From Five Nights at Freddy’s and Poppy Playtime to Garten of Banban and Venge, the widely popular genre of “Mascot Horror” is an oversaturated market, made of mostly indie game slop. You want to practice making your very first game? A first person mascot Horror game is a good start. You can learn all of the ins and outs of your game engine of choice, simply by creating a colorful child-friendly world and tossing some blood on the walls and floors.
Most mascot Horror is seen as childish and sloppy, because frankly, the genre is more obsessed with getting a jumpscare for YouTube clicks more than it is with presenting a unique story and characters. The worlds built in these games are often so similar. An arcade, school, or theme park that’s run-down and in shambles, but the children’s favorite mascots are still here, and hungry for blood.
In the 10 years since the genre’s popularity boomed, thanks to Scott Cawthon’s Five Nights at Freddy’s series, the mascot horror genre has already been flipped on its head time and time again. Thanks to most of these games being short enough to play in single sessions, it’s easy for developers to pump out a chapter in just a few months rather than the extended development time that bigger experiences would take. Scott Cawthon released the first three Five Nights at Freddy’s games in a single year, all to wide acclaim, and he kept that momentum going for quite some time up until the games started turning into something much bigger. Garten of BanBan is a series that puts out a new chapter every few months, reusing assets frequently, and slightly upping the quality with each release based on what they learned while making the prior entry.
The problem this genre faces is simple. The market is beyond over-saturated. People will see a new mascot horror game released on Steam and overlook it because it’s “just another FNAF” or “just another Bendy”. These games are so common and so frequent that it’s easier to just ignore them because… chances are you’ve already played something similar.
This isn’t to say that the genre doesn’t constantly lend itself to some really unique games; in fact, quite the opposite is true. Really quality games such as Tealerland, Indigo Park and the FNAF: Help Wanted games are right there, and really show some of the best parts of the genre. Innovating on an oversaturated market can be hard, but with the right team of creatives at the helm, you can create genuinely spine-chilling worlds for players to get lost in. The problem with the oversaturation tends to be that the slop is more popular than the actual gold that the genre has to offer.
Since these games are so popular among indie developers especially, I don’t believe we’ll see these releases slowing down any time soon. Picking and choosing what to support and put your money into can really be a deciding factor in the future of a genre. Consider supporting more creative and fulfilling endeavors such as myPOPGOES instead of the next BanBan game. (Unless of course you’re a YouTuber who chases the next trendy mascot horror games for the near-unlimited clicks they can receive.)
There’s definitely valid reasons to keep playing the next colorful candy-slashers as they release, but just know you’re actively supporting the oversaturation of the scene and proving to the outside viewers that more of the same-same-all-of-the-time is what the genre truly has to offer. People just getting into the scene will see the surface level first, and that can be quite off-putting if we show the best we have to offer is kindergarten clay figures (but there’s a secret facility underground) or a child’s cuddly doll factory (but there’s a secret facility underground) or a cute amusement park (but there’s a secret facility underground)… You get the picture.
What’s your favorite underrated mascot horror game?