iTales VR Pushes Sobriety Boundaries With Psychedelic Horror Escape Room
Virtual reality continues to stretch the limits of immersive storytelling, but few games push the usage of psychedelic drugs as part of gameplay. Developed by Bulgarian studio iTales VR, Dark Tales, set for release on April 24, 2025, is an experimental horror escape room that puts perception, addiction, and personal choice to the test.
While many horror VR games rely on cheap jump scares and gore, Dark Trip doesn’t shy away from embracing discomfort. This game delivers an intense psychological experience through hallucinogenic visuals where players are forced to consume drugs to solve puzzles. It’s a bold move in a world where addiction is considered a disease and not a personal choice.
“Our mission is to redefine the gaming landscape through compelling narratives and unique gameplay mechanics. Like if David Lynch or Terry Gilliam would have started up a VR studio,” iTales VR said in a press release.
Descending Into a Drug Fueled Mystery
Set in a desolate German town, Dark Trip places players in the role of an investigator searching for the missing daughter of a retired businessman. The trail leads to an abandoned lab where the infamous Nazi doctor Mengele conducted inhuman experiments using psychedelic substances and sadomasochistic practices.
Players are left with the choice of consuming Denpa, a fictional hallucinogen that alters both gameplay and reality, shifting the environment and revealing hidden clues, or resist the drug and face the same puzzles in the game sober.
The choice will directly affect how puzzles are solved and reinforce the weight of the psychological narrative. The more players indulge in Denpa, the more distorted their experience becomes.
VR Mechanics Amplify The Horror
Dark Trip is built exclusively for Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro, and banks on trapping players inside its surreal world. Environments twist and pulse in response to the player’s choice, and puzzles adapt based on the amount of drug use.
According to the developers: “Every session is shaped by perception, turning a simple escape room into a layered psychological journey.”
The combination of AI generated artwork and audio design, and disorienting atmosphere has already put Dark Trip on the VR horror genre map as a standout title. Early access was granted back in February this year to critical acclaim.
Dark Trip won the Game Roast Award at DevGAMM Gdansk, earning praise for its originality and risk taking. Critics and early players pointed to the game’s bold design, signaling what the future of VR horror could look like: “Uncomfortable, immersive, and unforgettable.”
A New Chapter For Indie VR Storytelling
Developed by Ayteylz EOOD and published under the iTales VR label, Dark Trip represents a confident first step from a studio looking to shake up conventional VR storytelling. Its design philosophy asks players to confront fear not just through monsters or puzzles, but through their own decisions.
With its unique use of dual narratives, experimental visuals, and high concept horror, Dark Trip challenges both the player’s mind and moral compass. As it evolves in Early Access, the game continues to push boundaries and redefine what sobriety means in a digital world.