VHS STORE

A short PSX horror game built entirely by Claude AI from my design document — an experiment in AI game development.

VHS STORE

A short first-person psychological horror set in an old video rental store.

It’s almost midnight. You’re working the night shift at a small video rental store, the way you always do. The register is on, the radio is playing quietly, and rain taps against the shop window.

Just a regular shift.

Then a customer says something strange. The phone rings, and the voice on the line asks if you’re still there. A TV switches on by itself and shows something it shouldn’t. And down in the storeroom, someone has left an unlabeled tape with a handwritten note:

“DON’T WATCH UNTIL CLOSING.”

Of course, you’re going to watch it.

About the game

VHS STORE is a story-driven horror game that takes place entirely inside one small shop. The place you know by heart slowly stops making sense, one detail at a time: tapes that aren’t where you left them, lights that won’t stay on, customers who talk as if they know you.

Nothing is spelled out for you. The truth is hidden in newspaper clippings, old recordings, shift logs and the words of the people who come in. Piece it together yourself.

Features

• One location, five chapters — a single night shift that gets stranger with every hour
• PSX-style visuals with a worn VHS look — grain, color bleed, tape distortion, and a picture that breaks along with reality
• Atmosphere first — the hum of fluorescent lights, rain, low drones, and silence when it matters most
• Handcrafted scares — few, but each one placed with purpose
• Environmental storytelling — read documents, watch tapes, talk to customers, examine objects
• No combat, no inventory management — just you, the store, and whatever is happening in it

Details

• Playtime: about 25–35 minutes
• Languages: English, Russian
• Platform: Windows

Controls

WASD	Move
Mouse	Look
E / Left Click	Interact
Shift	Run
Esc	Pause

Content warning

Jump scares, flashing lights and visual distortion, themes of death and fire.

Best played with headphones, in the dark.