SCP is one of the most interesting modern horror phenomena. As a collective writing effort, it is charged with the creativity of many, many dedicated fans.
This is what indie games are all about: breakthroughs led by creative, independent people. And so, SCP and indie games are, naturally, a great match.
Today, we want to talk a little about the SCP Foundation and mention at least a few indie games that were produced by the fans of the universe.
Please be warned that despite abundant humour, SCP is mostly about horror experiences (and, often, gore).
Secure. Contain. Protect.
The SCP Foundation is a fictional secret organisation that makes the smart decision of releasing its secret files with the expectation that they will be deemed fiction.
The files can be found here. As you can see, they provide very detailed information about various supernatural entities (called anomalies or SCPs) supposedly held by the SCP Foundation to protect humanity.
SCP is most often taken to mean the directive of the secret organisation: Secure, Contain, Protect. The alternative meaning is Special Containment Procedures. The procedures required for containing the anomalies are often fun to read.
Do remember that this is a community effort, which means that the quality of the stories will vary. Still, the most famous SCPs are safe to enjoy as an introduction into the universe.
Furthermore, while there are completely original SCPs, it is very common for the anomalies to reference existing literature, art, folklore, and so on. The new takes on old ideas can be very engaging.
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Special Containment Procedures
The anomalies, however, are not just secured and contained; they are also studied, mostly with human subjects.
Those human subjects often die, which is why only D-class personnel is used as guinea pigs. D-class are treated as prisoners, and they are mostly former prison inmates.
That said, a higher–class individual (a manager or a scientist) often ends up a victim of an SCP as well. It usually happens due to excessive interest.
The SCP universe is absolutely massive. It mostly consists of experiment logs and containment procedures with detailed descriptions of the anomalies. However, there is also canon and tales and artwork.
Overall, there is an immense amount of coordinated (and less so) effort on display. If you are interested in horror, myths, and folklore, including modern urban fantasy, please check SCP out. You will love it.
Some of the recommended SCPs that are a lot of fun are the very famous statue that kills you if you do not look at it (SCP-173), the deadly and vicious reptile (SCP-682; please read the experiment logs for it), the panacea bottle (SCP-500), and many, many, many more.
Do also pay attention to the entities marked by J; they are jokes, and they can be very entertaining to read.
The Many Indie Games on SCP
Aside from reading about SCP (or writing about it, perhaps, if you are interested), you can watch the many videos about it.
Moreover, you can experience SCP through the many indie games that were inspired by the universe!
From large to small, 2D to 3D, famous to barely known, you can find a lot of indie games that feature SCP in one form or another.
Naturally, the games are typically survival horror. Some of the most popular SCP games belong to that genre.
You can take a look at SCP: Containment Breach, which is free and has you trying to escape a procedurally generated SCP facility as a D-class employee during a containment breach.
You do it by searching the facility for items, some of which will be different SCPs that can help you (for example, a ring that negates negative effects).
Other SCPs will be hunting you though, including the statue that kills anyone not looking at it by snapping their neck. As a result, you have a blinking mechanic to try and keep the creature away.
Inspired by Security Breach, SCP Foundation is a 2D game with the same themes but a different execution. It also has you trying to escape the facility, and it is also available for free.
A game that is similar in mechanics (and in being free) is SCP: Secret Laboratory. It is based on another containment breach, but the twist is that you can play with others and not just as a member of D-class personnel.
In fact, you can play as an anomaly, including a plague doctor, the Shy Guy, the sculpture, and some others.
Depending on your faction, your goal may be to escape, survive, fight and contain anomalies, fight the SCP personnel, or just… be an anomaly that kills everything in its sight.
Some SCPs are especially good for creating games, especially small indie ones.
For example, SCP-087 is a seemingly endless staircase, which is a convenient setting for a small game.
In fact, there are at least two games about it: SCP-087 and SCP-087-B. Both are horror experiences rather than survival horror, but they can be fun to play.
Both can be downloaded for free, too. Most SCP games are free.
There are more games. Itch.io offers several dozens results tagged with SCP, and many more are likely inspired by the concept. SCP has become a cultural phenomenon that affects modern-day horror while also being affected by centuries of folklore, literature, and cinematography to name a few influences.
Conclusion
SCP offers great opportunities for indie games due to being a massive, community-led effort that created a horror-themed universe.
There are already survival horror games and horror experiences for you to enjoy.
If you want to learn more about SCP Foundation, consider checking this wiki. SCP contains a lot of creative ideas and great humour for the fans of the horror genre.
