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Here's how to play Netflix's immersive horror video game ‘Unhinged,’ starring Zoë Kravitz, Sadie Sink and Troy Baker

Will you make it out of the apartment building alive?

Shaye Weaver
Written by
Shaye Weaver
Contributor, Time Out New York
Netflix's "Unhinged" video game
Photograph: courtesy Netflix and Night School Studio | Your phone is a part of the game in Netflix's "Unhinged"
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I just played Netflix’s immersive horror video game, and I’m shook.

It’s the story of Ava (Zoë Kravitz) who gets trapped in her apartment building during a power outage—and let’s just say the super is …unhinged. You’ve got to stay connected with your bff Claire (Sadie Sink) while the building’s super (Troy Baker) makes his …rounds.

Unhinged,” was released over the summer but now’s the time to play as the spooky season approaches.

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The game is very cool, despite its pretty horrific scenery. It uses the N-Controller app to control your character (Kravitz’s Ava) and interact with the environment. You point your phone at the computer screen and have to tap to engage with the protagonist’s phone. You can check her messages, make and take calls and use its flashlight. When you get a call or text, your phone actually vibrates and the voice on the other line comes through your phone speakers.

Even cooler, things happen to you and the phone throughout the 30-minute game that impact the phone’s screen. I won’t spoil it, but looking down at your phone that’s now the character’s phone is pretty freakin’ neat.

If you’re into slashers, “Unhinged” is a fun playthrough and doesn’t require much skill as it’s mostly a short horror film that you make your way through by clicking on things. It is a little difficult to get started though: you need to have a Netflix subscription and have downloaded Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. You also need to download the N-Controller app. The whole process took me about five minutes to unlock the game. After calibrating the phone to the center of the screen a couple of times, it was easy to play.

“It all comes down to your reflexes. During high-stakes moments, a shrinking timer bar at the top of the screen forces you to quickly scan the room for an interactive object,” Netflix says. “If you can’t find what you need before time runs out, you will die—though instead of a total game over, you’ll simply restart from your last checkpoint.”

Its developer Night School made a story mode for people who want to let the story lead them,  allowing Ava to survive the night no matter what choices they make.

You can watch the trailer for the game here, if you dare, but I'd suggest going into it blind.

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