The Alley (2026)

Developer: AIXLAB
Publisher: Smilegate, Thermite Games
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Adventure, Indie, Simulation
Rating: 4.6 of 5, 250 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 3.4 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

You navigate a procedurally looping alley, relying on a glowing bracelet to spot reality-bending anomalies while evading hostile ghosts, creating a tense and methodical search for escape.

atmospherictenseexplorationpuzzle-likesurvivalmysteriouseeriefirst-person

What players say

Players like the short two-to-three hour horror romp through a Korean alleyway, where spotting anomalies and sorting them into ghost traces or illusions keeps things tense. Some report the camera and walking sensitivity feel jerky, and the game stutters or freezes mid-session. Later sections spike in difficulty and the ending chase adds pressure, but most find it a good value for the price.

Screenshots

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More by AIXLAB

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.