The Fabulous Fear Machine
The Fabulous Fear Machine is a narrative-driven strategy game with a pulp horror style. As the Machine's new Master, you must sow fear and expand your influence by creating Legends, harvesting resources, manipulating events, and spying on your enemies.
Developer
Publisher
Release
October 4, 2023
2 years and 303 days ago
Steam Reviews
Very Positive574 reviews89.7%
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Game contextLatest: IGF Team
| ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan. | Status | Notes Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes |
|---|---|---|
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer. | ||
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher. | A separate publisher is listed for this release. | |
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released. | The game was released through a separate publisher. |
Media
6 itemsAbout the Game
The Fabulous Fear Machine is a narrative-driven strategy game with a pulp horror style, from the creators of Do Not Feed the Monkeys. You’ve just become the newest Master of the Machine, and now you must generate fear and expand your influence by playing Legend cards: those scary stories, urban myths, and conspiracy theories that lurk in the dark corners of the mind.
To clear a path for your Legends to grow, you’ll dispatch your Agents to new locations on the map, harvest and manage resources, decide how to deal with events in the simulation, and spy on the operations of your foes.
What are your deepest desires? Power, wealth, glory? Everything you’ve ever dreamed of is within your reach, with The Fabulous Fear Machine.
Pick your poison. From cryptids like the Black Dog, to urban legends like Bloody Mary, to conspiracies like Reptilians—with over 80 Legends to choose from, you’ll craft a custom blend of terror for each city you visit.
Horror evolved. Plant the seeds of fear in fertile ground. Watch and listen to how the media reacts to your Legends. Feed them, then see them grow more powerful and effective.
The job done right. Your strength is in strategizing; leave the dirty work to your Agents. Send them to explore new locations and infiltrate your enemies, making interesting choices along the way.
An equal and opposite reaction. Rivals and the forces of good alike seek to undo the Machine’s influence for their own ends. Plan accordingly, or you may find your own Legends twisted into inspirational stories, mascots, or other sugary-sweet clichés.
A tale as old as time. You’ll direct the stories of several Masters operating in different regions of the world. Along the way, explore the history of the Machine, its enemies, and the Agents who aid you.
Presented by AMC Games and SHUDDER. Early development of the game was supported by Red.es and FEDER (European Regional Development Fund).
