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SHUT IN

SHUT IN is a dark comedy/psychological horror adventure game which explores depression and isolation by trapping you inside your own house. Explore a hostile home, solve puzzles, and withstand sarcasm from a rude and unreliable narrator. Idiot.

Steam Page
Developer
Cael O'Sullivan
Publisher
Hidden Track
Release
October 30, 2020
5 years and 277 days ago
Steam Reviews
Very Positive109 reviews89.9%

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Updated: Jul 14, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher.
A separate publisher is listed without a proven bounded regional or service-only role.
Search Google: Is SHUT IN self-published or published by Hidden Track?Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified.
Search Google: How is SHUT IN and Hidden Track funded?FundingThe known source of funding behind the game.
Search Google: Who controls the creative direction and IP for SHUT IN and Cael O'Sullivan?Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game.
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released.
The title released with a separate publisher relationship.

Media

15 items

About the Game

Includes both content updates, 'SHUTDOWN' and 'SHUT UP'


SHUT IN is a dark comedy/psychological horror adventure game which explores depression and isolation by trapping you inside your own house.

Your task is simple: Get out of bed, go outside, and get some Fresh Air.
Think you can handle that?

Oh, but it might not be quite that simple. Your house isn't looking quite like it used to. You don't recognise any of these photos, everything's gotten dirty and disgusting, cracks seem to be opening up everywhere, and you're SURE everything didn't used to be so... constantly trying to kill you.

Maybe it's not worth it. Maybe go back to bed. Try again tomorrow.

If you do decide to keep going, you'll have to face strange puzzles, bizarre and uncomfortable obstacles, and a narrator who is unreliable at best, and downright insulting at worst. You'll have to get through your day under a constant barrage of judgment, sarcasm, and melancholy. If you can cope with that. Idiot.

SHUT IN is about tension and discomfort in a familiar environment. Your greatest tools are also your worst enemies. Common sense will keep you alive, but it might not get you very far. Curiosity can have great rewards, but will probably just get you killed.

But don't worry. When you (inevitably) die - because you fell down the stairs, were too stupid to operate an oven properly, got ripped apart by untold invisible horror, something like that - you can always just give up. Try again tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next day.

Key Features:

  • Over a dozen unique ways to die!
  • Probably a way to survive!
  • Original atmospheric horror soundtrack by composer Luc Wilkinson.
  • Everything else done by person/mess Cael O'Sullivan.
  • A dangerous house full of original puzzles, and loads of ways to get them wrong!
  • A hint system which isn't that helpful, and often insults you!
  • Multiple items to experiment with, each with tons of unique interactions that solve no puzzles and achieve nothing.
  • Option to just stay in bed forever!
  • Quite short, so it's over quicker!
  • Writing up these features is exhausting...
  • Try again tomorrow.
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