The retro horror of Janitor Bleeds spurts onto Xbox

We’ve taken in a ton of retro titles in our time, and we’ve played nearly as many horrors. So combining retro with horror should be something we’re totally down with. The thing is, Janitor Bleeds on Xbox is unlike other titles from the genre, as this one focuses on a haunted old arcade. 

Available right now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC (you’re looking at Steam, GOG, Epic), Janitor Bleeds is a retro-inspired horror affair in which you find yourself walking the dusty lanes of an old arcade. It’s here where a haunted machine beckons you in – Janitor. 

Falling into the world of Janitor is one thing, but you need to get out and the only way to survive is to keep on playing. Issue #1 – the more you progress, the more the events of this video game world affect that of the real one. And that leads to Issue #2 – Who knows what is going on around you as you become immersed in the chills. 

“The horror of JANITOR BLEEDS is based on having to focus on playing the arcade game whilst not knowing what might be happening in the surroundings. When you are playing a horror game, you might not have any idea what is happening behind you when you are focusing on the screen” -Elias Massa, Game Designer of JANITOR BLEEDS

Clearly inspired by those games of the 1990s, Janitor Bleeds certainly looks like it could deliver a bit of a nostalgic hit, as you look to solve puzzles, collect items and ultimately, save both the virtual and real worlds. 

The key features of how it plays are as follows…

• Explore a mysterious arcade: The dark corners and hallways hide many secrets. Collect coins and items to progress in the game and most importantly, keep yourself alive. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of an amusement arcade from the 90s, abandoned long ago.
• Cursed arcade cabinet: Playing the coin-hungry machine affects more than it seems. Solve puzzles and open paths in both the arcade game and the real world to progress in the game. Just remember; the evil within the machine won’t make things easy.
• Retro-inspired: The game is inspired by the video games of the 90s. The game hasn’t been made to look like a carbon copy; instead, it has been inspired by the visual style of that nostalgic era of gaming and has brought it to the modern standards.

So what do you think? Do you have what it takes to take on Janitor Bleeds on Xbox or PC? The download you need is found at the usual stores – the Xbox Store for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S – and once you’ve given it a go, come back here and let us know how you found it. 

We’ll do similar once we’ve been hands on, delivering up a review verdict as we go. 

Game Description:

“If you like low-poly quality but high-folly thrills set in every kid’s equivalent of a digital candy store. If you love to get sucked into a 90s throwback, both feel-good and scaredy enough to manipulate your emotions dirty like an arcade machine… Then you’d want to ring up this janitor!” JANITOR BLEEDS is a retro-inspired horror game set in an old arcade which you’ll find in the dark forest after a car crash. Someone has recently been there, and you try desperately to look for help. A mysterious arcade machine called JANITOR pulls you to play itself, releasing a horrible force upon you. The only way to survive is to go deeper into the arcade and keep playing JANITOR, but the further you go, the more the events of the arcade game start to influence the real world. When your eyes are glued to the screen, who knows what is happening right behind your back?