The Night of the Scissors on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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Scrap hunting season has gone wrong, VHS slasher survival horror.
The Night of the Scissors is a horror, survival horror and exploration game
developed by Tomás Esconjaureguy
and published by selewi.
Released on May 13th 2022 is available on Windows, MacOS and Linux
in 10 languages: English, French, German, Spanish - Spain, Finnish, Portuguese - Portugal, Spanish - Latin America, Portuguese - Brazil, Italian and Russian.
It has received 414 reviews of which 392 were positive and 22 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.7 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 2.49€ on Steam.
The Steam community has classified The Night of the Scissors into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at The Night of the Scissors through various videos and screenshots.
System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows 7
- Processor: 2.4GHZ Dual Core
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce 9800GT Or Equivalent
- Storage: 200 MB available space
MacOS
- OS: macOS
- Processor: 2.2GHZ Dual Core
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: 512MB VRAM
- Storage: 200 MB available space
Linux
- OS: Ubuntu 12.04
- Processor: 2.4GHZ Dual Core
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce 9800GT Or Equivalent
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
A pretty good short horror game. Not much to it but it's still a nice experience
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This is just *barely* on the "recommended" side of things, because it's so basic and short. Like, "you'll finish it in under 30 minutes" short, and about as bare-bones as a horror game can get, with every puzzle except for one being limited to "carry the item to the spot" and with zero combat options (only hiding) or resource management. However, if you're just looking for a quick scare, this will get the job done. Unsurprisingly given the name, it's a riff on Clock Tower; somewhat surprisingly, it's a riff on the Super Famicom Clock Tower (albeit, in 3D), not one of the later ones. It's not going to go down as a "great game" by any standards, but if the price is right, it's worth a quick glance.
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The Night of the Scissors, developed by Tomás Esconjaureguy and published by selewi, is a concise yet striking homage to retro survival horror and classic slasher cinema. Set within the confines of an abandoned post office, the game places the player in the shoes of Adam, a petty thief who, along with his friend, attempts to scavenge scrap metal from the derelict building. What begins as a simple act of desperation quickly transforms into a nightmare when Adam realizes that something is hunting him—a deranged killer armed with a pair of scissors. What follows is a tense, minimalist survival experience that relies on atmosphere, pacing, and sound design rather than complex mechanics or flashy visuals to evoke genuine dread. From the moment the game begins, it establishes a mood of isolation and unease. The post office is rendered in a deliberately crude, low-poly style reminiscent of PlayStation 1-era graphics, with grainy textures, flickering lights, and eerie VHS filters that make the world feel both nostalgic and unsettling. The art direction is purposeful rather than primitive; its imperfections amplify the sense of decay and claustrophobia. The static camera angles and limited field of vision heighten tension by restricting awareness, forcing players to commit to every movement without full knowledge of what lurks beyond the screen’s edge. The environment feels like a living relic of forgotten horror design principles—compact, grimy, and filled with oppressive silence punctuated only by the faint echo of footsteps or the unmistakable metallic snip that heralds danger. Gameplay is straightforward but effective, focusing on exploration, stealth, and evasion rather than combat or resource management. The player must navigate a maze of dimly lit rooms, searching for keys, notes, and other items that can help open locked doors or reveal hidden paths to escape. When the killer draws near, hiding becomes the only viable option. Wardrobes, lockers, and bathroom stalls serve as sanctuaries of fleeting safety, and the player must rely on timing and intuition to avoid being discovered. Each encounter with the killer is unpredictable; his sudden appearances and erratic movements inject a sense of panic that keeps the player constantly on edge. The simplicity of the mechanics works in the game’s favor—it strips away distractions, leaving the player alone with their fear and the sound of those relentless scissors cutting through the air. The sound design is arguably the most important component of the experience. Every creak of a door, every shuffle of footsteps, and every sharp metallic snip is positioned to make the player hyperaware of their surroundings. There is no musical score to soften the tension, only ambient noise and the occasional surge of sound when the killer appears. This reliance on sound cues mirrors the best traditions of early survival horror, where fear is derived from what is heard rather than what is seen. The audio landscape of The Night of the Scissors is intimate and suffocating, transforming the silence into a weapon that keeps players guessing whether they are alone or moments away from discovery. Despite its brevity, the game succeeds in delivering a concentrated dose of terror. The Night of the Scissors can be completed in under an hour, but every minute is crafted to maintain suspense. The pacing is deliberate; moments of stillness and slow exploration are frequently shattered by bursts of danger, keeping players in a state of perpetual alertness. The lack of combat reinforces the feeling of helplessness that defines classic survival horror. There is no way to fight back, only to hide, escape, and hope. This vulnerability gives each chase sequence a visceral edge, turning every narrow escape into a genuine relief. While some may find the game too short or mechanically simple, its conciseness prevents it from overstaying its welcome. Like a well-executed short film, it delivers its premise, builds its tension, and concludes before repetition can dull its impact. The visual and thematic inspiration from 1980s slasher films is evident throughout. The villain—silent, faceless, and armed with an iconic weapon—embodies the archetypal slasher antagonist, while the game’s presentation mimics the grainy, imperfect look of VHS tape recordings. Even the narrative framing feels familiar, with its simple setup of trespassers encountering a killer in an abandoned place. Yet what makes The Night of the Scissors stand out is how it recontextualizes these familiar tropes within the framework of interactive horror. The player’s perspective transforms passive fear into active participation, and the limited save system reinforces the risk and tension that defined the genre’s early days. Critically, The Night of the Scissors is not without its shortcomings. The story is minimalistic, offering only enough context to drive the action without delving into character motivation or backstory. The protagonist and antagonist exist as archetypes rather than fully realized figures, which may leave players craving more depth or lore. The camera angles, while nostalgic, can sometimes hinder movement in narrow spaces, and the controls feel intentionally stiff to emulate the awkward charm of old-school survival horror—but this can occasionally frustrate modern players unaccustomed to such restrictions. Nevertheless, these flaws feel deliberate, part of the game’s dedication to authenticity. They reinforce the feeling of vulnerability and imperfection that lies at the heart of its design philosophy. Ultimately, The Night of the Scissors is a love letter to the survival horror of the 1990s—a compact, atmospheric experience that distills fear into its purest elements. It demonstrates how effective tension and pacing can be achieved without high-end graphics, elaborate mechanics, or lengthy campaigns. Every detail—from the low-poly art and fixed cameras to the haunting sound design—serves the singular purpose of immersing the player in dread. It’s a brief, focused horror story that respects its inspirations while carving out its own identity through restraint and mood. For fans of retro horror, it is a reminder of why simplicity can sometimes be far more terrifying than complexity, and for newcomers, it offers a sharp, chilling introduction to the power of minimalist design in evoking fear. Rating: 9/10
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With love from fans to fans! That's how I would describe this miracle, created by an obvious fan of old-school survival horror games such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Alone in the Dark, and other similar games. A short half-hour horror game with all the typical elements of survival horror games - simple puzzles, atmosphere, and the distinct feeling that someone is lurking around the corner... The game easily achieves its main goal of making the player feel uncomfortable. I highly recommend checking out this product, especially for all fans of old-school survival horror games. The only drawback, for me personally, was that with the standard lighting settings, it was still difficult to navigate the space, especially in the basement with the generator, where you had to walk past the scissors without touching them. Otherwise, it's a product worth the money (almost for free).
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Super fun, Super short, and gives me a lot of nostalgia for games like Clock Tower! Loved it, but again... maybe an hour long.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Night of the Scissors is currently priced at 2.49€ on Steam.
The Night of the Scissors is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 2.49€ on Steam.
The Night of the Scissors received 392 positive votes out of a total of 414 achieving a rating of 8.74.
😎
The Night of the Scissors was developed by Tomás Esconjaureguy and published by selewi.
The Night of the Scissors is playable and fully supported on Windows.
The Night of the Scissors is playable and fully supported on MacOS.
The Night of the Scissors is playable and fully supported on Linux.
The Night of the Scissors is a single-player game.
There is a DLC available for The Night of the Scissors. Explore additional content available for The Night of the Scissors on Steam.
The Night of the Scissors does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
The Night of the Scissors does not support Steam Remote Play.
The Night of the Scissors is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for The Night of the Scissors.
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Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 22 January 2026 10:28 |
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| SteamSpy data | 28 January 2026 20:56 |
| Steam price | 29 January 2026 04:30 |
| Steam reviews | 29 January 2026 06:03 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about The Night of the Scissors, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about The Night of the Scissors
- SteamCharts - Analysis of The Night of the Scissors concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck The Night of the Scissors compatibility
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Online players
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Developer
Tomás Esconjaureguy
Publisher
selewi
Release
13 May 2022
Platforms