Mouthwashing is one of the latest horror games taking the scene by storm. The game, developed by the Sweden-based team Wrong Organ, was released on September 26. A fanbase surrounding the game quickly grew thanks to its grim style and how deep the dark story goes. Due to its popularity, it’s gained the highly sought-after Overwhelmingly Positive score on Steam. What exactly made this roughly three-hour-long game an indie hit? Well, this article holds that answer. This is the reason behind the breakout success of Mouthwashing. Please take caution as spoilers are found below.
Stuck In A Hopeless Situation
The success of Mouthwashing lies within its dark and disturbing narrative. It begins with a disturbing intro sequence that launches the 5-person crew of a space freighter called the Tulpar into hopelessness. A violent crash caused this freighter, a part of the company called Pony Express, to be stranded. It also resulted in the captain being heavily disfigured with burnt-off skin and amputated limbs. The main part of the story takes place a couple of months after the crash when food and medical supplies are dwindling. This dire situation leads to the crew breaking into the cargo hold in hopes of finding food or medicine. Instead, they find a seemingly endless supply of mouthwash.
A large part of what makes horror games and movies scary is the feeling of being helpless and hopeless. The entire story of Mouthwashing takes place on this wrecked ship with a small crew onboard that’s losing more and more hope as the story progresses. Wrong Organ used this limited setting to add another grim ingredient to the recipe of psychological horror. This is seen in great detail as the game progresses. Players can watch the state of the Tulpar and the mental health of all crew members, including the main character, deteriorate. In a way, the setting becomes its own character, which makes it as powerful and impactful as other elements of the story.
Diving Deeply Into Dark Themes
There is no shortage of twisted and disturbing themes found within Mouthwashing‘s experience. They can be found within the stories of all five of the crewmembers: Jimmy, Anya, Swansea, Daisuke, and the heavily injured Captain Curly. Every character has issues that they’re dealing with that players discover throughout the game. Swansea is a recovering alcoholic who doesn’t see much point in life. His sobriety is ruined when hopelessness leads to him being the first to start drinking mouthwash. Daisuke is a young man whose parents put him on the ship out of disappointment. Anya is forced to deal with being on the same ship as the man who assaulted her, Jimmy.
It is this collection of dark themes that adds to the depth that this game has to offer. What makes the story even stronger is that these themes are foreshadowed and discussed throughout flashback sequences found in the game. This makes the second or even the third playthrough a different kind of experience than the first. Even though Mouthwashing is a short indie experience, players are drawn into the lives of these characters as they gradually learn about them. This makes their inevitable ends all the more tragic. That is how a horror game is made into a hard-hitting story. That is how a narrative full of tragedy becomes a work of art.
The Story Of An Antagonistic Main Character
Mouthwashing is seen mainly through the eyes of the main character, Jimmy. As previously mentioned, he is not an innocent character by any means. He is the cause of the entire situation. This co-pilot, who was influenced by the news of Pony Express’s closing and what he did to Anya, caused the Tulpar to crash. Only, players don’t understand this when first playing the game. Throughout Mouthwashing‘s short run time, it is revealed how disturbed, envious, and maybe even narcissistic the character they’re playing is. They watch as his sanity rapidly declines to the point where it becomes unclear at certain points of the game is reality or his delusions.
Wrong Organ took the known plot device of the unreliable narrator and twisted it to add yet another layer of depth to the story. They make players understand that they are in control of a heavily disturbed man, but they can’t do anything to change his path. They are helpless as he commits acts of violence until the very end of the game. The developers managed to create one of the most effective antagonists in an indie horror game to date.
Final Thoughts
Mouthwashing has quickly become a gem in the entire horror genre. It’s arguable that it joins the ranks of games like Silent Hill or Little Nightmares in terms of powerful narratives. It is a game that deserves all the attention and acclaim that is being drawn to it. This psychological indie horror game deserves its Overwhelmingly Positive Steam status, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if it earns even more accolades in the future. The game is a big win for Wrong Organ as well as publisher Critical Reflex.
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