This free indie game is tech support with a supernatural twist

I enjoyed Mini Metro and Mini Motorways, a pair of games about drawing public routes for cars and transit through little cities. Both of them are wonderful games to play on the subway, which is perhaps why I'm so surprised by the nature of the newest game from developer Dinosaur Polo Club: Read The Fucking Manual.

If you're in tech support, you may have felt a chill run down your spine at that phrase – and sure enough, this is a co-op tech support game ... kind of? It's described as a horror puzzle game, with colleagues pitted against each other in a desperate attempt to solve challenges. If you've played Home Safety Hotline, you'll be familiar with the '90s-era technology and workplace culture RTFM is playing on, combined with deeply alarming horror elements that create a surreal atmosphere.

The game is free for Windows and Mac on itch.io, but you will need to download both the game and the user manual. (It is, after all, in the title of the game.) While it's designed for co-op, the game can also be played solo, so if you're curious enough you can give it a spin without waiting for a friend.

It's currently described as a "side quest game" by Dinosaur Polo Club, but I'd be super curious to see the setting and premise expanded upon. This prototype is similar to Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes or Bomb Squad, but the supernatural element keeps things a little unpredictable.