Review: Tunnels
When I initially learned about Tunnels, I assumed that the primary aspect of the game was its claustrophobic environments and the sensation of being trapped within these tunnels. I was uncertain about what this experience would provide for me, especially since I don’t struggle with claustrophobia. However, after exploring the game’s tunnels, I wondered: did it awaken a new fear within me?
Release Date: September 15th 2025
Developer: Mastiff
Publisher: Mastiff
Price: Free / £11.99 for Single Player Campaign
Reviewed On: Meta Quest 3
* Code Provided For Review *
A Bad Day At Work
In the single-player campaign, you take on the role of Jim, a demolition expert brought in by a small town to close off an abandoned gold mine notorious for its history of disappearances. What starts as a typical job quickly transforms into a battle for survival as you venture deeper into the mountain’s depths, where natural dangers are not your only concern.
Not Just Tunnels
The main feature of Tunnels is tunnel crawling, which immerses you in a claustrophobic atmosphere as you navigate through the cramped and narrow passages. Nevertheless, the team incorporates various gameplay elements to ensure that the experience remains refreshing and provides moments of relief from the constricted and twisting tunnels. You will find yourself climbing rock faces, ziplining, and swimming in submerged areas below ground.
While it’s wonderful to take a break from the tunnels, it does highlight certain problems with the game’s core gameplay mechanics. Fortunately, these issues aren’t related to the actual design of how it operates, but rather to aspects that disrupt immersion. Mastiff has excelled in creating the sensation of navigating through these tunnels by introducing a system that necessitates grabbing surfaces and pulling yourself through these tight spaces. However, there are instances where your hands may clip through the environment, leading to missed grabs on surfaces, which can be quite frustrating at times.
It’s unfortunate that this aspect falls short, as the other elements have been seamlessly integrated, providing an exhilarating experience as you zipline across chasms, climb rock faces, and navigate through submerged sections of the tunnels. The added tension of what could be lurking across the zipline, beneath the water, or within the tunnels effectively establishes the game’s atmosphere. If the team can address the clipping and grabbing problems in upcoming patches, it could truly reach its maximum potential.
You may be wondering what resources you have to assist you in these tunnels filled with lurking monsters. The only real support you have is your flashlight. Although you may believe it can assist you in finding your way through the tunnels, that’s not always practical, since the batteries run out just as fast as the non-alkaline ones your parents used to buy for your Gameboy (I might be revealing my age). This means that in most situations, you’ll want to conserve the batteries for the darkest sections and for a quick flash to stun the monsters. The rapid battery drain can be quite frustrating at first, but after a while, you come to realise the reasoning behind this design choice, as it enhances the tension and claustrophobic atmosphere the game intends to create.
In multiplayer mode, which is free to play, you and either a friend or a stranger will navigate through tunnels and various settings in search of an exit. However, tread carefully, as you are still being pursued by monsters in co-op mode, and your partner might just be considering sacrificing you to ensure their own escape. GAMELAY TEXT 2
More Murky Than Dark
The game effectively creates a horror atmosphere that will satisfy those who enjoy a few scares or a sense of unease in their gaming experience. However, as the game delves into the darkness of being trapped within the mountain, particularly in the tunnel sections, the Quest 3 tends to display more murky greys than true blacks, due to the use of LCD displays. Nevertheless, it still manages to convey a sense of depth, making certain areas feel darker than others. Overall, the visuals carry an indie vibe, and while the darkness is well-represented, the lighting does a decent job. This is likely influenced by the limitations of being a standalone title and the fact that it comes from an indie studio, rather than being a reflection of the game itself.
The game’s tension and atmosphere are heightened by effective audio design, with subtle sounds accompanying your journey through the tunnels and various elements of the environment. The creaking of wooden planks underfoot, along with rumbles, the scurrying of rats, and the distant growls of lurking monsters, all create a sense of urgency that compels you to hurry. While you can navigate the tunnels by gripping surfaces and pulling yourself along more swiftly than usual, this is where clipping issues arise. Beyond the tunnels, you can mimic running by swinging your arms to gain speed. Although this method is effective, I believe an artificial sprint option should also be introduced to enhance accessibility.
In the single-player campaign, during brief instances of signal, you will communicate with your team via radio to inform them that you are safe. I was quite impressed with the quality of the voice acting in these moments, as it significantly contributes to establishing the tone of the story and illustrates Jim’s emotional state and coping mechanisms.
Comfort
The Verdict
Tunnels will likely to appeal to fans of horror games who seek something a bit different from what’s currently offered in the genre. The claustrophobic atmosphere combined with a tense sense of unease, enhanced by sounds that amplify these feelings, creates a unique experience. However, while this aspect is executed well, the game does have its share of technical flaws that hopefully can be resolved through patches. Issues such as hands clipping through the environment in the tunnels and occasionally getting stuck on environmental elements like rocks and underwater plants can be frustrating, though I managed to escape these situations by navigating my play-space. Although these issues aren’t fundamentally flaws in the gameplay design, they do disrupt immersion, particularly when trying to evade monsters – and maintaining immersion is crucial in virtual reality. What is present indicates that the game has significant potential; it simply requires some adjustments, and with additional content set to be released, I hope that patches will address these concerns as well.