There’s a growing wave of retro horror projects chasing the aesthetic of the late ’90s and early 2000s, but far fewer actually understand why those games worked in the first place. The Skin Stapler demo is one of the rare exceptions. Instead of leaning solely on low poly nostalgia and VHS grime, developer Tainted Pact delivers a tightly controlled slice of slasher noir that feels deliberate, uncomfortable, and confidently mean spirited in the best possible way.

Set in the decaying urban sprawl of Carrion City, The Skin Stapler demo starts and casts players as Detective Dick Slater, a burned out cop pulled into a string of grotesque murders tied to the titular killer. It’s familiar territory on paper, but the execution is where the project begins to separate itself from the increasingly crowded PSX horror space. The game wastes very little time establishing tone. From the moment you step into the police department, there is a persistent sense that something is off in this world not just because of the murders, but because Carrion City itself feels morally rotten.

Michael Cosio from Tainted Pact Games, I think we can all agree, definitely understands the vibe! After the success of Flesh Made Fear, one of the best survival horror entries of 2025, he returns with a banger that hits all the right notes for fans of slasher inspired horror.

The demo runs roughly half an hour, but it is carefully paced to showcase the game’s strengths. Each location from the precinct to the Quick Fix convenience store and the Gutters End bowling alley serves and each charcater explored like Hexy and Blair serves as a controlled environment for building unease. Rather than relying on constant jump scares, the experience leans heavily on environmental discomfort, awkward character interactions, and deliberate quiet. It’s a design philosophy that feels closer to classic tension driven horror than to the louder, reaction bait style that dominates much of the indie scene right now. It has that Grindhouse, slasher corny humor too, let’s not forget about that beautiful combination. I recommend those questionable hot dogs, they look delicious….

What stands out most is how committed the game is to its grindhouse identity. The PSX visual filter isn’t just cosmetic dressing; it actively supports the tone. Texture warping, harsh lighting, and the smeared neon palette all work together to evoke the feeling of a lost late night VHS slasher. The presentation understands restraint, and that restraint goes a long way toward selling the atmosphere. Even in its short runtime, the demo shows a clear understanding of how negative space and silence can be more effective than constant audiovisual assault. If you played Flesh Made Fear you will feel the game is set in the same universe, and if you’ve been a fan of Tainted Pact like I am, it feels Massacre at the Mirage also forms a part of this universe I will call the “Cosio Universe”.

From a genre standpoint, The Skin Stapler occupies an interesting space adjacent to traditional survival horror. It shares the slower investigative pacing and emphasis on mood that genre fans will immediately recognize, but it stops short of fully embracing classic mechanical systems like resource management or meaningful combat pressure. Instead, the demo focuses on narrative momentum and controlled tension. For some purists, that may place it outside strict survival horror boundaries, but the DNA is undeniably present in the way the game builds dread through exploration and framing rather than action.

The writing, particularly around Detective Slater, walks a careful line between grim noir and grindhouse dark humor. The character feels intentionally rough around the edges without completely collapsing into parody, which is often where similar projects stumble. Maintaining that tonal balance across a full release will be critical, but the early signs are encouraging, and this one is definitely succeeding where others fail. and it’s showing since it’s one of the most anticipated games on Steam’s Next Fest this year.

Perhaps the most promising aspect of the demo is its confidence. The Skin Stapler does not feel like a project still searching for its identity. It knows exactly what kind of sleazy; neon drenched horror experience it wants to be, and the Demo presented here supports that vision with surprising discipline. If the full game expands on this foundation with additional mechanical depth and sustained narrative escalation, it has the potential to stand out in a genre space that is rapidly becoming saturated with surface level retro homages.

The demo succeeds at the one thing that matters most: it leaves a strong impression and makes Carrion City feel like a place worth returning to even if you probably shouldn’t.

Play Demo & Wishlist:

The Skin Stapler Demo on Steam

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(1) 🦑Tainted Pact Games🦑 (@TaintedPact) / X

Trailer: