It's honestly surprising that we haven't had a torture game already, though if we have it was likely banned or less well-known.
The closest we've got is Manhunt from Rockstar Games, which revelled in gore and making the lives of its NPCs a miserable existence. Given the popularity of horror films like Saw and Hostel, it's not a surprise to see a game that follows the trend of torture porn, putting you in the shoes of the torturer.
Is torture porn a trend we could see in gaming?
Tormentor puts you in control of an abandoned prison full of victims sentenced to death. It’s up to you to torture them and sell the footage online, earning you money that can be spent on customising the prison cells. Although it sounds like it should be spent on stain remover. It’s an odd premise for a game where, through the trailer, we can see thumbs being pushed into eyes making a horrifying squishy sound. The game celebrates “brutal executions” and a “Character editor for creating new victims” the latter of which sounds like a quick way to create your real-life enemies in-game.
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Honestly, I’m surprised the game can exist, though it hasn’t been released yet. Given that gaming still has issues with censorship and crowds who believe games are the work of the devil, it’s interesting to see something like this being created.
There’s an interesting story running alongside the gore, as told by the Steam page, “Fight against a developing mental illness that takes away your memories and causes more and more frequent and dangerous fainting. Work with an organized criminal group using darkweb to get more doses of the experimental drug that helps to keep your mind sober.” However, I wonder if a game like this would see more success with a more ironic and satiric take on the subject matter, much like the previously mentioned Manhunt.
Featured Image Credit: Madmind Studio