Sauna 2000 is a beautiful and surreal retro horror game where you take the role of a cheerful Finnish man preparing his sauna. He’s been off to a rough start for the day. He crashed he car into a moose, and someone robbed his summer cottage clean. To clear his mind, he takes a trip to his sauna. In the full version, the game is expected to include more parts about helping our cottage neighbors for the midsummer festival. Maybe that’s where some of the dead end paths will lead us.
Even though the tasks are mundane in their description, the game makes it seem so happy and fulfilling. Our character has uplifting comments on pretty much anything we do. There’s also some randomized aspects to the game, which in my opinion adds more liveliness to indie games. Items you need to pickup such as the axe, matches, and bucket can be left in different spots each time. A small, but nice detail.
We need to have everything ready by sundown though! Once you chop the wood, you’ll encounter a spiritual friend who sticks around and isn’t too happy if the sauna isn’t ready in time. It’s definitely worth exploring everything you can in the game, but don’t take too long!
Sauna 2000 is one of the best looking indie horror games I’ve ever played. I love the colors, the concept, and many different elements of horror. It has such a wonderful and beautiful aesthetic. This game was a part of the Haunted PS1 Demo Disc 2000. It looks like it’s still in production, and the creator is still gaining support on Kickstarter. I really hope to see more of this game! There’s few other games that have ever been made with such an amazing and colorful look.
Sauna 2000 All Endings
There’s three different endings in Sauna 2000 that you can get depending on whether or not you warm the sauna in time, and if you escape from the spirit at the end. If you manage to figure everything out and prepare the sauna in time, you’ll be able to relax for a bit. Of course the spirit that was hanging around before surprises you with a visit as well. I guess that’s where your missing beers went!
If you don’t warm it in time, the spirit will chase after you and strike you down. You’re sent to a seemingly different reality where you witness yourself playing the game on a TV. From there you run away from the character you were just playing as in 3rd person.
If you escape, you’ll get another sort of good ending. You awake in another spa/sauna and walk into the warm light in the end. The worst ending happens if you don’t escape, then you’re struck down and the game ends.
