Got an ad to play the “Find the monster in the room” game… and it keeps getting harder.

It was a late Friday night and I was mindlessly playing chess on my laptop. I had the difficulty up and was leaning right into the game and squinting into the bright screen in a tense match with the robot. Didn’t even notice that is was almost 2AM, didn’t care. Back pain told me I’d been playing for hours. Again, didn’t mind.

After what seemed like an eternity, it beat me. Fuck. I’d wasted almost an hour on this match.

I got up from my desk as some fucking ad started playing. The site I used had two back-to-back ads playing after every match, so I got up as the princess begged me to make some puzzle to save her from the bad king and went to pour myself some orange juice. I left her exclaiming in awe at the multitude of gems I could earn.

By the time I got back, the room was quiet. The second ad had started to play, but it had no sound. The screen was much less animated. Dark, no sponsored mention, no link to the play store. Just white, pixelated letters flickering over a gradient, and a pixelated, cloaked figure below them.

The letters read FIND THE MONSTER IN THE ROOM!

I raised my brows somewhat amused as I sat down. It looked interesting compared to the puzzle knock-offs and choice-based games I usually got. It had no skip in 5 button, so I figured I needed to play a little before I could close it.

I clicked on the “BEGIN” button and a pixelated picture of a bedroom popped up. It was a fantasy-like setting, with stone walls and a bed with a canopy, a desk with a round, decorated mirror and a fancy armoire. Candles threw animated shadows around the room and tiny, pixelated bats flew by. In the corner of the room, I could very clearly see a comically drawn vampire, similar to the Hotel Transylvania ones, hunched over. I clicked on him, half-smiling, and he disappeared with a poof!. A message popped up:

Congratulations! You saved the princess and you found the monster.

Continue.

Again, no skip button. I went on. The game looked cozy and I liked the style of the animations.

FIND THE MONSTER IN THE ROOM!

This time, the room was a classroom with colorful desks and toys all over. The walls were covered in kids drawings and the sun shone gently through the blinds. The monster was a tiny gnome with pointy ears, hiding under a desk and grinning. He looked cute, though. Not scary.

I clicked on him and he let out a tiny, high-pitched scream before poof-ing.

The next level was a werewolf in a rose garden. Then, a mummy in a library. It was unskippable, but I didn’t mind. I needed a break after getting my ass beat by the chess robot.

After maybe ten levels, I realized it was upping the difficulty. Now the monster would be half hidden (under beds, behind bushes or curtains), or a reflection in a window, or a shadow. Soon enough, by level 20, I actually began to struggle to spot it. It started giving me tips: Pay attention to what doesn’t belong. Monsters prefer corners. I got stuck at level 25.

It showed a picture of a living room, and a little girl and her dad watching TV in the dark. I scanned the whole room, but couldn’t find anything. I even upped the brightness, thinking it may have been hiding in the shadows.

At last, I made out the outline of a leg (I think), under the couch, and clicked on it.

WRONG! flickered in red on the screen. A circle appeared on the dad.

This was the monster! He killed the mom and hid her under the couch. You couldn’t save the daughter! Lives left: 2/3

I leaned back, surprised. Damn, this game was darker than I thought it would be. I had underestimated it. I clicked Continue and it showed a bathroom with a grandma helping a kid get dressed. I looked around and couldn’t find anything, so I decided to try my luck and click on the grandma.

WRONG! The circle appeared on the vent. I leaned in, squinting, and I saw a pale, bloated face. It looked weirdly realistic, compared to the pixelated look of the bathroom. Ew.

You couldn’t save the boy and his grandmother! Lives left: 1/3

I continued. I caught the next monster, a tall, slender figure almost blending in with the trees. The next level, level 28, showed a suburban street, gently lit by warm streetlights. No monster in sight. I scanned it as much as I could, but I didn’t find anything. I was determined to, though. Must’ve spent around 10 minutes staring at the screen, before I finally gave up and clicked randomly.

WRONG! A circle appeared in the darkness. You couldn’t save the young man. Lives left: 0/3

Game over. Better luck next time! Tips: just because you can’t see it, it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

There was no option to play again. The pop-up closed. I remained a bit unsettled, but I was still pleasantly surprised by the originality of the game and it’s power to crawl under your skin.

I returned to my chess game.

Saturday night found me in a different position. I went out with my friends and returned to my one-story house in the suburbs drunk and woozy, walking alone in the peaceful and quiet night, right in the middle of the street. My mind was perfectly empty and the cold night air washed over me like a blessing. One foot in front of another, I came closer to my house.

In the distance, I began to make out a silhouette standing still. I couldn’t figure out if it was facing me or away, but it was slightly hunched over and twitching. Nuh-uh. I remember thinking. I may be drunk, but I’m not stupid. I turned left and took a little de-tour.

I arrived to my house safe and sound, even though the feeling of being watched followed me like a stray dog. I left it at my door, and yet it scratched and howled the whole night.

Sunday night – chess tournaments, again. Bored out of my mind, 2AM hits and the ad pops up again. I was somehow happy to see it. This time, the words read FIND THE MONSTER IN THE ROOM, BEFORE IT FINDS YOU!

It picked up from level 29. I had no idea it was saving my progress. The difficulty was easy again, but I had a timer now. As it got harder, the timer became shorter.

A subway. I clicked on the pale, wide eyed man sitting down next to a little girl.

Correct! You saved the girl from the predator.

Eventually, it got to a point where I had absolutely no idea where to click. I lost once, then I lost again. Level 54 showed the front of a one-story house. I scanned every centimeter and found nothing, until…

In one of the windows, I could see a light. Almost like a reflection. A… silhouette.

Hah. Found ya.

Clicked on it.

WRONG! That’s the player. THIS is the monster. A circle appeared on another window. I couldn’t see anything in there. As I was squinting into the monitor, I heard a clatter in the kitchen. I jumped in my seat, my breath stuck in my throat. It was ages before I could breathe again. My whole body felt hollowed out.

What the fuck?

Game over. Better luck next time! Tips: The more you find, the better it hides.

“Fuck this shit.” I said out loud and went into the kitchen, to check the source of the clatter. I know what you’ll say: why do people go and check? Dumb horror movie protagonist behavior. Well, I can’t just sit tight in my room. Find it before it finds you, right?

Nothing was in the kitchen. Nothing in any of the rooms. I know, I know. It’s stupid to look. I know.

I slept with the bedroom door closed. I’d checked the whole house and found nothing.

Tips: just because you can’t see it, it doesn’t mean it’s not there.