Pretend it's not There

Pretend It’s Not There is a short first-person horror game where you play as Lucas, a boy who returns home from school and realises that something is following him. The game has the familiar creepy feel of Slender Man but is told from a more intimate and haunting perspective: you don’t run, you don’t fight, and you just pretend it doesn’t exist.

Pretend It’s Not There Game Story

Lucas returns from school, backpack heavy and the sunset stretching behind him. Everything seems normal until he realises that something is following him. No one sees, no one talks, and everyone seems to... pretend there’s nothing there.

When Lucas gets home, he finds a note from his mother: “I’ll be home late; there’s pizza in the fridge, do your homework and pick up your toys.” A normal, warm message. But then, in the silent rooms, in the dim yellow light, that shadow appears again, in the corner, behind the door, right behind you.

Mechanics and Atmosphere

• The game revolves around silence and the tension of not looking. Players are forced to complete small tasks around the house, pick up toys, do homework, and heat up pizza, all the while knowing that something is there.
• Every time you turn your back, the space changes. The noise fades, the music stops, and the door opens against your will.
• A sense of insecurity creeps into every action, as players have to resist the instinct to turn around — because seeing is tantamount to admitting that it’s real.

The Fear of Ignoring

Pretend It’s Not It doesn’t rely on direct scares but rather taps into a primal fear: fear of what exists within sight but we are forced to pretend not to see. Everyday action, turning on the microwave, cleaning the room, and going to bed become psychological challenges, where the player gradually asks the question: Am I trying to ignore it... or am I the one being ignored?

Pretend It’s Not There is a short but haunting experience where the fear comes not from the shape of the monster, but from the human behaviour of trying to deny the truth. With minimalist graphics, subtle sounds and compressed storytelling, this game reminds us that sometimes, the scariest thing... is when we try to convince ourselves that we are safe. If you want to experience more unique and hidden games, Super Hot is an option not to be missed.