BECOME A MEMBER!
No ads, leave comments,
influence content, live AMA’s,
and more.
See all the benefits

An Unsettling Encounter: Anthology of Fear Review – Is It Really Worth It?

by: 
hello world!
Pagan Plays
| October 21, 2023
hello world!

Well, we all know how I just LOVE horror games (sarcasm), but seeing as it’s the spooky season, when Ultimate Games S.A. reached out with a game code for review, I thought, ‘Sure, maybe this is worth a shot’! So I brought it to Twitch and shared an evening of psychological horror with this community, but was it worth the shot? Ummm… kinda?

First Nightmare Hallway

So let me start off by saying that although I’m not a typical Horror genre fan, I have been playing horror games on the Couch Soup Youtube channel for my show Craic’d for well over a year now, and I think – much to my disdain- I think I’m starting to like it. I played Layers of Fear years ago while streaming. It was honestly one of the most intense and brilliant horror games I’ve ever played.

So when Anthology of Fear was presented to me as a game code with the description that it was a similar style of experiential horror game (rather than the pow-pow bang-bang shooty kind), I was so excited to play it. However, I have to admit that this game fell far below par compared to Layers of Fear, and although the game was definitely filled with some good design, lighting, and atmospheric tension, some of the jumpscare tropes fell short.

Knock Knock.. Frame from Alice’s nightmare
Knock Knock.. Frame from Alice’s nightmare

You begin the game as a detective of some kind, trying to find answers in a closed medical facility that experimented with recording the nightmares/dreams of their patients. While looking for answers to your brother’s death, as the player Ethan, you’ll dive into the nightmares of not only the patient in question but also a staff member who may have been partly responsible for the death of your person of interest. 

The nightmare realms are beautifully lit and, in my opinion, well-designed. However, the game relied on some typical horror/jumpscare tropes that could sometimes feel a bit dated and nonunique. For example, a chair might move quickly across the hall, but the movement lacked pre-built tension and thus failed to even earn a ‘gasp’ from me as I played, or there might be bloody parts or even a squirmy bloody mess in a sink with crying emanating from it, very reminiscent of P.T. the demo created by Hideo Kojima.

Crying blood goo similar to Hideo Kojima’s P.T., found in Alice’s Nightmare
Crying blood goo similar to Hideo Kojima’s P.T., found in Alice’s Nightmare

The story, too, is somewhat convoluted and a little hard to follow at times. It also deals with some very heavy topics and child harm, which I felt was more for shock value rather than to strengthen the story. The story led to an interesting intersection between a patient and a staff member’s nightmares, but the staff member’s (Alice) dream, in particular, felt really odd and, although shockingly violent, felt underwhelming as a whole. 

It’s not all negative, though; I do have to say that I did rather enjoy the experience of the game with a live-stream community. There were definitely the occasional mannequin jumpscares that got me good, and the poem puzzle was particularly interesting.

The game definitely has some janky feeling controls (especially played on Xbox), but I did feel that my community on stream did enjoy the experience of horror puzzle solving as much as I did. 

Because of this, I would definitely recommend this game to a streamer or anyone playing with friends, as I felt a lot of enjoyment out of discussing puzzles and guessing story plotlines with others, much more than I would have if I had played this on my own. 

The game retails for $9.99 on Steam or $8.99 on Xbox, and honestly, I think that’s a fair price to pay for it. The game is well enough designed with some great lighting and design throughout, and it would make a great game for a live stream player. Other than that, I would probably recommend alternative horror games if you’re playing on Xbox or by yourself. 

5/10  soup cans. It’s soupy, but could be soupier. 

Hey fellow nerds! Before you dive back into that gaming session or start your next binge-watch, here’s the deal with Couch Soup: we’re a completely independent pop culture site run by genuine fans who get just as hyped as you do about the latest games, comics, movies, and TV shows. No corporate overlords, no AI-generated content, just real people who know their Metroid from their Mass Effect.

Unlike the big corporate sites, we don’t chase clicks or stir up drama. Sure, we might have some hot takes (looking at you, controversial season finale), but they come from a place of genuine passion and respect for the creators and fandoms we cover.

Want to support what we do and join what we think is the coolest community of pop culture enthusiasts on the internet? Check out our supporter tiers – each packed with perks that’ll level up your fandom experience. Every contribution helps keep us independent and lets us keep nerding out with you!

Thanks for being part of our quest – now, back to our regularly scheduled geekery!
Drew Lewis,
Editor-in-chief
Membership
Monthly
Yearly
Members Only Newsletter
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Ability to Comment on Articles
Unlocked
Access to Couchsoup Community
Circle Forum
SIGN UP
Everything in free +
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN
Everything in free +
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN
Everything in free +
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN
Everything in free +
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN
Annual Membership
Everything in free +
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN
Annual Membership
Annual Membership
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN
Annual Membership
Everything in free +
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN
Annual Membership
Everything in free +
No Ads on the Site! Woohoo!
5% Couch Soup Store Discount
Monthly AMA chat with CouchSoup team members
Early access (up to 72hrs) to new
episodes
Access to exclusive members only
content (video & articles)
JOIN

About the Author

  • Pagan Plays

    Pagan comes from a colorful background of drama and performance studies, has had a few roles as a trainee assistant director on film sets in Ireland, heck, she even had a few professional acting roles, but I mean, who really knows? Hailing from both The Rainbow Nation and The Green Isle, she’s colorful to say the least.

Share This

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Comments are for members only. Sign up here to become a member for free.

The Bowl

Stephanie Judge
11 hours ago
Okay, while this trailer looks hilarious… This pack doesn’t look worth the purchase. Like, do we really need another adventure camping pack? No. Would I love to play a Survivor/Love Island Sims-spinned back? Yes. Will I download it? Nope…  
Drew Lewis
11 hours ago
I think we are do for a rewatch of this classic show. Breaking out my white blazer.
Stephanie Judge
11 hours ago
The two new songs are “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble.” The soundtrack from the original Broadway track already has a massive hold on me… But this… This is going to have me in a puddle of tears.  Wicked: For Good. In theaters November 21, 2025. 

 

    Drew Lewis
    11 hours ago
    You had me at Jack Black and Paul Rudd bringing back the big snake from the 90s. The trailer dropped, and it’s great. I like big snakes and I cannot lie. Paul Rudd and Jack Black star in #AnacondaMovie – exclusively in theatres Christmas.

      Drew Lewis
      20 hours ago
      One of Redford‘s often over-looked gems has an insanely talented cast, Ben Kingsley, Sidney Poitier, River Phoenix, James Earl Jones, Dan Aykroyd, David Strathairn, Mary McDonnell. It’s a brilliant spy/heist film that’s light and breezy. RIP Robert…you legend.

        1 4

        Get our Newsletter!

        Featured

        2025 Game of the Year – Prediction Time!

        The Game Awards is less than three months away, so it’s time we here at CouchSoup give you our predictions for the grand poobah of video game award shows. This will be the GOTY shortlist and winner in 2025!
        by Iain McParlandSeptember 17, 2025
        1 2 3 1,058

        Read more

        Loki Season 2 Episode 1: Past, Present, and Future

        Loki Season 2 is here, starting with a banger of an episode. Join Thomas Richards as he breaks down Episode 1 of Loki Season 2.
        by Thomas RichardsOctober 10, 2023 

        Doctor Who in 2023 is a Breath of Life We Really Needed

        Being A Doctor Who fan for years, Ben just couldn't stay away from the new Doctor Who show, hoping it returns to its prime. Ben goes over his experience watching The Star Beast.
        by Ben HazellNovember 29, 2023 
        1 2 3 324
        © 2025 CouchSoup, LLC. All Rights Reserved
        Terms of Service | Privacy
        © 2024 CouchSoup, LLC. All Rights Reserved
        Manage Cookie Settings crossmenuchevron-down