Slender: The Eight Pages

{{short description|2012 video game}} {{good article}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2016}} {{Infobox video game | image = Slender The Eight Pages Logo.png | title = Slender: The Eight Pages | developer = Parsec Productions | publisher = Parsec Productions | director = Mark J. Hadley | designer = Mark J. Hadley | programmer = Mark J. Hadley | artist = | engine = [[Unity (game engine)|Unity]] | platforms = [[Microsoft Windows]], [[OS X]] | released = June 26, 2012 | genre = [[Survival horror]] | modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]] | composer = Mark J. Hadley }}

'''''Slender: The Eight Pages''''', originally titled '''''Slender''''', is a [[survival horror]] game based on the [[Slender Man]], a well-known [[creepypasta]] character. Influenced by the web series ''[[Marble Hornets]]'', it was developed by independent developer Mark J. Hadley using the [[Unity (game engine)|Unity]] game engine and was released in June 2012 by his one-man studio, Parsec Productions. He drew inspiration from ''[[Amnesia: The Dark Descent]]''{{'s}} atmosphere and imagery, though he opted for random encounters, rather than ''Amnesia''{{'s}} linear design, which Hadley felt diminished its horror.

The player is tasked with collecting eight pages scattered around a dark forest while avoiding Slender Man. ''The Eight Pages'' was largely praised by critics for its effective horror and atmosphere despite its crude graphics, although some considered the gameplay repetitive and lacking [[replay value]]. It became popular through [[Let's Play|Let's Plays]] and inspired many fan-games based on Slender Man. Parsec Productions and Blue Isle Studios released a sequel, ''[[Slender: The Arrival]]'', the following year.

== Gameplay == [[File:Slender The Eight Pages gameplay.jpg|thumb|The player wanders around the forest in search of the pages.]]''Slender: The Eight Pages'' is a short [[survival horror]] game played from a [[First-person (video games)|first-person]] perspective.<ref name=":4" /> It takes place in a dense, dark forest at night, where the player must collect eight scattered pages. The gameplay and graphics are very simple; the player can walk at a slow pace or run, but the latter decreases stamina. They are equipped only with a flashlight with a limited battery, and there are no weapons or inventory.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Norris |first=Jim |date=August 9, 2013 |title=Review: The gaming is thin in free survival horror Slender: The Eight Pages |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/453142/review-the-gaming-is-thin-in-free-survival-horror-slenderman-the-eight-pages.html |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=[[PC World]] |language=en |archive-date=May 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529075915/https://www.pcworld.com/article/453142/review-the-gaming-is-thin-in-free-survival-horror-slenderman-the-eight-pages.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":3" />

The player must avoid being captured by [[Slender Man]], a tall, faceless being who stalks and hunts them down.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Kyllo |first=Blaine |date=May 25, 2014 |title=Bask in the terror of the Slender Man with 'The Arrival' |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/gaming/bask-in-the-terror-of-the-slender-man-with-the-arrival/article18721500/ |url-access=limited |access-date=March 6, 2024 |website=[[The Globe and Mail]] |archive-date=June 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622160120/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/gaming/bask-in-the-terror-of-the-slender-man-with-the-arrival/article18721500/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The player is alerted to Slender Man's presence by audio cues and visual distortions, similar to TV [[Noise (video)|noise]].<ref name=":2" /> Looking at him for too long causes a [[game over]],<ref name="pcgamer">{{Cite news |last=Hatfield |first=Tom |date=2012-07-05 |title=Slender Man game released, scare the hell out of yourself for free |language=en |work=[[PC Gamer]] |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/slender-man-game-released-scare-the-hell-out-of-yourself-for-free/ |access-date=2023-05-25 |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525125057/https://www.pcgamer.com/slender-man-game-released-scare-the-hell-out-of-yourself-for-free/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and the only way not to lose is to run away.<ref name=":7" /> As the player collect more pages, they encounter Slender Man more frequently and are given less time to escape before losing.<ref name=":2" /> After completing ''The Eight Pages'', players unlock additional options, such as a daylight [[Game mechanics#Game modes|game mode]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite magazine |last=Gardner |first=Jack |date=August 10, 2012 |title=Slender |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/games/slender/b/pc/archive/2012/08/10/things-go-bump-in-the-night.aspx |access-date=May 26, 2023 |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |archive-date=August 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818002931/http://www.gameinformer.com/games/slender/b/pc/archive/2012/08/10/things-go-bump-in-the-night.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Development == {{External media|topic=A [[YouTube]] playlist from Parsec Productions, showing test versions of ''The Eight Pages''|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_u8CWMxXbpIJZsZwdN3UyrNlqISKW8nY "Slender: The Eight Pages" Test Videos] on [[YouTube]]}}

''Slender: The Eight Pages'' is based on the [[creepypasta]], an online horror-based [[urban legend]], of Slender Man. After Eric Knudsen created Slender Man in June 2009, the character and its related lore spread on the Internet. Users began making their own stories about it and these fan creations, one of which was the ''[[Marble Hornets]]'' web series.<ref name=":8" /> ''The Eight Pages'' was developed by Parsec Productions, the one-man studio of Mark "AgentParsec" J. Hadley.<ref name=":9" /> Hadley, a fan of ''Marble Hornets'', decided to make a game based on the series to learn how to use the [[Unity (game engine)|Unity game engine]]. He started working on it at the beginning of May 2012.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Klepek |first=Patrick |date=August 23, 2012 |title=One, Two, Slender Man's Coming For You |url=https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/one-two-slender-mans-coming-for-you/1100-4332/ |access-date=March 6, 2024 |website=[[Giant Bomb]] |archive-date=July 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220710071900/http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/one-two-slender-mans-coming-for-you/1100-4332/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Hadley drew inspiration from how his favorite horror game ''[[Amnesia: The Dark Descent]]'' (2010)<ref name=":13">{{cite web |last1=Balbirnie |first1=Steven |title=The Slender Man Cometh |url=https://universityobserver.ie/the-slender-man-cometh/ |website=[[The University Observer]] |access-date=2025-11-27 |ref=1|url-status=live|date=2012-09-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260319163102/https://universityobserver.ie/the-slender-man-cometh/|archive-date=2026-03-19}}</ref> built suspense through its atmosphere and imagery rather than [[Jump scare|jump scares]].<ref name=":9" /> He added a degree of randomness to Slender Man's appearances as he felt ''Amnesia''<nowiki/>'s scripted nature negated its horror. Hadley blamed Slender Man's low-quality model on time constraints, but he designed ''The Eight Pages'' in such a way that players' attention is not drawn to this, since they must actively look away from Slender Man to survive.<ref name=":9" />

''The Eight Pages'' was released on June 26,<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |title=Slender (The Eight Pages) |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/slender/ |access-date=2026-03-29 |website=[[Metacritic]] |language=en|quote=Released On: Jun 26, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211081243/https://www.metacritic.com/game/slender/|archive-date=2024-12-11}}</ref> as a [[freeware|free]] [[Software release life cycle#Beta|beta]] for [[Microsoft Windows]] and [[MacOS|Mac OS X]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hamilton |first=Kirk |date=July 5, 2012 |title=The Terrifying 'Slenderman' Goes from Meme to Free Horror Game |url=https://kotaku.com/the-terrifying-slenderman-goes-from-meme-to-free-horr-30786096 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |website=[[Kotaku]]|quote=You can download a free beta of Slender for Windows or for Mac.}}</ref> originally titled Slender.<ref name=":8" /> Hadley posted his creation to the Unity [[Internet forum|forums]] and a Slender Man message board, and made a [[YouTube]] trailer, but did not otherwise market it. While he did not intend to update it for long, its subsequent popularity caused him to make additions such as a layer of fog and tentacles that sprout out of Slender Man's back.<ref name=":9" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-08-12 |title=An Interview With Slender Creator Mark Hadley |url=https://levelsave.com/an-interview-with-slender-creator-mark-hadley/ |access-date=2026-03-28 |website=LevelSave {{!}} Since 2011 |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Reception == One of the forum users showed ''Slender: The Eight Pages'' to the British [[YouTuber]] Tom "JurassicJunkie" Wheldon, who posted a video of himself playing ''The Eight Pages'' (known as a "[[Let's Play]]") and created an unofficial website to download it. While Wheldon's website was unauthorized{{Emdash}}Hadley later made an official webpage that included merchandise{{Emdash}}it helped ''The Eight Pages'' to circulate online.<ref name=":9" /> ''The Eight Pages'' went [[Viral marketing|viral]] shortly afterward,<ref name=":9" /> when the Swedish YouTuber [[PewDiePie]] uploaded his own Let's Play, causing other influencers to play ''The Eight Pages''.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |last=Cohn |first=Gabe |date=2018-08-15 |title=How Slender Man Became a Legend |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/15/movies/slender-man-timeline.html |url-access=limited |access-date=2023-05-28 |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815162420/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/15/movies/slender-man-timeline.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Many of these videos included gamers exaggeratedly screaming and panicking, often for comedic effect. ''The Eight Pages'' spread across the Internet,<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Reichert |first=Kate |date=December 16, 2012 |title=Extremely Brief Review of Slender: The Eight Pages |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/extremely-brief-review-of-slender-the-eight-pages |access-date=March 6, 2024 |website=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] |archive-date=March 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240311075812/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/extremely-brief-review-of-slender-the-eight-pages |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=C |first=Luiz H. |date=2023-03-06 |title='Slender: The Arrival' – Revisiting the Playable Jump Scare Machine Ten Years Later |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3752375/slender-the-arrival-revisiting-the-playable-jump-scare-machine-ten-years-later/ |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=[[Bloody Disgusting]] |language=en-US |archive-date=May 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527142332/https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3752375/slender-the-arrival-revisiting-the-playable-jump-scare-machine-ten-years-later/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hamilton |first=Kirk |date=July 23, 2012 |title=Watching These People Play The 'Slenderman' Game Is Almost Scarier Than Playing For Yourself |url=https://kotaku.com/watching-these-people-play-the-slenderman-game-is-almos-452564070 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |website=[[Kotaku]]}}</ref> and its official website crashed after too many people tried to download it.<ref name=":0" /> American television host [[Conan O'Brien]] played ''The Eight Pages'' on his segment "Clueless Gamer".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Corriea |first=Alexa Ray |date=October 25, 2013 |title=Watch Conan O'Brien freak out over Outlast |url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/10/25/5028040/watch-conan-obrien-freak-out-over-outlast |access-date=March 5, 2024 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |archive-date=December 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202105631/https://www.polygon.com/2013/10/25/5028040/watch-conan-obrien-freak-out-over-outlast |url-status=live }}</ref> === Critical reception === ''Slender: The Eight Pages'' was largely praised by critics. Many reviewers thought that the horror was effective despite its minimalist approach and crude graphics. They also liked the way it built tension through its atmosphere. Based on one critic review, ''Slender'' was received positively, according to review aggregator [[Metacritic]].<ref name=":15" />

Charles Onyett of ''[[IGN]]'' and Paul Goodman of ''[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]'' praised its minimalist elements, and tension-filled atmosphere,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Onyett |first=Charles |date=2012-07-07 |title=Slender is Pure Horror |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/07/07/slender-is-pure-horror |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525125057/https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/07/07/slender-is-pure-horror |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=[[IGN]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Goodman |first=Paul |date=2012-08-21 |title=Slender Review |url=https://www.escapistmagazine.com/slender-review/ |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=The Escapist |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121126111443/https://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/9876-Slender-Review|archive-date=2012-11-26|url-status=live}}</ref> with ''[[Game Informer]]'' calling it "effective".<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=Gardner |first=Jack |date=2012-06-21 |title=Slender Preview - Things Go Bump In The Night |url=https://gameinformer.com/games/slender/b/pc/archive/2012/08/10/things-go-bump-in-the-night.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812210742/https://gameinformer.com/games/slender/b/pc/archive/2012/08/10/things-go-bump-in-the-night.aspx |archive-date=August 12, 2012 |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=Game Informer |language=en}}</ref> Goodman also praised its simple gameplay and music.<ref name=":10" /> ''[[Game Informer]]'' and Jeffrey Matulef of ''[[Eurogamer]]'' called ''The Eight Pages'' "terrifying."<ref name=":20">{{Cite news |last=Matulef |first=Jeffrey |date=2012-07-04 |title=Free horror game Slender is absolutely terrifying |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/free-horror-game-slender-is-absolutely-terrifying |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525125057/https://www.eurogamer.net/free-horror-game-slender-is-absolutely-terrifying |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |access-date=2023-05-25 |work=[[Eurogamer]] |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref name=":14" /> Evan Killham of ''[[VentureBeat]]'' wrote that it elicited a sense of helplessness and vulnerability.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Killham |first=Evan |date=2012-07-26 |title=Slender taught me to fear again |url=https://venturebeat.com/community/2012/07/26/slender-taught-me-to-fear-again/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525125058/https://venturebeat.com/community/2012/07/26/slender-taught-me-to-fear-again/ |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=[[VentureBeat]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

Kirk Hamilton of ''[[Kotaku]]'' called ''The Eight Pages'' "one of the scariest games of the year."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hamilton |first=Kirk |date=September 10, 2012 |title=''Slender: The Eight Pages'': Short, Crude, And One Of The Scariest Games Of The Year |url=https://kotaku.com/slender-the-eight-pages-short-crude-and-one-of-the-5942056 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525125057/https://kotaku.com/slender-the-eight-pages-short-crude-and-one-of-the-5942056 |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=[[Kotaku]] |language=en}}</ref> [[IndieWire]] named ''The Eight Pages'' one of their Top 10 [[Indie Games]] of 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lichman |first=John |date=2012-12-28 |title=From 'Slender" to "Fez," The Top 10 Indie Games of 2012 |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/from-slender-to-fez-the-top-10-indie-games-of-2012-42281/ |access-date=2023-05-25 |website= |publisher=[[IndieWire]] |language=en-US |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525125059/https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/from-slender-to-fez-the-top-10-indie-games-of-2012-42281/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2016, ''[[GamesRadar+]]'' retrospectively described ''Slender: The Eight Pages'' as "one of the best examples of this constant tension is a game that shepherded in this new era of horror gaming".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bradley |first=Alan |date=2016-10-31 |title=The perfect horror game, torn apart and reassembled |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-perfect-horror-game-torn-apart-and-reassembled/ |access-date=2026-03-28 |website=GamesRadar+ |language=en}}</ref> In 2024, ''[[IGN]]'' listed ''The Eight Pages'' as one of the "best horror games ever made".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=I. G. N. |date=2024-10-23 |title=The 25 Best Horror Games Ever Made |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/best-horror-games |access-date=2026-03-23 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref>

In contrast, Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson of ''[[TechRadar]]'' and Jim Norris of ''[[PC World]]'' considered the limited gameplay ultimately to its detriment. Wyciślik-Wilson did praise the suspenseful atmosphere, which she thought was enhanced by the simple graphics and lighting. However, she criticized the "dull" gameplay and pacing, saying that it was repetitive and lacked variety. Both Wyciślik-Wilson and Norris felt that ''The Eight Pages'' lacked originality compared to other Slender Man fan creations.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Wyciślik-Wilson |first=Sofia |date=2017-07-27 |title=Slender: The Eight Pages review |url=https://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/slender-the-eight-pages-review-1326593/review |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=[[TechRadar]] |language=en |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525125058/https://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/slender-the-eight-pages-review-1326593/review |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Legacy == {{main|Video games based on Slender Man}} The success of ''[[Resident Evil 4]]'' (2005) caused [[AAA (video game industry)|AAA]] survival horror games to opt for mainstream appeal by following the conventions of [[shooter game]]s. In the 2010s, ''Slender: The Eight Pages'' was among cheaper [[Indie game|indie titles]] that challenged this approach; ''[[Amnesia: The Dark Descent]]'' (2010) and ''[[Five Nights at Freddy's (video game)|Five Nights at Freddy's]]'' (2014), like ''Slender'', favored atmosphere over action and restricted player autonomy {{Emdash}} often arming them with nothing more than a flashlight.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Ard |first=BJ |date=Fall 2022 |title=Creativity Without IP? Vindication and Challenges in the Video Game Industry |url=https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4792&context=wlulr |journal=[[Washington and Lee Law Review]] |volume=79 |issue=4 |pages=1285{{endash}}1375 |quote=This approach proved surprisingly popular through titles like the 2012 game Slender: The Eight Pages (featuring the infamous Slender Man) and the 2014 game Five Nights at Freddy’s (a nightmarish take on the animatronics of Chuck E. Cheese), both of which benefited from streaming by YouTubers. |access-date=May 26, 2023 |archive-date=May 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526103431/https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4792&context=wlulr |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Game Developer (website)|''Game Developer'']]''<nowiki/>'''s Kate Reichert thought that ''Slender: The Eight Pages''<nowiki/>' success "proves that games don't need to be overly complicated to be successful." and "that [[Indie game|independent games]] are a force to be reckoned with."<ref name=":6" /> ''The Eight Pages'' inspired many independent developers to make their own Slender [[Fan game|fan games]],<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last1=Chess |first1=Shira |title=Folklore, Horror Stories, and the Slender Man: The Development of an Internet Mythology |last2=Newsom |first2=Eric |date=2015 |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |isbn=978-1-137-49852-6 |edition= |series= |location=New York |pages=35{{endash}}36}}</ref> including a [[Cooperative video game|co-op]] ''[[Half-Life 2]]'' (2004) [[Video game modding|mod]] based on ''The Eight Pages''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Onyett |first=Charles |date=2012-07-27 |title=Slender: Source in Development |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/07/27/slender-source-in-development |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525131304/https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/07/27/slender-source-in-development |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Matulef |first=Jeffrey |date=2012-07-26 |title=Slender: Source mod on the way |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/slender-source-mod-on-the-way |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525131306/https://www.eurogamer.net/slender-source-mod-on-the-way |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |access-date=2023-05-25 |work=Eurogamer |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Senior |first=Tom |date=2012-07-26 |title=Slender Man Source mod will let you scare the hell out of yourself for free, with friends |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/slender-man-source-mod-will-let-you-scare-the-hell-out-of-yourself-for-free-with-friends/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525131305/https://www.pcgamer.com/slender-man-source-mod-will-let-you-scare-the-hell-out-of-yourself-for-free-with-friends/ |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |access-date=2023-05-25 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}}</ref> In their book-length study on Slender Man, Shira Chess and Eric Newsom described ''The Eight Pages'' and ''The Arrival'' as the most successful Slender Man games. They wrote that while the ''Slender'' series did not innovate on the lore, it played a role in expanding the creepypasta's audience. Its popularity shifted Slender Man [[fandom]]'s activity from forums to video games, leading to an influx of younger fans.<ref name=":12" />

In 2015, ''[[Eurogamer]]''<nowiki/>'s Dan Whitehead compared ''The Eight Pages''<nowiki/>' impact on horror games to what ''[[The Blair Witch Project]]'' (1999) did for horror films. He wrote that it "reduced horror gaming to its purest essence, the delicious panic-inducing thrill of being pursued". Whitehead added that while ''The Eight Pages'' may have been low-quality and lacked lasting popularity or [[replay value]], it "nudged horror gaming onto a different path". Whitehead said it put the focus back on [[indie game]]s while being "revived and refreshed the genre".<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Whitehead |first=Dan |date=April 6, 2015 |title=How Slender gave gaming its Blair Witch moment |language=en-gb |work=Eurogamer |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/how-slender-gave-gaming-its-blair-witch-moment |access-date=May 25, 2023 |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525131304/https://www.eurogamer.net/how-slender-gave-gaming-its-blair-witch-moment |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Sequel == {{main|Slender: The Arrival}}

The success of ''Slender: The Eight Pages'' led Parsec Productions to partner with Blue Isle Studios to create a sequel, ''Slender: The Arrival''. On December 1, 2012, Blue Isle Studios announced its partnership with the creators of ''[[Marble Hornets]]'', Joseph DeLage, Tim Sutton, and Troy Wagner, to help write the script.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Masters of Slenderman Terror Join Slender Sequel |url=https://kotaku.com/5964988/masters-of-slenderman-terror-join-slender-sequel |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121205002841/https://kotaku.com/5964988/masters-of-slenderman-terror-join-slender-sequel |archive-date=2012-12-05 |access-date=2026-03-18 |work=Kotaku}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Blue Isle Studios also collaborated with Eric “Victor Surge” Knudsen, the original creator of the [[Slender Man]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wery|first=Jackson|date=2021-10-02|title=Slender: The Arrival Coming to Mobiles this Month|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/484826/slender-the-arrival-coming-to-mobiles-this-month/|access-date=2026-03-24|website=Dread Central|language=en-US}}</ref> When it was announced, the developers wrote that it would have "more levels, improved visuals, and an engaging storyline".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hillier |first=Brenna |date=September 21, 2012 |title=Slender: The Arrival announced as follow up to Eight Pages |url=https://www.vg247.com/slender-the-arrival-announced-as-follow-up-to-eight-pages |access-date=March 5, 2024 |website=[[VG247]] |archive-date=November 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128194447/https://www.vg247.com/slender-the-arrival-announced-as-follow-up-to-eight-pages |url-status=live }}</ref> Highly anticipated by fans,<ref name=":0" /> ''Slender: The Arrival'' was released in March 2013. While critics praised the story and presentation, they also felt it was inferior to the original and overly relied on jump scares.<ref name=":0" /> ''[[GamesRadar+]]''<nowiki/>'s Edwin Evans-Thirwell felt it was largely the same game with negligible improvements, spread across multiple levels.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Evans-Thirlwell |first=Edwin |date=March 30, 2015 |title=Slender: The Arrival review |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/slender-arrival-review/ |access-date=March 6, 2024 |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |archive-date=December 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204105615/https://www.gamesradar.com/slender-arrival-review/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The Arrival''<nowiki/>'s narrative retroactively provides context for the original game's events,<ref name=":7" /> and one of the characters, Kate, is revealed as the player character of ''The Eight Pages''.<ref name=":0" /> The second level is a re-imagining of the first game.<ref name=":11" />

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{official|http://www.parsecproductions.net/slender/}}

[[Category:2010s horror video games]] [[Category:2012 video games]] [[Category:Freeware games]] [[Category:Indie games]] [[Category:Internet memes introduced in 2012]] [[Category:MacOS games]] [[Category:Parsec Productions games]] [[Category:Single-player video games]] [[Category:Slender Man]] [[Category:Survival horror video games]] [[Category:Video games developed in the United States]] [[Category:Video games featuring female protagonists]] [[Category:Video games set in forests]] [[Category:Walking simulators]] [[Category:Windows games]] [[Category:Video games based on Internet-based works]] [[Category:Unity games]]