Hotel 626 was one of the most memorable horror games that existed in 2008. What's interesting, though, is that behind this well-known browser game is the objective of the popular brand of chips, Doritos, who used this game just as a marketing ploy.
A lot of us might be wondering what an intense horror game has to do with promoting the chips from Dositos. The reason behind this is the objective of having a creative way to promote bringing back two of what used to be dead flavors, the Smokin' Cheddar BBQ and Black Pepper.
In the promotional packs, there was an advertisement for a website with the cryptic address www.hotel626.com. According to Yuga Tech, because it seems to be the most convenient time for ghosts to both work and play, the game may only be played from six in the evening till six in the morning, thus the 626 in the name.
What Made Hotel 626 a Hit?
Hotel 626 was a very imaginative and immersive horror game, especially for an effort made with a simple flash player. It brought together cinematic-quality cutscenes.
The game's play objective is pretty straightforward. You must escape a haunted hotel after waking up in your room at two in the morning. However, in order to get to the exit, you will need to go through a sequence of events that have been prepared in advance as you are being pursued by a shadow that is dark and devouring.
To successfully escape, you will have to go through a variety of rooms that are inhabited by terrifying beings.
When you play the game in first person, you are continually confronted with an ominous, tentacle-like darkness crawling in, and the hotel forces you to run wherever it tells you to.
How the Game Went
In terms of the actual gameplay, you will first come across a demon housekeeper who is hidden in a restroom. You can only get away from her by pointing your camera in her direction and taking a picture, but you have to locate her in the dark and listen through your headphones while she mutters incomprehensible gibberish to herself in order to get an idea of where she is.
Another scary and brutal part of the game is when you have to move through the rooms and a spooky baby will ask you to literally sing it to sleep with a lullaby of your choice. It will force you to sing into the microphone at just the proper level, or else it will rip your face off.
According to WhatCulture, "the game continues in much the same way, even taking pictures of you with your own webcam at key jump scares to add to its photo-library of terrified guests at the hotel, which you can browse through if you make it out alive from an unknown serial killer's lair."
In addition, the game also has the ability to call each player. When you pick up the call, there are instances when you will be met with screaming instructions telling you how to escape.
Sometimes, you would receive a phone call from the game at a later time in which it would inform you that you never actually left the hotel and that there was no genuine escape from the horrors that it contained.
Hotel 626 took great satisfaction in the fact that it was able to create an ambiance that was not limited to the screen alone. The webcam, mobile phones, and microphones that the player had available were all thrown into the pot to create an experience that was completely unpredictable.
If there was ever something that could convince you to put down your laptop and never interact with the internet again, this was most certainly that thing. This was one of the reasons why the game was so unforgettable.
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