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Ultra-Indie Daily Dose: Motherload Is Baby’s First Horror Game

Hello, you glorious gluttons for all things indie horror! Are you just starving for the newest of the new, the most unknownest of the unknown? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Welcome to the Ultra-Indie Daily Dose! In this series, we’re going to pick a new game every day from an indie horror creator you’ve probably never heard of. No million-dollar budgets or factory productions. This is the space for the little guy with not but a developer toolkit and a dream. So if you’re down to roll the dice on something different, then stick around and check it out!


Today we’re visiting something old. Really old. A horror-ish game I remember playing in probably the early aughts. Motherload is a game from Miniclip that pays homage to the classic Dig Dug. In it you play as a new employee, digging for valuable metals under the surface of Mars. 

After a series of fatalities on the job, your employer, Mr. Natas (c’mon, that’s way too obvious) gets you set up and on your way to get paid. Operating a vehicle that is half helicopter and half mining drill, the gameplay of Motherload is a lot of fun and surprisingly still holds up well. Motherload has you balancing the necessity of drilling as many ores as possible without running out of fuel, eventually necessitating mining explosives and even teleportation devices. 

Admittedly, Motherload is a horror game that’s a lot more game than horror. But while on the surface it seems like a fun children’s game, which obviously it is, there is a dark story in the background the further down you go. From mysterious earthquakes (Marsquakes?) to harrowing distress calls, there is a deeper story here for you to unearth. 

Obviously this game isn’t for everyone. It certainly isn’t the typical horror game we cover. But it’s still pretty fun and surprisingly grim. You can try out Motherload for free on Miniclip by clicking here. Be warned, since it’s an online game, you won’t be able to save and quit. 

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