Wilkins

I hack and sell video games. My specialty is taking a classic game—Super Mario Bros., Pokémon Red or Blue, etc.—and making it terrifying. You may have seen a scary story or two online starring one of my games. No, they’re not haunted. Nobody dies or gets possessed after playing them. The gameplay is purely for entertainment, though the entertainment does tend to be more for my benefit than for the player’s. Seeing a post on creepypasta.com or r/nosleep makes me feel so proud of my work. To me, the fact that someone took the time and effort to write about the gameplay I created is a sign that it was powerful and effective.

Before I give my game to GameStop or sell it off at a random yard sale (I don’t do this for money), I usually go out to a restaurant or park or whatever and find someone who’s willing to go home with me and try out the game. It’s actually not hard to find someone; I just slap a Triforce button on my jacket and wait for someone to compliment me. This sparks a conversation, which usually ends one of two ways: Either they’re not into the horror genre, and the conversation ends politely after a few minutes, or they are into horror, and are excited to go home to try the game. I’ve found that horror enthusiasts and thrill-seekers are much more willing to do more dangerous things, such as meeting with a stranger to play some game.

When we meet at my home—or theirs if they’re not willing or able to go to mine—I set up the game on my system. Most people are hesitant to try a hacked game on their own console, which I understand. Even though my games don’t ruin the console, you can never be too careful. After the game is set up and they have been playing for a while, I’ll ask where the restroom is. The game tester will usually pause and tell or show me where to go. When I’m done in there, I’ll go to the kitchen, which is usually easy to find, and grab a knife. It’s always good to have a reference for the graphics.

Lore/Layout by @Bibbit