Your job might suck, but at least you’re not Fred in The Green Light
Short but effective, psychological horror game The Green Light will only take you about an hour to complete. And it’ll be an hour you don’t forget – even if you’re not quite sure exactly what’s happening throughout it. One thing is for sure, though: protagonist Fred is a very unlucky soul, working at what seems like the most awful office imaginable, with a boss that makes your skin crawl.
The Green Light begins with Fred alone at his desk after hours. It’s dark, made worse by the fact that the office power has just gone out. But Fred can’t go home; his boss calls to yell at him, telling him he must clean up the office or else. It seems Fred has more to contend with than just an a-hole of a boss, however; creepy things start happening, and an unknown voice on a radio tells Fred he needs to follow a mysterious green light in order to escape the monotony.
As ominous as an unknown voice over a radio is, I think if I was in Fred’s situation, I’d do whatever I could to escape that dead-end job. And so, once out of his office, you’re guiding Fred on a mission to track down the titular green light, which comes from a nearby lighthouse. But getting there is easier said than done.
The narrative of The Green Light might be a little convoluted, outside of the basic premise. But developer Waleedzo does, in fairness, nail the pacing and atmosphere. For a game so short, every moment of The Green Light feels tense and fraught, and there’s no wasted space or menial tasks. Even when you’re simply looking for a key in Fred’s office, it’s seriously tense. Throw in a few glimpses of something spooky, and The Green Light keeps you on the edge of your seat.
From Fred’s office, you’ll make your way through an unsettling backstreet before eventually ending up at a cabin by the shore that leads to the lighthouse. Fred might not be in work any more, but that doesn’t make things much better for him; the spooky vibes are turned up to eleven and you’ll be looking behind you at every step you take. This isn’t a survival horror; nothing can actually ‘get’ you and cause harm to you, but that doesn’t mean you’ll feel any safer as you make your way through its environments.
Is it the best horror game you’ll ever play? No, but for roughly the price of a coffee, and considering it’s largely the work of a solo dev, it’s well worth your time. Even just to see if you can figure out what the heck is going on in that final sequence – or to make you feel a little better about your own office job. Because no matter how bad things are, you’re at least having a better day at work than Fred.
The Green Light is available now on PC and will be on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S from Tuesday 28th July.
