TEAM REVIEW / Dead Letter Dept. (PC)

In a society where many of us sit in front of a computer typing out emails to request information from a colleague or fill out a form to submit to insurance, the last thing one would expect is finding a video game where you spend most of the time staring at a virtual computer screen within your actual computer screen, entering addresses, short paragraphs, data, and random gibberish. May I introduce Dead Letter Dept., a weird, sinister experience that will leave you feeling uneasy from the moment the game begins. I still remember my days working an administrative job at an accounting firm where I would often spend two hours straight entering the names and addresses of clients into the system, completely zoned out and distracting myself from the grind with a Spotify playlist.

Dead Letter Dept. is a first-person POV horror game where you have one mission: type the details found on old pieces of undelivered mail, sometimes letters, sometimes addresses, sometimes article clippings, and sometimes strange, alien languages that no one from planet Earth would understand. The main character is an unassuming person living in a cramped apartment, boxes still unpacked, first time in a big city, with a temporary data entry job. The entire atmosphere feels very dystopian with the industrial, prison-like hallways with doors stretching for miles (figuratively speaking) and dim, greenish lighting that casts eerie shadows on the walls. There is nothing inviting about this locale, so I was surprised to find comfort when I discovered the computer assigned to me for my data entry tasks. At first glance, it appears harmless, just an ordinary, older monitor that looks like it’s been around since the 90s.

The first in-game day of work is simple and fairly straightforward, but something also feels off about some of the content. I’m not the most proficient typer, but according to one of those online typing tests, I fall somewhere between 67-69 words per minute with 92-93% accuracy. Not that speed or precision matters in Dead Letter Dept. but it was fun to test some practical skills while playing a horror game. As I mentioned earlier, there isn’t anything particularly disturbing on the first in-game day, but as the days progress and new typing challenges are added, things take a twist and I started getting serial killer vibes from some of the writing and images displayed on the monitor. Without giving any details away, this game is haunting, it will leave you on the edge of your seat and make you scared to look away from your screen. Be warned; there are some jump scares though not the usual ones you would find in a horror game.

I tend to be a harsh critic of all types of media, film, and books included, and honestly, my expectations were low for this game, but I was blown away by this immersive and mysterious adventure that takes players down a frightening journey that is both memorable and original. But don’t take my word for it. Start typing and find out what Dead Letter Dept. is all about!

Alex Southgate

I have a rule when it comes to games in the horror genre. If in doubt, get Madeleine involved. This is exactly why I’m joining her on this adventure. For some ungodly reason, she likes being scared, and I clearly do not. This being said, I’ll try and add my ten cents on this creepy, dystopian typing game.

Dead Letter Dept. Is psychological horror at its finest. This isn’t a game about jump scares, (although my soul left my body on at least one occasion,) it’s about the creepy feeling of being watched. While you’re sitting typing away at your computer you start getting a sinking sensation that’s really difficult to describe. I wouldn’t necessarily call this title scary as much as I’d call it deeply uncomfortable and, to be honest, I’m not sure what’s worse.

You begin by simply sitting in front of your computer relaying the bits of text that couldn’t be deciphered in the mail. As the days wear on, though, you start getting the feeling that the disparate documents are not only forming patterns but that they’re sending messages to you personally. We don’t know where the player character has come from, simply that they’ve moved from another city, but either you’ve done something horrific in your past or you’re privy to knowledge that most people shouldn’t be. Either way, you can expect to spiral into a nightmare that is going to end in one of a series of different ways.

Dead Letter Dept. takes place over six working days and can be played in its entirety in about three hours. This is important though as this title has a series of different endings. This makes this game really replayable and you’ll want to discover all of the different paths the story can take you down. Importantly, this isn’t a game for people who only play for thirty minutes at a time. You’ll get one save for each playthrough, so if you don’t foresee yourself completing the entire game in one go you’ll have to work out how much time you can give it. You won’t want all of your progress to be lost because you’ve had to quit early. This is important for immersion. If you’re dropping out of the game every ten minutes that creepy feeling will be lost and it’ll just be another typing game. See it through, it’s definitely worth it.

As a non-horror fan, I really enjoyed myself with this title. Dead Letter Dept. does something new with the typing genre and the story is enticing enough to bring you back for more. At no point did I feel like the horror elements were ruining the game for me, and I think this is really important because it opens things up to other players who probably wouldn’t make this type of game their first call.

Nuts and bolts wise Dead Letter Dept. ticks all the boxes. The setting is beautifully creepy without needing to step over the line into guts and gore, and the controls and music all fit perfectly. This title feels like playing through a very uncomfortable short story, but one that you’ll want to revisit on multiple occasions.

As someone who usually needs someone like Madeleine to hold my hand when it comes to the horror genre, (more the case that she plays the games and I peer over her shoulder,) I’m very impressed with Dead Letter Dept. This is a game that I can not only play alone but thoroughly enjoy. With this being said I can only recommend this title to those of you that may be a little more afraid of the dark than you’d like to admit. I mean no disrespect by this comment; remember, I’m one of you.

This review was taken from a copy of the game provided by the publisher.