Clock Tower (1995 video game)

Clock Tower, released in 1995, is a point-and-click survival horror adventure game developed by Human Entertainment for the Super Famicom. It is the first installment in the Clock Tower series. The game follows Jennifer Simpson, an orphan, and her friends as they are adopted by the mysterious Barrows family and brought to their mansion, known as the Clock Tower.

Jennifer soon becomes separated from her friends and pursued by Scissorman, a grotesque killer wielding a large pair of scissors. Gameplay revolves around escaping Scissorman and solving puzzles within the mansion to uncover the Barrows family's dark secrets and find a way to survive.

Clock Tower is notable for its innovative "panic" mechanic. When Jennifer encounters Scissorman or other threats, a panic meter rises. As the meter increases, Jennifer's actions become more erratic, hindering the player's control. This mechanic contributes significantly to the game's suspenseful atmosphere.

The game features multiple endings, determined by the player's actions throughout the game, such as discovering certain items or saving specific characters. These different endings add replayability to Clock Tower.

Clock Tower was only released in Japan and was not officially localized into English until years later via fan translations. Despite this, it gained a cult following due to its unique gameplay, suspenseful atmosphere, and chilling antagonist, Scissorman, solidifying its place as a classic of the survival horror genre. It was later followed by several sequels and spiritual successors.