Atari 2600 and horror games are not exactly synonymous but here we are. Sure, there were some licensed games featuring horror characters, well um, I can name Texas Chainsaw Massacre off the top of my head but not much else. See? The Atari 2600 is not known for being a horror game fans dream console. No worries, Atari Age forum member, cheezywhiz, is working on expanding the horror genre on the classic Atari console with Axercise.
Hardware Limitations Not Horror Limitations
Minimalism can be quite interesting in the horror genre if it is used well. Less is more and often leads to more thrills. While you are not going to lose any sleep after playing the demo of Axercise, you will get a few jumps scares out of it which may raise your heart rate for a bit.
The action is all 2D side scrolling running and avoiding obstacles fun. You start each level, at least in the demo, immediately in front of the masked killer. Do not stand around long, otherwise you will not be alive long.
Start running immediately. That is a bloodthirsty pixelized killer standing there.
The demo features a few levels to run through, including at least one or two jumps scares for you. I am hopeful we get more in the final release.
Let’s Get Physical
Over on the Atari 2600 Homebrew Games Facebook Group it is made public that Atari Age will be publishing Axercise for the Atari 2600.
This is great news as their releases are of quite good quality and are known to work well and are made with quality parts.
You can check out the demo for Axercise on Ascrewaskew.com. There is an NTSC and PAL60 demo available as well as a browser version.
It appears that a release of October 2025 has been set for Axercise.
What horror game do you rock when you need that adrenaline rush?
Horror games are very rare these days on the Atari 2600. So a game like Axercise will undoubtedly be a surprising addition for fans. The way it creates a beautiful atmosphere despite using limited graphics is truly commendable.
I hope it does well and we are able to see more horror style games released for the Atari 2600. The limitations of the hardware will definitely forced developers to be creative with their efforts.