THE SURVEY: Halloween

THE SURVEY: Halloween - Play Online

You boot up your computer after a rough day, thinking you'll just fill out a quick survey. Instead, you get dragged into a first-person horror experience that feels like a love letter to PS1-era survival horror mixed with modern indie jump-scare tactics. The goal? Navigate a creepy house, interact with cursed objects, and survive whatever nightmare the survey conjured up. It's short—5 to 10 minutes per run—but it'll mess with your head.

Key Features

• Retro Horror Aesthetic: Full grayscale filter with heavy grain and vignette that screams low-poly nostalgia.
• Quick Runs: Each playthrough lasts 5-10 minutes, perfect for streamers or a quick scare fix.
• Point-and-Click Exploration: Simple interaction system with a white dot reticle to examine objects and trigger events.
• Browser-Friendly: Runs smooth in-browser with no downloads, works on most setups without breaking a sweat.

How to Play THE SURVEY: Halloween

Getting started is dead simple, but staying calm? That's the hard part.

Navigate the Creepy Environment

You move around using WASD keys, exploring a confined indoor space that feels like someone's bedroom turned nightmare fuel. The interaction dot in the center of your screen lights up when you hover over something clickable—a jack-in-the-box on a desk, a vent on the wall, or diary scraps scattered around. Click to examine objects, grab items, or trigger the next story beat. Jump with Space if you need to reach higher spots, though most of the game keeps you grounded and tense.

Survive the Scares and Solve the Mystery

The real challenge isn't complex puzzles—it's managing your nerves. Jump scares come out of nowhere: ghostly figures blur into frame, objects move on their own, and audio cues mess with your sense of safety. You piece together the story through audio logs and environmental clues, but the game doesn't hold your hand. Stay alert, check every corner, and don't let the atmosphere get to you. The tension ramps up fast, especially when that oversized moon outside the window reminds you nothing here is normal.

Reach the End Before Time Runs Out

Each run has a linear path to the finale, but the game throws enough distractions and scares to make you second-guess every move. Your objective is straightforward: uncover what the survey unleashed and escape. No lives, no health bar—just you, the environment, and whatever's lurking in the shadows. Finish before the dread overwhelms you, or start over and try a different approach.

Who is THE SURVEY: Halloween for?

This one's for horror junkies who love analog aesthetics and don't mind low-budget indie vibes. If you're into games like FNAF or those "cursed VHS tape" experiences YouTubers play at 3 AM, you'll feel right at home. It's not for kids—the jump scares and creepy imagery hit harder than you'd expect from such a simple setup. Teens and young adults (14-25) who consume horror content through streamers will get the most out of it. If you need deep mechanics or long campaigns, look elsewhere. This is atmosphere over everything.

The Gameplay Vibe

It's tense and claustrophobic. The grayscale filter makes everything feel like you're watching through a busted security camera, and the minimal lighting keeps you squinting at every shadow. Audio design does the heavy lifting—creaks, whispers, and sudden silence before a scare. The jack-in-the-box I clicked on? Yeah, that got me good. Visually, it's rough around the edges—low-poly models, basic shaders, and textures that look stretched—but that's part of the charm. It feels like a lost game from 2001 that someone modded to run in your browser. The whole thing lasts less than 10 minutes, but those minutes crawl by when you're dreading what's around the corner.

Technical Check: Saves & Performance

The game doesn't need a save system since runs are so short—you either finish or restart in under 10 minutes. Performance-wise, it's light as hell. The low-poly models and simple lighting mean it'll run on older machines or budget laptops without choking. I didn't notice any lag or stuttering, even with the grain effects cranked up. Just make sure your browser's updated and you've got a stable connection if you're playing the online version.

Quick Verdict: Pros & Cons

A solid bite-sized horror experience that nails the retro aesthetic but doesn't overstay its welcome.

• ✅ Pro: Perfect length for streaming or a quick scare—no bloat, just tension.
• ✅ Pro: The grayscale filter and grain effects create a genuinely unsettling vibe on a shoestring budget.
• ❌ Con: Once you know where the scares are, replay value drops hard. It's a one-trick pony.

Controls

Responsive and no-nonsense. WASD feels tight, and the mouse-based interaction works without any finicky hitboxes slowing you down.

• Desktop: WASD to move, Mouse to look and click objects, Space to jump.
• Mobile: Touch controls supported with on-screen buttons for movement and interaction.

Release Date & Developer

Developed by NISHAD GAMES and released on November 9, 2025. It's a fresh entry in the indie horror scene, clearly influenced by the recent wave of analog horror content.