The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is a 2021 interactive drama and survival horror video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is the third instalment in The Dark Pictures Anthology, after Man of Medan (2019) and Little Hope (2020). Continuing the series' premise, the game features a cast of five playable protagonists and a multilinear narrative influenced by player choices. Its decision-making scenes can significantly alter the trajectory of the plot and change the relationships between the main characters; some can lead to the permanent death of the protagonists. Staple mechanics of The Dark Pictures Anthology, such as quick time events (QTEs) and "pictures", collectable items that allow players to see visions of possible future events, appear again in House of Ashes. The game also introduces new features, including a more interactive camera system and three difficulty levels to manage QTEs. Jason Graves, a long-time collaborator with Supermassive Games, returned to compose the game's soundtrack, having created music for the earlier games in the series. House of Ashes takes heavy inspiration from the book At the Mountains of Madness and the films Predator and The Descent. Set during the 2003 invasion of Iraq,