“Content Warning”: Simplicity makes all the difference

Released on April 1, 2024, “Content Warning” truly shows what simple, pure fun people can have with video games. 

“Content Warning” was developed and published by Landfall Games, a Swedish game studio comprised of only ten people. Game studios usually have hundreds if not thousands of people, so the fact that they could even make this game in the first place shows their talent. 

“Content Warning” is a game where players take control of characters in spacesuits and travel underground in hopes of recording funny and popular videos to upload to SpookTube — the game’s version of YouTube — while trying not to be killed by the underground’s monsters in the process.

Players achieve the goal of uploading videos by using their flashlight and camera to record in-game footage which runs on virtual batteries that go down the more players use them, adding a layer of strategy. Once finished, players return to the surface and upload their recorded video to SpookTube. The money that the video earns becomes the budget to order better gear and equipment to make better videos. This cycle goes on for three in-game days as players try to reach three thousand views. 

The magic of the game comes in as players and or their friends attempt to become famous while trying not to die. It’s a fun risk-and-reward gameplay loop that introduces a heightened experience the more people play. 

One negative about the game, however, is that after a couple of hours, the challenge becomes a bit repetitive with a lack of variety in the underground and on the surface apart from uploading videos and sleeping to move to the next day. This is not a huge deal though, as the core gameplay loop is still rewarding and the game has several fun secrets and mechanics that are fun to discover. For example, since this game is only available on computers, the developers have allowed you to save the in-game videos to your computer, which are then funny to watch and share with your friends since there is also an in-game voice chat system so you can record yourself talking while in Content Warning. This feature alone is a gamechanger as you can try to make your friends laugh at the shenanigans that ensue.

“Content Warning” was available for free on the day it was released (coincidentally April Fool’s Day), which was a fun surprise because it allowed the game to develop a rapidly growing community of fans, helping it grow even further. 

“Content Warning” is a near-perfect example of the good, simple fun people can have while playing video games and how sometimes simplicity is the best form of entertainment and bonding.

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