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Press release:
Los Angeles, CA (January 11, 2023).
The Los Angeles-based (CA, the US) independent horror publisher and production company DreadXP and indie games developer Pollaris Studios, are today very happy and thrilled to announce that their dark comedy horror/adventure game “Red Tape“, is coming to PC via Steam on February 14th, 2023.

Inspired by Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy, and originally conceived as a Ludum Dare Gamejam entry, DreadXP and developer Pollaris Studios’ Red Tape takes the idiom and translates it into a full-on bureaucracy simulator about a fallen angel trapped in the bowels of Hell seeking a way back to Heaven. It’s up to players to get this nasty … “HR issue” sorted with the head honcho himself: CEO of Hell Incorporated, The Devil.

“DreadXP was founded by a desire to support fellow spooky-inclined indie game developers, so when we came across the folks at Brazil-based Pollaris Studios, we saw an amazing opportunity to highlight this small but immensely talented team,” said Ted Hentschke, Head of Production at DreadXP.

“Pollaris Studios marks the first of many ultra-small indies that we intend to support with our publishing resources and introduce to as big of an audience as possible.”

As an angel trapped in the fiery underworld due to a paperwork mishap, players of Red Tape will explore the nine circles of Hell Inc. to fix this egregious filing error. They’ll have to run, jump, wait in line, and experience all the thrills and thralls of horrific corporate culture first-hand.

Hellish bureaucratic processes await, as are all manner of demons and hellspawn determined to complicate matters further with their petty nonsense, conflated egos, and sadistic requests. Players will have to cut through the red tape in their fight to restore balance between Heaven and Hell.

The nine circles of Hell are, of course, sectioned into familiar corporate departments:

LIMBO – Reception
LUST – Human Resources
GLUTTONY – Cafeteria
GREED – Accounting
WRATH – Customer Service
HERESY – Marketing
FRAUD – Legal
VIOLENCE – Planning
TREACHERY – Administration

Showcased in Dreadful Dev Diary: Pollaris Studios #01, developer Nathan Gabriel discussed how the Italian poem The Divine Comedy served as inspiration behind Red Tape, and how he has built out the world of a literal corporate hell. Much like the poem, the deeper the ring, the more severe the sin, and the higher level of authorization required.

Red Tape releases on Steam on February 14th. Fiendish fans can wishlist the game today.

Follow and engage with DreadXP on Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, and join the community on Discord.

About DreadXP
DreadXP is an indie horror production and publication label that focuses on unique, experimental titles that have been overlooked by the bigger labels. The company is passionate about creating a positive horror community with a focus on supporting developers and delivering the unique content genre fans crave.

DreadXP titles include Digital Dragons’ Best Indie Game of 2022 — First Place award winner Sucker for Love: First Date, The*gameHERs Indie Game of the Year 2022 award winner The Mortuary Assistant, the Dread X Collection series, SPOOKWARE, Mirror Forge, and upcoming titles such as Hand of Doom, My Friendly Neighborhood, and CREEPSHOW.

To learn more about DreadXP, please visit www.dreadxp.com.

About Pollaris Studios: