Upon arriving at your 9-5, you then endure what is quite is possibly the world’s worst induction. All you’ve been told is that you need to listen attentively to your superiors and that it is of paramount importance that you don’t take any dumb risks. Of course, the recruitment process here wasn’t exactly conventional, and so you know hardly anything about the job by the time your first day rolls around. The game’s framing device has you playing as an MIT grad, named Karl, who has been head-hunted for the Foundation’s archives department. You see, the new release title cherry-picks some of the very best concepts from the wiki and then compiles them together into a unique anthology experience, with each chapter having its own idiosyncratic characters, art styles, controls, and gameplay mechanics. After all, how does one go about faithfully representing something, when it’s already fragmented and littered with inconsistencies to being with? Where do you even start?ĭeveloper Game Zoo Studio has found an elegant solution to this quandary with their debut title, SCP: Secret Files, by creating what is essentially the video game equivalent of Creepshow. In the words of the wiki’s newcomer guide: “As long as the story is interesting, your freedom is basically unlimited.” For instance, in some iterations the SCP Foundation was formed in the 1960s, while in others its activities date back as far as the 19th century.Īlthough this might be liberating for some creators, it does pose a unique problem for anyone who is trying to comprehensively adapt the unwieldy IP. Instead of there being a unified canon that must be rigidly stuck to, the lore is in a constant state of flux and pre-existing details can be totally ignored (or even outright contradicted) depending on the whims of the individual writer. One thing that SCP doesn’t have though, is an overarching sense of continuity.
The dedicated wiki has enviably-talented authors writing in multiple different languages, steadfast moderators enforcing quality control, diligent licencing staff, and the kind of intense following that is usually reserved for only the holiest of pop-culture artefacts. What was once just a handful of 4chan users - posting quirky short stories and faux science reports for their own personal amusement - has since blossomed into a bona fide cult phenomenon.Įnlisting hundreds upon hundreds of gifted people, it’s pretty much the ultimate example of a “Collaborative Fiction Project”. In short, although it started life as just another voguish creepypasta, the SCP universe has become something far greater in the intervening years.
If you are curious about venturing down the bizarre SCP rabbit hole, then you’re not limited to just the written word anymore, as the mythos has been translated into audio transcripts, video games, fan art, YouTube clips and, more recently, viral TikTok videos. Not only do these macabre ideas defy pigeonholing in terms of their genre (some are mysteries, while others are horror tales and even comedies), but they also transcend mediums.
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Among other things, there are immortal plague doctors (capable of killing via mere skin contact), condensed windowpanes that can be written on to communicate with parallel worlds, and household appliances that somehow compel you to refer to them in the first person. After all, the notion of a clandestine organization, tasked with keeping the inexplicable under lock and key, is certainly fertile ground for all kinds of amazing storytelling.īy just dipping your toe into this universe, you’ll be treated to an all-you-can-eat buffet of demented urban legends, each more creative than the last. It’s not difficult to see why a tantalizing concept like this one would have such incredible longevity. And it’s earned itself quite the fan base as a result. Evolving from humble beginnings - which can be traced back to an unassuming internet discussion board, circa 2007- The SCP Foundation has really come a long way over the past 15 years.
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