Inkubus is a video game created by Dreaming Methods, which is a UK based immersive digital fiction studio. This specific game is a collaboration between Dreaming Methods’ developer Andy Campbell and digital writer Christine Wilks, with a soundtrack written by Chris Joseph.

The player views the game from the perspective of a young girl, possibly in her early teens. It begins in her bedroom, which is decorated with boyband posters and scattered images of doll faces across the striped carpet. A notification appears on the laptop resting on her bed, and the player must answer a series of questions, gaining a certain number of hearts for each answer. While answering these questions, the player can see “their” reflection on the screen, making the game very realistic. The messages turn into threats, and things begin to get strange. The player must then navigate their way through a series of tunnels consisting of daunting messages and eerie photos with doll-like imagery in order to save her life.

Inkubus is a commentary on gender stereotypes and the toxic popularity that comes with being a teenage girl. The doll imagery references how young girls feel the need to be as perfect as dolls are, with very little flaws, and the dark and eerie atmosphere of the game represents the pain and hurt that can come with holding such high standards of oneself. Inkubus does a great job relaying this message, and the game is quite relatable as the topic is extremely prevalent in this day and age of social media. The animation adds to the relatability, as it is from the first-person perspective with very accurate human-like movements.