Panelak

Panelak is a short psychological horror adventure that takes you into perhaps the most Czech horror setting imaginable. To an old socialist-era apartment building standing mysteriously in the middle of a forest. You encounter a helpless man calling for help and soon discover that surviving the building means following a strange set of rules. The familiar corridors, shabby apartments, old furniture, and unmistakable atmosphere create a wonderfully authentic setting, while the game constantly mixes horror with typically Czech humor and absurd situations. What might normally be just another creepy apartment building instead feels strangely familiar, nostalgic, and unsettling at the same time. The gameplay focuses mainly on exploration, searching for items, solving logical puzzles, and hiding from danger rather than fighting enemies. The game also offers multiple solutions and endings, encouraging you to pay attention to the environment and think carefully about your decisions. Panelak stands out thanks to its combination of psychological horror, surreal situations, Czech references, and humor that often feels like something straight out of everyday life in a Czech apartment block. It is a charmingly bizarre horror experience that manages to be genuinely creepy while also making you laugh, especially if you are familiar with the atmosphere and quirks of Czech panelak culture. --- 7/10

As an Eastern European, this game is a huge nostalgic trip back to the 2000s. Good enough jumpscares, a creepy atmosphere, and I definitely didn’t expect actual Czech dubbing, so big thumbs up for that. This game also has some fun achievements. I had to play the game twice to get them because of my own dumb mistakes, though I didn’t mind since the game itself is rather short. That said, I wouldn’t call it straightforward. I struggled a bit with figuring out what to do and where to go next, since the game doesn’t really tell you much. Still, a great game, and I definitely recommend it.

A short horror film with a few scary moments, but mainly you can feel the atmosphere of communist times with an interesting ending