Carrion (video game)

Carrion is a 2020 reverse horror Metroidvania video game developed by Phobia Game Studio and published by Devolver Digital. Players assume the role of an amorphous, tentacled creature of unknown origin that has escaped from an underground research facility.

The game focuses on exploration and combat. The creature consumes humans to grow in size and gain access to new abilities, but loses biomass and abilities when damaged. The creature must navigate the facility, solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles while evading or consuming the human inhabitants.

The gameplay emphasizes movement and physics. The creature can latch onto surfaces and propel itself through the environment, utilizing its tentacles to interact with objects and attack enemies. The game's atmosphere is dark and visceral, with a heavy emphasis on the creature's alien nature and the terror it inflicts on the human characters.

The game's narrative is largely environmental, with the creature's origins and the nature of the research facility gradually revealed through environmental storytelling and discovered documents. There is no spoken dialogue.

Carrion was released on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. It received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its unique gameplay mechanics, unsettling atmosphere, and satisfying sense of power.