Not quite content with shaking up TV viewers with its genuinely scary horror game show, Sony Pictures Television is now embarking on a quest to terrify iOS and Android users, as it unleashes Release The Hounds on mobile.
The game has been designed and produced by Gogglebox Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television, and developed by Brighton-based Just A Pixel, the team behind the stylish stealth game ‘Light’.
Release The Hounds has been a huge success for ITV2, rating as the number one show on the channel for adults (16-34) and young adults (16-24). Created by Gogglebox Entertainment, the show sees three unsuspecting contestants enter a huge forest at dusk, in a quest to unlock chests full of prize money. The not so fearless friends have all responded to an advert to win money – but little do they know, in order to win big, they must face some of the scariest challenges ever endured on TV.
To locate the keys to the chests, the friends must all take part in a variety of horror themed mental and physical tests that will truly aim to push them to the limit. But the ultimate challenge for them is to out-run a pack of dogs, trained to guard the cash. If they manage to escape the hounds, the money belongs to them. If they don’t…
Release The Hounds on mobile brings elements of the show to life in terrifying fashion. Players enter the sinister Crowley Estate – scene of the TV series – racing through horrifying locations such as the Nursery, Asylum and Lab, dashing past nightmare-inducing clowns and avoiding deadly scarecrows, among many other hazards.
The dead of night adds a sinister atmosphere, leaving players with only a torch light to spot hazards looming in the darkness. At key points within each level, players will need to decide whether to bolt for the exit or continue collecting coins, and once in the dog run, will they be able to escape the hounds?
Mat Steiner, joint managing director of Gogglebox Entertainment, said: “Release The Hounds has already been a big success on ITV2, and we have been extremely conscious of making sure the mobile game retains as much of the winning formula that has captivated the TV audience. We’re sure fans of the show will love it.”
“We had a blast bringing the mechanics from the TV show onto mobile,” adds Roberta Saliani, chief executive officer, Just A Pixel. “As a team, we’re becoming known for injecting new life into much-loved genres, so to be working with Gogglebox Entertainment on such a prestigious show has been fantastic. Players tend to love the suspense created by the feeling of being chased – and while our players won’t obviously be pursued by a pack of hounds in real life, we’re confident that at points, they will definitely feel like they are!”