The true horror of the mundane

CHECKPOINT

–A look at gaming across society, culture and politics

RESIDENT EVIL: THE COLOSSUS OF SURVIVAL-HORROR

For 25 years, Resident Evil games have defined and shaped the survival-horror genre, earning a huge, disgustingly mutated niche in the mainstream of pop culture. Steve Boxer recounts how that came to pass

Dead Space: the peak of horror game per fection?

Horror games too often take cues from films and roll out the cliches. But, says Nick Cowen, Dead Space is a rare game that got its horror absolutely right

HORROR GAMES: FOREVER MUTATING TO CONFOUND STEREOT YPING

Steve Boxer argues that the scope of what are collectively known as horror games is so vast that they shouldn’t be placed into pigeonholes. But what makes them so irresistible?

FRIENDS WHO SCARE TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER

Lee Abrahams reckons nothing beats playing horror games co-operatively (or competitively) with others, and describes the best co-op horror thrills to be found

KILLING TIME

Games that have kept us entertained

Martha Is Dead: the making of a psychological thriller

Italian developer Luca Dalco gives Steve Boxer a deep insight into the philosophies and techniques employed when making his ground-breaking, forthcoming psychological thriller, Martha Is Dead

OUT, DAMNED SHAKESPEARE

Chris Winson-Longley is a retired English teacher with over 25 years of experience and now Editor of Checkpoint Kids. In this article Chris asks whether the inclusion of ‘British cultural icons’, like Shakespeare, as core elements of the curriculum should continue unchallenged and questions their relevance in ‘modern Britain’