MOLE reaches 97 percent Steam rating two weeks after launch

MOLE has reached a 97 percent positive rating on Steam with more than 1,500 reviews roughly two weeks after launch. The indie horror game from Off Black Creations is also drawing comparisons to Mouthwashing and Iron Lung.

The game puts the player inside a colossal drilling machine beneath Slavic soil. Over about three hours, MOLE builds psychological pressure around operating the machine while the character’s sense of reality starts to break down.

Creators are picking up the game

The press note says major creators including Jacksepticeye, Insym and Hollow have played MOLE, with some calling it one of their favorite horror games of the year. That attention has helped the game stand out in a crowded indie horror field.

MOLE was made by Off Black Creations, a studio founded by Sean Falk, who previously worked as a level designer on GTFO. The project is smaller in scale than a big-budget horror release, but its focus is narrow: a dense space, a heavy machine and a slow loss of control.

Small scale, concentrated pressure

The strong Steam rating suggests that players are responding to the concentrated format. Instead of stretching horror across a long campaign, MOLE uses a short runtime, a fixed work space and mounting unease to keep the experience tight.