If you’re a fan of slightly unsettling lo-fi experiences, then you’ll want to check out Haunted PS1 Demo Disc 2021, a homage to both demo discs and antiquated weirdness.
Curated by the community of HauntedPS1, the Haunted PS1 Demo Disc first arrived on the scene in 2020.
The original demo disc featured 17 “demos” by various creators, with each featuring an eerie 32-bit era aesthetic. The 2021 version of the pseudo demo disc features even more weirdness, with 25 different games packaged within HauntedPS1’s magazine freebie tribute.
It’s important to note that HauntedPS1’s complication isn’t actually a demo disc. Sadly, you won’t be able to burn this on a CD and play it on an actual PlayStation. However, the collection is free and comes with a full-colour digital manual.
HauntedPS1’s take on demos is sublimely spooky, with a presentation that would be perfectly at home in something like Creepshow.
The demo’s YouTube trailer is absolutely outstanding. It features an introduction that perfectly fits the project’s Creepshow aesthetic.
The trailer also gives us a peek at some of the games included, in a style that closely matches trailers included on demo discs of old. The Haunted PS1 Demo Disc’s uncanny presentation adds to the complication’s brilliance, making the whole thing feel almost like a playable creepypasta.
The original PlayStation featured many games with a gothic look and feel, which fuels the nostalgia behind Haunted PS1 Demo Disc. While not every game on the collection is horror-themed, they all have a certain vibe about them, making the experience slightly unnerving. Even the compilation’s colourful platformer, Toree 3D, is strangely unsettling.
If you’d like to give the Haunted demo a try, it can be downloaded via HauntedPS1’s itch.io account. You can also still download last year’s demo disc today.
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Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Haunted PS1