After finishing the demo of "Critters for Sale," I'm not quite sure what I played. It's the first short story in a larger collection of five point-and-click episodes wrapped up in one bit of visuals, and if every other episode in the full game, which launches June 3, is as bonkers and surreal as the first, you're in for a wild ride. awaits us.

Each of the stories in the collection is set in a different part of the world, but this first episode, titled "The Snake," takes place in 2033 in a New York club called the Limelight. The demo is best played without spoilers, so I'll touch on it lightly, but it begins with the character receiving an email in the middle of the night inviting him to the club.

What happens upon arriving at the club is that you are caught headfirst in the middle of a feud between multiple timelines, a secret society, and two groups of astral projectiles. It's like an episode of "The Twilight Zone" on acid.

The images and music only amplify this feeling. The stark, one-bit aesthetic is hypnotic, like staring into the white noise of a television set. Objects and characters seem to shimmer on the screen, and mundane things like hallways and statues suddenly seem incredibly sinister. It's an art style that looks incredibly cool and super creepy at the same time.

There are multiple endings, secrets to find, lore to wrap your head around, and after playing the demo, I was instantly hooked. If all of this sounds fascinating and strange, and you want to get a better feel for what "Critters for Sale" is all about, I've linked a trailer below.

If you want to get hooked on more fascinating 1-bit screenshots and gifs, there are plenty on Steam and itch.o's page.