having a robot around that resembles a baby animal like a dolphin which can only wag its tail and make a few cutesy noises every now and then. So it's not a foreign concept :)

[@VegaSlides]

I didn't read "horror" in the title and was completely caught off guard by that ominous intro.

[@PregnantAdamSandler]

damn this guy can't get a break, first their wife divorces them and now their AI wife gets taken over.

[@ShadaOfAllThings]

I love the implication that the mental health AI who fell in love with its patient is the reason this guy signed on for 20 more years of this. After all, its a field therapist AI. He's gotta be in the field for her to take care of him

[@sagefurry]

i haven’t even gone to the scary part but i imagine the ai is gonna betray you because there’s not a single sci-fi horror that doesn’t involve an ai betraying you

[@Monarch_Prime]

It would be much more scarier if the AI tried everything to save you and then it apologizes

[@saucyjellyblobs6142]

@@Monarch_Prime it would be much sadder

[@NoThanksX]

MOON subverted that trope really well.

[@hafirenggayuda]

I forgot where I read it, but there is a story about a robot who dismantled its human friend because he is sick. The robot thinks he can just replace human's body part just like robot. More sad/tragic than horror.

[@enelenallen]

@@hafirenggayuda broooo what is it

[@R421Excelsior]

I really like LOLA. It doesn't happen often that an AI isn't evil and is likable at the same time.

[@greenmeowstic3017]

I kinda wish she stayed helpful throughout the entirety of the game. It would have been more unexpected, and she could have been the one to call the rescue crew at the end! Even if it was too late.

[@combineshotgunsoldier7761]

Agreed, I hate this "AI on other planet bad" trope that's somehow become so common.

[@ebonhawken574]

That would’ve been a great plot twist

[@windermelon9567]

@@combineshotgunsoldier7761 Moon is great because the AI is confronted with a very difficult set of conflicting orders but chooses to help the protagonist anyway

[@bower31]

@@windermelon9567 Where can you find it?

[@Buitronthecrazy]

Did you miss the fact the AI got corrupted by the alien life form? Is not the same than a "evil AI" situation.

[@SylvesterAshcroft88]

I just imagine the ai saying something like; I'm going to eat your brains, sorry about that! I had a malfunction...error.

[@TrevorLahey3]

Too predictable

[@4thdimensionai972]

Its just malfunction

[@carlwilliams1340]

The enemy design would have worked better if they hadn't gone too far to make it traditionally "scary." For instance, logic dictates that whoever built this robot must have deliberately designed an angry fang mouth icon to show that it's angry. It would have been better to have this alien possessed robot going after you while maintaining a cheery face and voice.

[@SierraHarmony]

You know what scares the shite outta people? Children's laughter. There is nothing cuter than a child laughing. But in the right context, makes the hairs stand up on the back of the neck.

[@magencrisis1682]

Exactly. I think that the possesed AI chasing the player down while keeping the same cheerful voice and appearance would've been much more unsettling

[@MopedOfJustice]

It's possible that it had that face in order to cow intruders or misbehaving occupants. It's also possible that it generates its own faces and the lifeform made it generate a few that it wouldn't have otherwise.

[@J29-u8u]

Disagree. It would have been cliche. The creepy child's laughter thing has been done to death. I loved the sort of loopy no-nonsense British voice with the pink gnashing teeth. Worked far better for me (but that's just my personal opinion).

[@bloodstormwolf9512]

The child laughter thing was just just an example I think As for logic, the meltdown wouldn't have happened, and we would have escaped under logic. Fusion/Arc reactors just stop and cease to function on them being damaged. They don't 'meltdown', just overheat and stop reacting. Which means, the alien would have had no energy to grow and encase the planet, like in the ending where they got an entire bomb's worth of energy (and even uranium reactors don't go off like a bomb, it's heat and steam with radioactive waste). We could have lived and escaped

[@bapldap3324]

Alien Blob monster destroyed and tainted Artificial Intelligence GF, ANGRY.

[@stockingsstuffer6302]

GO GET EM BRO

[@AdmiralChimp]

GO GET EM, DRIFTER

[@wolfpearl2734]

I know in my bones the lil AI pal is gonna go evil, but dammit I have known her for all of 5 minutes and I already love her.

[@MrLego3160]

Thought this was a sci fi horror game with a stylish ai companion.

[@a.k8185]

*Same*

[@whatahugemess]

*Same*

[@Browneyedbakedpotato]

I just started it and now I’m scared, is it not a sci fi horror game with a stylish ai companion??

[@a.k8185]

@@Browneyedbakedpotato theres a alien parasite wich alters and consumes objects ,it alters the bot

[@BoosterGoldest]

Its just sad tbh

[@StevenG123]

I love how the reactor buddy is the only color in the game.

[@thepillarmen2960]

And the red alien in the meteor

[@vendybirdsvadl7472]

@@thepillarmen2960 and the door button

[@MusicoftheDamned]

I like the artstyle and the music of this game, and the ending somewhat reminds me of short cosmic horror story "The Creeping Mold" given how quickly it grew. I agree with the notion that the angry face at the end was overkill though, especially for reasons of in-universe logic. I also have to wonder how the pilot at the end noticed absolutely nothing amiss even if the base was gone.

[@UnicronJLY]

Yeah, it was odd that their response was just "this isn't a desert planet, we must have the wrong coordinates". Not going to remark on how weird it is that everything's covered in meat? Is "meat planet" a documented astrogeological phenomenon in this setting, common enough that nobody finds it worth mentioning?

[@bloodstormwolf9512]

And how the reactor wouldn't go off with a bomb and give it infinite energy to kill us and encase the planet. It wouldnt even meltdown, regardless if it was an arc reactor like the name said, or uranium.

[@MusicoftheDamned]

@@bloodstormwolf9512 Yeah, from little I "know", an even remotely futuristic reactor would just shutdown instead of suffering a catastrophic, explosive meltdown. That part at least I will handwave, however, given modern fiction seems *always* to get that wrong and given it could have been something alien lifeform, malfunctioning A.I., or even the company cutting corners did.

[@grim66]

Me at the start of the video: okay, this is going to be a "friendly helper robot is secretly evil" game, isn't it Me five minutes in: If anything bad happens to Lola I'm going to destroy everyone in this room and then myself

[@AneitaLT]

Already done in-game.

[@monochroma3803]

I actually like how it ends! very eerie !

[@templarheadless2827]

" You're such a great driver! " Is literally driving at an angle

[@neppurushadowheart]

With that style of emote and voice I thought it's gonna say "konnichiwa"

[@noyoucantnoicantnowecantsostop]

This ain't japan, and just because it's emotes and styled AI voice doesn't mean this is going to be vocaloid, get over it weeb

[@neppurushadowheart]

Lol did i put a bad comment or something?

[@neppurushadowheart]

Ah yeah you're right

[@IgnatiaWildsmith1227]

@Jackson Tripi well it’s robot a non organic being and therefore has no gender but has characteristics associated with femininity

[@velvetred1967]

I love this channel so much. No extra thing, and just jumps into game

[@alexrexaros9837]

*When the night is dark and you fear the monsters around, remember this one thing:* :)

[@Bananappleboy]

🔫🍌 Banana gun.

[@galaxyninjaplayz_101animat6]

(= Maybe

[@sparkz6349]

:)

[@bengoodwin2141]

It’s slightly unnerving how the robot’s head always rotates to face you and can be in so many places at once, even if it makes perfect sense

[@turtleboi8492]

You know your life sucks when you'd pick an isolated position with a robot rather than go back to your wife and kids.

[@noyoucantnoicantnowecantsostop]

Or you know, dream job and money

[@jameson7276]

This guy wants to stay on some hell hole planet instead of going back to Portland, lol

[@freemansoul9256]

🤣

[@johnmclain250]

Understandable, lesser of two hellholes.

[@ashemabahumat4173]

Portland? Ok, yea. Completely understandable.

[@allenbackbone]

Yeah no you don't want to come back yet.

[@portland4660]

Lmao understandable.

[@emperorwisel4842]

I know that the reason why it showed a body at the end was to show us that the meltdown didnt work (although the entire planet being red was proof enough of that) but i guess it did destroyed the base since the rescue ship didnt find it, if the base was destroyed shouldnt the body be destroyed too? I know that i am overthinking this since its a 10 days game but i still wanted to comment about it.

[@niqsy6116]

Eh probly before the explosion reached him the alien has already covered his entire body?

[@neverreadyfries8066]

Probably just that the astronaut got to a survivable distance when the reactor exploded. Any tiny bit of the organism that survived would be able to expand until it eventually consumed him, regardless of whether it attached to his suit during the escape.

[@bloodstormwolf9512]

I think the sheer heat caused by the explosion made the organism grow at extreme rates Although, aren't arc reactors unable to explode? They just sorta shut down.

[@capnbrunch1657]

There could’ve just been more in the meteor that spreaded out

[@clickpause8732]

@@bloodstormwolf9512 That’s what got me as well. It should’ve just shut down, not melted down.

[@binhnguyenphamnguyen3422]

The part when that AI buddy went rouge made me feel sad. It reminds me of Void Terrarium, where two AIs loyal to mankind ultimately destroyed each other. Such a tragedy that while their modus operandi are different, they both meant the best to us, and the more laid-back AI is very adorable as well

[@dabercee]

Of all the games in the Dread X collection, I like this game the most. It's stylishly made, graphics are simple yet captivatingly beautiful. And the music effectively builds up the sense of impending doom as the game progresses. Kind of expected that the environment and the AI will take a turn for the worse and turn on you. But the fateful journey as a space astronaut in a foreign and unknown planet is just amazing. I particularly like the AI, with its pink emoji face and it doing half-squats while conversing with you.

[@ianmitchell5979]

Is it weird how I felt more sorry for the AI than for our main character?

[@jackhazardous4008]

Yes

[@nerobright9959]

nah

[@Victor-056]

Yeah. She was probably screaming while possessed.

[@Brandon-1996]

She's cute; he doesn't talk or express himself. : ' )

[@HoneycombTheywontletmeputjusto]

Ooh. That Dies Irae in the beginning makes no bones about what this game really is.

[@joshuasharrock466]

Why do these childish horror games... work so damn well? It was like the game submission 2 days ago. Squiggly killing a donkey in a church under a :-) Sun. Seriously WTF?

[@SylvesterAshcroft88]

I think a lot of them are inspired by games like pony island, as that seemed like a pretty innocent puzzle game at first, but then it had some really strange horror elements later on.

[@howardmurphy8019]

I guess the bait and switch never gets old.

[@iliketurtles2531]

Those primitive art style tricks your brain to see hidden meanings that's not really there. And horror is all about connecting the dots.

[@TrevorLahey3]

Submission was awesome

[@dreamlandbuds7710]

That's the theme of DreadX 3: spoopy (cute/spooky) horror games.

[@judithkostromitin8011]

Poor AI. She really loved him.

[@jimboydejuan7869]

yep also Alien Parasite infected A.I Robot girl is very painful scream beg shut down CPU ;-;

[@johngun4377]

“This is so sad, Alexa pla- oh wait...”

[@jordough4495]

I think this was masterfully done, the soundtrack perfectly sets the atmosphere of dread and urgency, and ending on a cliffhanger was a nice touch. Would love this to be fleshed our in a longer format and more detailed worldbuilding, although this itself shines as a finished product.

[@Marchwin_AU]

2:46 Single frame of red with a skull face, usure of significance but it was real hard to catch. 7:00 another flash, same image, single frame.

[@conall9415]

24:19, At the last frame there was a spooky face.

[@user-pc5sc7zi9j]

Book: Trust your AI! Me: Now I'm not gonna do it >:(

[@kukuhimanputraraharja8084]

so, the protag got stuck working in that lone observation post for a very long time with just a friendly helpful ai buddy as companion. no wonder protag only sees gray colors everywhere. except the ai buddy's purple face due to it being the only lively thing close by for who knows how long. then the unknown and suspiciously dangerous alien element invades. and turning every colors into red haze of madness & hate. no happy endings here.

[@tatotaytoman5934]

fusion reactions don't cause a massive overload when they fail, they fizzle out and are nowhere near as volatile as fission reactions

[@StratosphereTHAI]

"happy AI buddy" *Something is wrong, i can feel it* EDIT : SPOILER . . . . . . . . . Jesus fucking christ, its the Assimilator alien type (like the movie Annihilation) but more OP as it can take over AI

[@stunnerofagunner]

Love the art style, reminds me of notepad and 90's black and white photos

[@NightmarezTerror]

4:08 LOLA "A true companion." *Moon walks in the back ground*

[@Netwirq2]

For a moment, I thought the title says Happy Al Bundy.

[@TheRoachMan21]

2:53 Him:*Remembers wife left* *looks at robot* Also him: "I'm bouta risk it all"

[@Berqist]

That station would need three, full-time light bulb replacement technicians.

[@SoullessAIMusic]

watching these games keeps me working on my small side projects I hobby on when i have time.

[@AlexanderFlamesworth]

and thats how the nether was made

[@awkwardllama0509]

I liked the implication that Chuck left his wife for the AI, it made the corruption that much more of a gut punch

[@WillieManga]

I had to remind myself that the robot didn't really wanna hurt you. They told us to purge them, so it was the parasite that made em hurt us... right?

[@The-Healer-One]

Who knows what she mean under "I call shotgun"? 4:49

[@axious9613]

Usually refers to having the seat next to the driver seat

[@Xizilqou]

You know it's going to be a good game when ABG calls it stylish.

[@avramnovorra]

Man the tension throughout the game really was different.. I just knew something would happen to poor LOLA, and somehow I cared for the AI despite bring initially put off by her behavior at the beginning

[@unitynofear7758]

It's that Depeche Mode video growth

[@filipkosierb4570]

23:27 I CAN'T FUCKING TAKE IT ANYMORE

[@andifaimos]

they should've built a more secure lab for new samples

[@potat3746]

yes

[@MrLordFireDragon]

One thing that got a little in my way of enjoying the game was how an alien life form is somehow able to interface with a sophisticated digital circuit, understand foreign AI protocols, and manipulate them in such a way as to obtain desired behaviour (including accessing the 'evil red face' mode lmao). I really liked how the AI being nice to you wasn't a setup for 'obsessed love AI' or anything like that, but it was a little disappointing to see how that played out. Regardless, good luck on your future endeavours, dev!

[@AlTheHoly]

There is a very precise frame at 2:46 that shows a pretty spooky image. Time your pause with the "safe-TY" part of the sentence.

[@SeventyBoredMinks]

2:46 fking hell I knew I saw something

[@a.k8185]

God, the changed corpse at the end really tells you how dangerous it is.

[@destinyman961]

I dig the artstyle

[@s.o.4956]

The music starting at 10:00 slaps

[@mysupersecretprofilenoonek8640]

agreed

[@twiexcursori]

RIP Lola :(

[@jimboydejuan7869]

;-; Alien Parasite Infects Robot girl is very painful scream will beg Shut Down CPU

[@thedungeondelver]

The looped _Dies Irae_ is a nice touch.

[@harrybyaqussamprayuga1756]

I don't know why but I really like the way the AI said "please be careful".

[@tootalljj400]

I wanna hug LOLA!

[@tylern6420]

When the main character doesnt run even when the reactor is literally melting down as the controls and main systems were shutdown while it is unstable

[@magencrisis1682]

I think that the execution could do some work, but the concept is great! It's been a while since I had chills watching a horror game playthrough.

[@shlecko]

Starts instantly with Dies Irae

[@noyoucantnoicantnowecantsostop]

Dies Irae has lost it's meaning ever since Frozen 2 using it out of the real context. Dead by Daylight and other death, funeral, and horror related stuffs are still on the same context

[@sidknoop6381]

19:38 Oh hello SHODAN, its been a while.

[@anothernickname1042]

In the end they’ve called the same robot actor who voiced SHODAN in system shock

[@dp-ez4fd]

The final shot was fantastic!

[@he.she.me.wumbo.]

So do you come into these games knowing what to do what its about or do you just grab a game and hit record be you start

[@pigmanpiggypiggyman3732]

Think theres edits if it takes ages on puzzles

[@sportakus3]

Definitelly he walks like he knows what he is doing, which it "may" seems he record the game during second playtrough. But, it could be that he does edit on over some parts where he is stuck for longer than expected.

[@he.she.me.wumbo.]

@@sportakus3 that makes sense I know I almost fucking die on these

[@Vednier]

Question is...why man even needed to be on this station? AI registered meteor itself and extracted sample without any help or command to do. I pretty sure it would drive baggy to crash-site too without problem.

[@chrisl8277]

ABG always plays with personality. Makes the game come alive

[@capnbrunch1657]

Cute robot, might die alongside it in some major virus outbreak that ruins the AI and corrupts the planet itself

[@werewooof]

it played those first three notes of dies irae at the beginning & i was just left futilely waiting for the ending of the harmony,,,

[@vivi_7163]

Damn that ending though

[@commandercat10]

So fair the only other colour I seen is pink and I hope it stays that way

[@joe125ful]

Colours left from chat:)

[@racecini]

True

[@vendybirdsvadl7472]

green, pink and red: bruh

[@awooga_gamer]

Hope the developers add more endings I really want a Good one

[@wolfer1225]

"THE SHINING" theme playing.....

[@noyoucantnoicantnowecantsostop]

I meanz it was originally cane from Dies irae so..

[@serigneo]

I like the "pop" style, makes it unpleasant in a different way. There's an interesting bound between human and AI. The ending is simple but eerie and effective.

[@apricoticpeaches]

10:00 Pass me the aux I'm playing the REACTOR sound track

[@tatotaytoman5934]

2:46 what is that red thing

[@venge-1540]

This reminds me of the movie called "life"

[@Adam-zt4cn]

I wonder what's the meaning of the one-frame jumpscare at 2:46.

[@vamppanic]

what jumpscare?

[@Adam-zt4cn]

@@vamppanic you need to go frame-by-frame using the . and , buttons on your keyboard. The screen flashes red for a moment, that's the frame you need to look at. It looks like a skull on a red background, fairly scary if you don't expect it.

[@thefemboyslayer]

Probably to give you an image of the impeding doom. Also the skull may represent the protagonist fate

[@Roddy_Zeh]

This kinda gave me POD (Planet of Death) vibes...at least in some aspects.

[@Myolio_Mayo]

Jumpscare List - Honestly these aren't that bad but just in case someone is extra jumpy, here they are. If I missed any please let me know and I'll add them. 16:41 - creature breaks through a window to the lab. 19:14 - corrupted ai lowers from the ceiling.

[@a.k8185]

Damn interesting,and thanks for finding this game!

[@gohachinightwin9884]

First impression: Hmm...an interstellar explorer who abandoned his family for the sake of his job, eh? Let's see where this goes. 15:05 Aaaaaand...there it is.

[@hanamacquoid1427]

Music bangs. A++++ to the developers.

[@nathanc6516]

The music in this game is really good.

[@M8theone]

Yay buddy 2.0! Anyone remember the guy that cut off your oxygen when you tried to escape?

[@swapzilla1012]

Eh. Looks more like that one robot from smile, Doctor who.

[@pandincus]

Is the music released anywhere for download or purchase? It is excellent.

[@swapnildas2989]

that rise and shine in the beginning reminded me of gman from half life

[@ashemabahumat4173]

Want more rogue ai/robot games like this and Sato Wonderland, ngl

[@felusthefine7700]

20:50 Top ten saddest anime betrayals betrayals 😫😫😫

[@CesarinPillinGaming]

This game was very nice.. simple but with nice atmosphere. The ending was wow..

[@demonbot6617]

it's a good game, but I'm so sick of the evil AI trope

[@jaysea5939]

I was expecting something more like the movie Moon tbh, where the AI stays helpful while other things happen

[@ceoofceos5219]

The AI wasn’t evil you goober, it was obvious she was trying to fight that weird red organism that became attached to her.

[@demonbot6617]

@@ceoofceos5219 for a bit, but it didn't look to me like she kept resisting

[@ceoofceos5219]

@@demonbot6617 I’m saying that this is less of the evil A.I trope and more of the Alien Parasite trope

[@nerobright9959]

@Jackson Tripi Exactly.