From the creators of the critically-acclaimed In Search of Darkness trilogy, Aliens Expanded, and First Person Shooter, it’s time to enter a whole new world of horror…  TerrorBytes!

In this new five-part episodic documentary, we explore and celebrate the rich history of horror gaming, taking you behind-the-scenes with the developers, artists and composers of the scariest games of all time.

Across five-and-a-half hours, you’ll hear from legendary Silent Hill composer & producer Akira Yamaoka, Dead by Daylight co-directors Mathieu Coté and Dave Richard, and Roberta Williams (Director: Phantasmagoria) as well as Dave Szymanski (Creator: Iron Lung, Dusk) and Hifumi Kōno (Director: Clock Tower).

Joining them are Denis Dyack (Director: Eternal Darkness), Thomas Grip (Creative Director: Penumbra and Amnesia series, Soma), Airdorf (Creator: FAITH: The Unholy Trinity), John Romero (Co-creator: DOOM), Swery65 (Director: Deadly Premonition), and many more (check out the cast section below for the full list)

Order your copy now and you’ll receive the first two episodes immediately with episodes 3-5 following in April. We’ve also got a range of physical merchandise available including numbered limited-edition Blu-ray, poster, t-shirt, mouse mat and more.

Plus, when you order TerrorBytes you’ll receive a free copy of First Person Shooter, our critically acclaimed 4-hour exploration of FPS games!  

Order now to get your name in the credits. Opportunity ends at midnight on the 13th of April! Don’t miss out!

Five-and-a-Half Hours of Entertainment

Take a deep dive into the world of Horror gaming across five incredible episodes:

Episode 1 - Enter The Survival Horror

We explore the survival horror genre, examining the early titles like 3D Monster Maze and Sweet Home, its explosive popularity in the 90s - where titles like Alone in the Dark, Resident Evil, and Silent Hill captured the imagination of the masses - and its legacy and enduring popularity today.

Episode 1 highlights include:

• Akira Yamaoka (Composer: Silent Hill series), Jasper Byrne (Composer: Lone Survivor, Hotline Miami), and Jeremy Blaustein (Translator/Voice Director: Silent Hill 1 & 2) discuss Horror soundscapes and how they shape our sense of fear and terror.
• Denis Dyack (Director: Eternal Darkness) discusses Eternal Darkness, with other contributors chiming in to dissect their favourite scares and insanity effects from the game.

Other Key Contributors: Hifumi Kōno (Director: Clock Tower), Hubert Chardot (Writer: Alone in the Dark)
 

Episode 2 - Lethal Licences

We explore the weird and wonderful world of licensed Horror games, including the early Halloween and Texas Chainsaw Massacre games on the Atari 2600 and the brilliant Alien: Isolation, as well as the growing popularity of licensed characters in games like Dead by Daylight.

Episode 2 highlights include:

• Dead by Daylight co-creators Mathieu Coté and Dave Richard discuss adapting characters from across the Horror universe as killers and survivors in their hit multiplayer game - with Slipknot’s Corey Taylor sharing his thrill at being added!
• Pete Wanat (Producer: The Thing video game adaptation) is joined by John Carpenter (Writer, Director: The Thing) in discussing capturing the trust and fear of the original movie in a video game sequel.
• Andy Bray (Gameplay and AI programmer: Alien Isolation) discusses creating the unkillable Alien in Alien Isolation.

Other Key Contributors: Swery65 (Director: Deadly Premonition), Mary Kenney (Writer: The Walking Dead: The Final Season), Brian Gomez (Writer: Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick, Clive Barker's Jericho; Exec Producer: Jurassic World Aftermath)

Episode 3 - Narrative Nightmares

From the surreal and unique to the kitsch and campy, we explore the rise and fall of full-motion video horror games, celebrating Night Trap, The 7th Guest, and Sierra On-Line classics Phantasmagoria and Gabriel Knight, before examining the genre’s surprising rebirth over the past decade.

Episode 3 highlights include:

• Gabriel Knight creator Jane Jensen reveals the importance of Gabriel’s character to the story and how her own experiences influenced the character design.

• Sam Barlow (Director: Her Story, Immortality) and Will Byles (Director: Until Dawn, The Quarry) discuss the rebirth of FMV horror, beginning with 2015’s unsettling police procedural Her Story.

Other Key Contributors: Roberta Williams (Director: Phantasmagoria), Graeme Devine (Co-creator: The 7th Guest)

Episode 4 - The Indie Revolution

We shine a light on indie development in horror gaming, from breakout hits like Five Nights at Freddy’s and Amnesia to the many unique and one-of-a-kind experiences like Iron Lung, Lost in Vivo, and FAITH: The Unholy Trinity.

Episode 4 highlights include:

• AIRDORF (Creator: FAITH: The Unholy Trinity) and Dave Syzmanski (Creator: Iron Lung, DUSK) discuss how YouTube, Itch.io, and Steam Greenlight enabled an explosion of growth in the indie Horror scene.
• We explore the art of the jumpscare, guided by our cast including Thomas Grip (Creative Director: SOMA, Amnesia series) and Philippe Morin (Co-creator: Outlast).

Other Key Contributors: David Chateauneuf (Co-creator: Outlast), Abby Howard and Tony Howard-Arias (Co-creators: Slay the Princess, Scarlet Hollow)

Episode 5 - Cursed and Controversial

In our final episode we dive down the rabbit hole of controversy and explore the games - like Doom, Manhunt, and Rule of Rose - that people wanted banned. Along the way, we’ll also take a look at the unusual world of “cursed” games, including urban legends and creepypastas like Polybius and Ben Drowned.

We then wrap up the series, with discussions about why people love horror games and what the future holds for the genre.

Key Contributors: John Romero (Co-creator: DOOM), Yoshirō Kimura (Scenario Writer and Draft Planner: Rule of Rose), Rob Fulop (Designer: Night Trap), Super Eyepatch Wolf (Games Critic and Video Essayist), Brian Gomez (Writer: Thrill Kill).

Collectible Merchandise

In addition to the documentary, we also have a wide range of high-quality merchandise. The Standard (Blu-ray) tier includes everything except the t-shirt and mouse mat, which are in the Deluxe tier (and above):

Check out our incredible poster art by Rachid Lotf (click to enlarge):

50+ Legends of Horror Gaming Tell Their Story

We’ve gathered the greatest cast of Horror gaming legends ever assembled to tell the story of Horror gaming! Check out our full cast below:

Free Digital Copy of First Person Shooter

First Person Shooter takes you on a nostalgic journey through 50 years of FPS history. Along the way, you’ll hear from John Carmack and John Romero sharing stories from id Software’s early days, Cliff Bleszinski on Unreal and Unreal Tournament, Warren Spector on System Shock and Deus Ex, Marcus Lehto and Joseph Staten on Halo, and many more.

We also have 150 copies of First Person Shooter on Blu-ray, available as an extra at checkout. These are our final copies in stock and we’re not planning a reprint!

Six Months Access to Darkness Unlimited

Get six months free access to our new horror member platform, Darkness Unlimited when you order TerrorBytes on Blu-ray.

Darkness Unlimited includes 20+ hours of extended, never seen before content from our In Search of Darkness ‘80s Trilogy, as well as the 14+ hours of content from the trilogy itself.

Upgrade to Add Our Digital Bundle (50 Hours of Entertainment)

Add our Digital Bundle at checkout for 50 hours more entertainment:

• In Search of Darkness (digital)
• In Search of Darkness: Part II (digital)
• In Search of Darkness: Part III (digital)
• Aliens Expanded (digital)
• In Search of Tomorrow (digital)
• 6 Months Access to Darkness Unlimited (digital)
  

Shipping & Fulfillment

Shipping: Shipping is charged at the point of fulfillment (when we send the items) at cost (your shipping cost will be the price we pay and we will not make profit on it). In the current economic climate, shipping costs are fluctuating and hard to predict. Delaying payment for shipping benefits both sides as we avoid overcharging (bad for you) and undercharging (bad for our documentary budget).

We expect shipping costs to be:

• US/ROW shipping untracked $18
• US/ROW shipping tracked $23
• EUROPEAN UNTRACKED $16
• EUROPEAN TRACKED $22
• UK UNTRACKED $8
• UK TRACKED $15
  

Fulfillment: Our physical rewards are manufactured and shipped from the United Kingdom using Royal Mail’s untracked and all items are sent in very study packaging (posters rolled, not folded) to ensure everything arrives with you safely. There is an option to add tracking at checkout.

Small Print

TerrorBytes is currently in the final stages of post-production. By making a purchase you acknowledge that elements of the project, including but not limited to the artwork and content, is subject to change, and that the final project may differ from what is presented while the campaign is active.

In order to ensure you receive information about your order by email, please whitelist no-reply@creatorvc.com, codes@creatorvc.com, orders@creatorvc.com and no-reply@royalmail.com to ensure you can receive our emails.

Find out a little about us below. If you are a member of the press or an influencer, scroll down to find links to our press kit and information on how to request a review copy.

Our Team

We are a remote team based across the U.S., Europe, and Australia who have come together around a shared love of creating great content and a deep appreciation for horror and gaming.

Richard Moss (Director) - an award-winning writer, historian, and journalist with extensive experience covering video games for Ars Technica, Game Developer, Polygon, and many other publications. His published books include The Secret History of Mac Gaming, Shareware Heroes, and A Tale of Two Halves: The History of Football Video Games.

Daniel Richardson (Producer) - a filmmaker, producer/creator, and a horror hound in every sense of the word, Daniel also runs a YouTube channel that specialises in the genre. A deeply passionate gamer with a profound love and respect for the medium's capabilities, Daniel considers TerrorBytes to be a dream project.

Connor O’Keane (Editor) - an independent filmmaker, editor, and heavy metal musician based in Melbourne, Australia. An avid horror fan, Connor’s creative journey thus far has culminated in his role on TerrorBytes; a project where he hopes to work with the team to combine the storytelling of his favourite films with the vitality of his favourite music and the emotional depth of his favourite horror video games.

Steve Drieman (Composer) - a UK-based composer with a diverse body of work across film, TV, theater, and video games. His music blends classical training with a love for cinematic and pop influences, shaping scores that are emotionally rich and story-driven. Steve’s work has been recognized at international festivals and industry awards.

Press Kit & Partnerships

If you are a member of the press you can access our press kit here. If you are an influencer, use this form to apply to join our affiliate program.

When Do I Pay for Shipping?

Shipping is charged at the point of fulfillment at cost (your shipping cost will be the price we pay and we will not make profit on it). We estimate this will happen in May 2025 and estimate that charges will be as follows:

• US/ROW shipping untracked $18
• US/ROW shipping tracked $23
• EUROPEAN UNTRACKED $16
• EUROPEAN TRACKED $22
• UK UNTRACKED $8
• UK TRACKED $15
  

When Will I Receive My Copy?

The first two episodes are delivered digitally shortly after purchase. Episodes 3-5 will be delivered digitally in April 2025 with physical items following from 31st May 2025 (once payment for shipping has been received). All physical items will be shipped together. All digital items except episodes 1 & 2 will be delivered with episodes 3-5.

My payment was declined, what should I do?

Our payments system is hosted by Shopify, the world’s number one ecommerce platform. If you are having problems making a payment we are unable to assist. Please contact your card issuer/bank and ask them to accept the transaction.

Do You Accept International Orders?

Yes. We offer shipping worldwide to most countries, and accept most currencies through our secure payment processing system. Although payments are processed in U.S. Dollars, you will see the equivalent charge in your currency on your bank or credit card statement.

Will The Blu-ray Be Region-Free?

Yes, the Blu-ray will be region free.

Will the Documentary Have Subtitles?

Yes, English and Spanish

Why Isn’t There a DVD Format?

Due to low demand we no longer offer our documentaries on DVD.

What is Your Refund Policy?

We offer a 14-day money-back guarantee from your date of purchase. After this, money is allocated to producing your items and refunds will not be available. In the event of a problem with shipping where ourselves or one of our partners is at fault (such as a damaged package) we will send out replacements.

Refund Policy for Digital Products

We do not offer refunds for digital products. Once a digital product has been purchased and delivered, all sales are final. This policy is in place to prevent unauthorized access and distribution of our content. If you experience any issues accessing your digital purchase, please contact our support team, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

What can I put as my username in the credits?

Names in the credits are limited to 28 characters. We don’t accept bad language, racial, or sexual terms. You can include your online handle or the name of your website/blog/channel if you wish to and it fits within your 28 characters.

My Question Isn’t Answered Here

Please submit a ticket on our support portal.