Red Finger

Red Finger is a first-person horror game that puts the player in control of an elevator deep within a forgotten industrial research facility. Built in just 72 hours for Ludum Dare 57, the game places a heavy focus on environmental tension and visual storytelling. Players descend floor by floor into the underground complex, guided only by dim lights, vague notes, and malfunctioning systems. The elevator is not just a means of travel—it’s the player’s only real space of control in a setting that increasingly suggests something is deeply wrong.

Unstable Systems and Cryptic Clues

The mechanics are minimal: move through small environments, press buttons, and observe closely. But the simplicity hides a structure full of unease. Notes left by previous workers suggest accidents, missing personnel, and equipment failures. The controls are responsive but feel worn-down, reinforcing the idea that the facility has been abandoned or left running on minimal support. Every descent adds pressure, with the red-lit controls acting as your only link to function in a space that’s clearly designed to suppress rather than serve.

Depth as a Design Statement

Red Finger uses its limitations effectively, turning a basic elevator simulation into a psychological descent. The further the player goes, the more distorted and surreal the surroundings become—lighting shifts, structural patterns warp, and the environment begins to respond in subtle ways. There are no jump scares or traditional threats, but the weight of atmosphere builds consistently. Inspired by White Knuckle but shaped into something more self-aware, Red Finger delivers a compact horror experience grounded in control, silence, and mechanical unease.