Portrait of a Torn completely assembled on Windows PC

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Steam demo also available for psychological puzzle-adventure from the creators of Seven Doors and Charon's Staircase

Indigo Studios – Interactive Stories is no stranger to atmospheric, puzzle-filled experiences set in creepy old houses, having previously given us Seven Doors in 2020 and Charon's Staircase two years later. And now, just like clockwork, the indie developer is back with a brand new psychological mystery adventure called Portrait of a Torn. 

Exhausted from war but encouraged to have a leave to recharge, Robert is a young soldier who returns home to visit his mother and beloved dog, only to discover his family household isn't the sanctuary he expected. Instead, the place is "shrouded in shadows and silence," and before long everything that once seemed so familiar becomes transformed into something eerily different. To discover what's happened and how he ended up in this altered version of a home he once knew so well, Robert must begin a "strange journey to uncover the disturbing secrets hidden within its ancient walls." Tucked in the "enigmatic rooms" are a wide variety of "intricate puzzles guarding the dark truths of the past, [and] each clue found and each piece uncovered will bring Robert closer to understanding the haunting and tragic story that ties the house and its inhabitants together."

As with the developer's previous titles, the unusually named Portrait of a Torn is a first-person, free-roaming adventure controlled with keyboard and mouse. Less a full-scale thriller than a disturbing psychological mystery, the game is designed to be a "deeply atmospheric adventure where every corner hides a secret, and every strange noise sends chills down your spine." Although driven by its haunting narrative, it requires thorough exploration in order to piece the mystery together. It isn't intended to be a long experience, taking only a few hours to complete, but to progress through the house's changing, dimly lit hallways and rooms, you'll need to solve a variety of puzzles and unlock new doors, including the one that's always been shut tight, concealing only old ruins behind it (or so you were told). It's a mostly solitary journey, but along the way you will "experience encounters with mysterious figures while unraveling a hidden truth woven with suspense and pain, immersing you in an indescribable secret that has permeated the walls of this home for years."
 
If you think you have the heart (and wits) to uncover the secrets of Portrait of a Torn, you can do so right away as the game was recently launched on Steam. Or you can sample what it has to offer first, as a playable demo is also available for download on Windows PC.