The Gulf is rich with folk tales, some filled with bravery and hardship, others drenched in fear. Saudi YouTuber and indie developer Abdulla Al Hamad turned to the terrifying end of that spectrum for inspiration for his first-person horror game, Aunt Fatima. The game draws from the Emirati jinn legend of Umm Al Duwais, a supernatural entity that lures and kills weak-willed men. In Aunt Fatima, players enter an empty home haunted by a similar malevolent being. Once inside, they must solve puzzles while evading the creature that lurks in the shadows. Al Hamad says he was intrigued by people’s obsession with fear. “I realised people genuinely enjoy being scared—it’s fun for them,” he told local news outlet The National. “I wanted to create something simple but effective. Horror games don’t require massive development, they require just five or six core mechanics. The rest is all about creativity in the story.”
About the Game
Launched in October 2024, Aunt Fatima quickly gained traction as regional content creators showcased their playthroughs. It has since reached audiences in East Asia and Turkey, cultures that Al Hamad says share similar folklore roots.Played in first-person, the game immerses players into the shoes of the protagonist exploring what initially seems to be a deserted house. But it becomes clear something sinister is watching. Players must solve puzzles and navigate the space while avoiding the wrath of the ghostly Aunt Fatima. While comparisons have been made to Resident Evil 7 and Hideo Kojima’s P.T., Al Hamad says those weren’t direct influences. “I scare easily, I don’t even watch horror films,” he laughs. “But somehow, I ended up making a horror game.” Instead, his true inspiration came from his own surroundings. He based the haunted house in the game on his grandfather’s home and also visited abandoned areas in Al Khobar, which locals claim are haunted. “For example, the clock that chimes every quarter hour? That’s from my grandfather’s house. The telephone, rugs, bed, and lamps all of them are real details I grew up with,” he said. That authenticity gives Aunt Fatima a distinct regional identity. One scene even features a mubkhar (incense burner) on a table, filling the house with aromatic smoke which is an iconic feature in Gulf households. Despite being a solo project, Aunt Fatima includes over an hour of gameplay and is powered by Nvidia’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) system. The AI-powered rendering enhances visuals without sacrificing performance, giving the game a polished feel that rivals major studio titles. “To make a horror game work, you need quick reaction time, and DLSS really made that possible,” Al Hamad said. “Seeing Aunt Fatima listed on Nvidia’s site next to God of War and Marvel Rivals made me incredibly proud.” With Gulf folklore and nostalgic authenticity woven into every shadowed corner, Aunt Fatima is setting a new standard for regional horror games and is gaining international recognition while doing it.
