There is a special kind of terror that only comes from a job where nothing happens for hours and hours on end, then, suddenly, something does. VCR83, a newly announced psychological surveillance horror game from Galactic Crows (Psychopathy Assessment) and developer Tarba Paul Cornel, wants you to clock in for exactly that kind of a shift, but in a fun way.

Blending elements of Night Trap, Eternal Darkness and Grok Bot, VCR83 gives you the task monitoring live security cameras across four locations, and when you spot something out of place, clicking it. Something wrong, odd, or iffy? Click it. Just make sure you are right. Successful reports will earn you tokens, which unlock new levels and pull you deeper into the game’s story. After each shift, a short, playable aftermath sequence drops you back into the location to find out what happened once the cameras stopped rolling.

Keeping you company through all of this is Pete, a virtual assistant who is eager to help… at first. You can chat with him, ask him questions, order him around, or just annoy him for fun. As your shifts pile up, Pete starts reacting to your nightly activities, takes a growing interest in what you are doing, and remembers a bit more than you would probably prefer. For those that remember Microsoft’s Clippy from the ’90s, you may have some uncomfortable flashbacks. 

Here is what makes VCR83 go from creepy to genuinely unnerving: the game reaches outside of its own window. It can create folders on your really-real desktop, poke around Windows Search, open programs like Paint, and use your Steam friends information and location for personalized events. The developers have posted an explanation about exactly what the game is allowed to do, which is reassuring… are you not reassured? 

VCR83 runs on an interface inspired by Windows XP (the horror!), complete with a “Ghost Shell Photo Viewer” for checking out your finds, unsettling emails to read, playable minigames like slots to kill the monotony of the quieter hours, and multiple websites to browse, including one called the “Hail Satan Hub.” Sounds like a normal day at a desk job, honestly.

A demo for VCR83 is available now on Steam, with the full game scheduled to arrive later this year. 

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