Last Updated on Sep 19, 2025 @ 13:29:37 PM.
2025 has felt like something of a return to the lofty heights we once had back in the day, regarding survival horror, anyway. With titles like Dead Reset, Chronos: The New Dawn, Silent Hill f, and many more, there’s not been a better time to want games to scare you. That’s why, when Captured caught my eye, I couldn’t help but get drawn into what it was offering.
A simple premise, but one that ends up being surprisingly layered and very addictive. When I first started playing Captured, presented with the task of finding 13 anomalies in the house I’d grown up in, I wasn’t particularly blown away. However, after a few run-throughs, failures, and encountering some of the bizarre anomalies on offer, I was hooked. From moving chairs to random radio broadcasts, or an entire forest crammed into a bedroom, the game doesn’t hesitate to throw the weird and wonderful at you. Just when you’re thinking you’re safe and know what’s going on, the higher difficulty levels will throw different demons at you, offering another aspect you have to manage.
From a jump scare demon that you can’t look at, to one that follows you and grabs you unless you hit it with a flashlight, like a terrifying 18+ version of Boo from Mario, you’ll definitely end up shouting a few times. On the flip side, the lack of diversity (I encountered three types) of these enemies will end up leaving you quickly desensitised to them, and it detracts from the scary atmosphere of it all.
In short, Captured is a high-tech version of Spot the Difference, except the differences are other-worldly, the consequences deadly, and the early stages of dread never completely go away. Even the supposedly helpful disembodied voice that works as both a guide and a tutorial will fill you with existential dread, so you’ll never feel completely at ease, even though it’s just a house you’re exploring.
While Captured doesn’t have a narrative per se, it does sprinkle something of a storyline in between the many go-rounds. From kidnapped kids to the very pictures you’re taking being referenced in TV and radio broadcasts as you play, you’ll piece together everything if you take your time and pay attention – the aim of the entire game.
There are moments of genuine dread in Captured; there are ‘aha!’ moments when you feel a sense of pride at noticing the tiniest of differences in a loop, but there’s also the other side of things. The aforementioned lack of diversity in the demons hunting you and the paint-by-numbers ending leave a little to be desired. The simplicity of the gameplay is both a positive and a negative, with it being easy to pick up, but also not offering a great deal long-term. With it being a solo developer behind the wheel, it’s understandable, and I’m personally hoping that he commits to supporting the game going forward, expanding the lore, the demons, and even maybe another environment?
Captured
Trapped in what appears to be an endless hallway in your home, rooms begin to feel unfamiliar. Capture anomalies on camera and stay away from any sinister entities.
Summary
Captured is one of those horror titles that is quite literally pick up and play. There’s not much lore and not much required of you, bar paying attention, and it can quickly become addictive in the short term, but it doesn’t offer much beyond a few hours of gameplay.
HOURS PLAYED: 5
PLAYED ON: PS5
- A simple gameplay loop that ends up being ridiculously addictive.
- Intimidating as much as it is claustrophobic at times.
- Too few ghosts and ghouls, it's easy to be desensitized by them after a while.
Captured is available now on Steam and PS5, with Xbox Series X|S following October 7th.
For more Thumb Wars, don’t miss our review of the Full-Motion Video of Dead Reset, or our early access opinions on our preview of The Lift.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
