History VideoGame / HomeSafetyHotline

** Stair Slugs are, as the name implies, giant slugs that inhabit stairs inside a home, being gigantic things that generally pose little risk other than scaring the pants of anyone who stumbles into them. What is not detailed, however, is what happens if one fails to properly perform the salt ritual that dehydrates them to death, either by trying to apply salt directly on their body or just failing to perform it in the first place. David, if given bad advice, will find the previously passive Stair Slug in his home agitated and approaching his room with vengeance while all he can do is listen to what is presumably his dog yelping in fear or pain over what the Slug is doing to them in the other room.

* MissionControlIsOffItsMeds: While Carol at first seems merely slimy in a middle manager sense, [[spoiler:as the days go on her messages get increasingly bizarre and poetical, before she drops the human disguise entirely. Oddly, if you do ''badly'', she goes back to acting human.]]

* BewareTheSillyOnes: Whistling Fungi have a rather amusing concept: they're fungi with holes in their caps that make dissonant whistling noises, and their whistling audio cue is rather whimsical. They're usually a minor nuisance with their whistling and foundational damage, ''but'' if they start whistling in unison... the homeowner should ''evacuate the house immediately and never return'', [[NothingIsScarier with no explanation as to why]]. They also provide one of the most horrifying fates should you fail to handle them for an owner -- in what is likely the shortest callback response of the game, all the owner can let out is [[SoundOnlyDeath indiscernible and strained groaning]] along with ominous whistling noises in the background.

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Being touched by a vengeful Spriggan manifests a tree sapling inside the victim that will gradually yet surely sprout into a full fledged tree, and judging from what Patrice describes in her shed when calling about her missing son, leaves a bloodied and clothe tattered mess of a tree in their victims place. Going by Howards return call, if you fail to advise him on how to avoid Spriggans, the process is ''incredibly'' painful, with him describing feeling something moving inside of him and dying mid-scream as the tree sprouts and tears his head apart.

* DoWellButNotPerfect: You will miss a lot of content if you get all the answers totally correct, as callers will only respond if you give incorrect identifications. To get the most entertaining route therefore requires intentionally failing a few answers (you won't be penalized unless you get too many answers wrong); that is, if you're okay with some of the callers suffering a gruesome fate.

* EatenAlive: The False Artifacts will eat their prey wholly, trapping them inside their electronic body for many, many years for slow digestion and a solitary death, although for better or worse it's been said that victims typically die of starvation first. Their size means that they can only prey on small animals and children, and case in point its data entry image depicts a vintage television with child-size hands pressed against the screen from within.

* EstablishingSeriesMoment: On day 1, your call with Hank is a simple mole problem in his yard that you can diagnose over the phone. Even if you provide the correct care package, you’ll likely have noticed the rather odd fact about moles provided to you about their relations with 'the ones beneath the soil' and a stern warning about killing moles that sounds less like general advice and more like a grave warning. Should you ''fail'' to tell Hank the correct instructions, he’ll angrily call back the next day about your bad advice and rather ominously begin to calm down then hang up after claiming all the moles outside are staring and beckoning him to enter their tunnels as punishment for his insolence, showing you that this job will have consequences much more dire than annoyed clients and simple vermin if you keep messing up.

* MagicalRealism: You work at a company that deals with all manners of pest infestations, ranging from rats and cockroaches to trolls and warlocks.

** Kyle calls back when his dog, named Goblin, eventually returns. Unfortunately, he has no idea about what to do about the ensuing issues he'll face without your advice on [[spoiler:unicorn fungi]][[labelnote:*]]Fortunately, [[spoiler:surgical removal actually ''is'' one of the recommended steps for dealing with unicorn fungi]].[[/labelnote]].

** The False Beet takes root in your stomach to siphon your nutrients if you eat it. Worse yet, there is ''no known treatment'' that won't end with the death of the victim.

* AlternateUniverse: A Neighbor's Doorway entity is implied to not only take anyone goes through it to a parallel universe, but it causes the parallel counterpart of the person who entered to go into our universe in their place, resulting in someone confused about why their memories are inconsistent with the happenings in their current universe. Said entities are implied to manifest by [[spoiler: [[GrassIsGreener a person pondering on alternate life choices they could have taken.]]]]

** Those touched by a [[GaiasVengeance Spriggan]], a creature of punishment who targets those who seemingly disrespect nature, will have a Sprig Tree rapidly sprout from their bodies. HSH's listed "Solution" is to quarantine the tree and arrange funeral services for the afflicted. [[spoiler:Patrice calls without realizing that the tree in her shed is most likely her son. Howard, if you didn't give him the right advice, calls back to let you know the Spriggan stalking him has touched him before exploding into a tree over the call]].
** The Fae Flu, a rare but dangerous MysticalPlague indirectly spread by fae creatures. Its symptoms and bodily changes will affect a human for the rest of their life, with a slim chance of being fatal, and ThereIsNoCure. Many callers are at risk of catching it if you don't manage to give them proper advice to deal with their household fae problems. [[spoiler:Phil calls after his doctor refers him to the hotline, so it's already too late to do anything but tell him what he has]].

* EldritchLocation: Cellar Grottos are spontaneous manifestations of an entire damp ecosystem that show up in the basements of homes, with shallow water, foliage, plenty of insect and amphibious wildlife, cave walls and a loud, easily angered creature that dwells within the cave system. While said creature is placated by a generous offering of gold, approaching it in any other context implies a gruesome death for any homeowner who investigates too deeply.

* InescapableHorror: A lot of horror in the game is derived from the fact many of the supernatural entities that your callers may be afflicted with are impossible to get rid of, and attempting to do so can result in their death or something almost as terrible. In particular is a being called the Dorcha. Once the Dorcha has selected a target for "deliverance" it is impossible to escape this fate, and its entry makes no mention of how to prevent from being selected.

* AdaptationalJerkass: Some of the fairies are nastier than they are in their original folklore. For example; leprechauns in mythology generally mind their own business and can even be helpful. Leprechauns here are aggressive beast that steal metal, even from a child’s braces.

* LovecraftLite: Compared to other analog horror which are more CosmicHorrorStory, the game leans more into this. There are numerous magical threats that menace humans and some are seemingly unstoppable, but most can be placated, fended off, or even slain with the right actions. [[spoiler:The existence of the company shows some fairies are even on humanity’s side.]]

* ExtraStrengthMasquerade: The general public doesn't seem to be aware of the existence of TheFairFolk, despite a publicly accessible hotline that will inform you of the existence of TheFairFolk, and doctors and the police very often referring to Home Safety Hotline when it seems to them that the issue involves the fae.

* InvasionOfTheBabySnatchers: A ''lot'' of the hazards predate on children in various ways.

* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: You can intentionally give your clients inaccurate information, which will lead to them calling back in dire straits, a few of them dying or being attacked mid-call. [[spoiler:Do it too much, though, and [[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment you'll be fired and turned into a mouse.]]]]

* {{Corpsing}}: The Prank Caller will sometimes burst out laughing trying to get his call out.

* EstablishingSeriesMoment: On day 1, your call with Hank is a simple mole problem in his yard that you can diagnose over the phone. Even if you provide the correct care package, you’ll likely have noticed the rather odd fact about moles provided to you about their relations with 'the ones beneath the soil' and a stern warning about killing moles that sounds less like general advice and more like a grave warning. Should you ''fail'' to tell Hank the correct instructions, he’ll angrily call back the next day about your bad advice and rather ominously begin to calm down then hang up after claiming all the moles outside are starring and beckoning him to enter their tunnels as punishment for his insolence, showing you that this job will have consequences much more dire than annoyed clients and simple vermin if you keep messing up.

* TheFairFolk: The primary threat you're warning people about beyond the mundane. [[spoiler: They're also the ones running the company, and if you do well enough, you can transcend your humanity and join them.]]

** A lot of the entries have [[BlueAndOrangeMorality very odd]] attitudes towards the hazards, like dismissing the mind-destroying memory wisps as harmless or putting the death of animals and children on the same level. A majority of the more fae-like entities also have entries that don't give solutions that would destroy or drive away the offending entity, usually leaning to pacify them or let them be. [[spoiler: Almost like whoever's writing it isn't human.]]

* MissionControlIsOffItsMeds: While Carol at first seems merely slimy in a middle manager sense, [[spoiler: as the days go on her messages get increasingly bizarre and poetical, before she drops the human disguise entirely. Oddly, if you do ''badly'', she goes back to acting human.]]

** A large part of the game's horror derives from how stingy it is with information about the threats you're dealing with. For example, while the Home Safety Hotline's database ''does'' warn customers to never kill gophers for fear of provoking 'the Ones Below', it does not see fit to tell you what the Ones Below are, or what will happen if they're provoked. Failing to provide accurate information will treat you to a SoundOnlyDeath where it's often unclear what exactly is happening to the caller.

** Kyle calls back when his dog, named Goblin, eventually returns. Unfortunately, he has no idea about what to do about the ensuing issues he'll face without your advice on [[spoiler:unicorn fungi]].

** There are a few entries that ultimately aren't one of the solutions to a home problem [[spoiler:or the final day's riddles]], but they do serve to confuse an inattentive player. These include Gophers, Toilet Hobbs, Trash Gnomes, False Rose Bushes, Kobolds, [[spoiler:the above-mentioned Dream Weavers, and the Warlock Remnant]].

* TheThingThatWouldNotLeave: Many threats cannot be removed , even by HSH, meaning homeowners have to just tough it out till it leaves on its own. Some creatures might never leave the home at all. In these cases, HSH usually recomends to either placate it, or to leave and never return, depending on the danger.

* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: You can intentionally give your clients inaccurate information, which will lead to them calling back in dire straits, a few of them dying or being attacked mid-call. [[spoiler: Do it too much, though, and [[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment you'll be fired and turned into a mouse.]]]]

** The [[spoiler:intelligent mice are revealed to be humans that were [[ForcedTransformation turned into mice by fae]]. This fate befell a previous employee, befalls a prank caller, and if you fail to give accurate information, you as well]].

** The Portal is implied to lead somewhere that's definitely not of this world, and should you let Patty fall for her urge to go inside it unimpeded, the next time she tries to call you over the phone will fail to connect. Why she would feel the need to try and call you again is best left to imagination.

* ExtraStrengthMasquerade: The general public doesn't seem to be aware of the existence of TheFairFolk, despite a publicly accessible hotline that will inform you of the existence of TheFairFolk, and the police very often referring to Home Safety Hotline when it seems to them that the issue involves the fae.

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Being touched by a vengeful Spriggan manifests a tree sapling inside the victim that will gradually yet surely sprout into a full fledged tree, and judging from what Patrice describes in her shed when calling about her missing son, leaves a bloodied and cloth tattered mess of a tree in their victims place. Going by Howards call if you fail to advise him on how to avoid Spriggans, the process is ''incredibly'' painful, with Howard describing feeling something moving inside of him and dying mid-scream as the tree sprouts and tears his head apart.

* DontLookAtMe: Boggarts do not enjoy being seen, and while these 7-foot tall and very hairy humanoids are excellent at hiding most of the time, actually managing to find one will cause them to aggressively lash out. Gary, if given the wrong advice, will make this mistake and will be cornered in his bedroom until the thing finally reaches out to brutalize him after staring him down.

** The Portal is implied to lead somewhere that's definitely not of this world, and should you let Patty go inside it unimpeded, the next time she tries to call you over the phone fails.

** The fate of those who find and eat a False Beet, a parasitic creature that will latch onto the innards of its victim to leech their nutrients until they're dead. The data entry confirms there's absolutely no way to remove the creature without killing the host. [[spoiler:Ash will call in for advice over an incredibly painful stomach bug he's been having that's making him sick, with all symptoms and past history confirming he now has one. Sending him the correct information will do basically nothing but improve your work reliability score, while sending the incorrect information lets you listen to his panicked realization that he'll be eating for two for the rest of his life]].

* BewareTheSillyOnes: Whistling Fungi have a rather amusing concept: they're fungi with holes in their caps that make dissonant whistling noises, and their whistling audio cue is rather whimsical. They're usually a minor nuisance with their whistling and foundational damage, ''but'' if they start whistling in unison... the homeowner should ''evacuate the house and never return'', [[NothingIsScarier with no explanation as to why]]. They also provide one of the most horrifying fates should you fail to handle them for an owner -- in what is likely the shortest callback response of the game, all the owner can let out is [[SoundOnlyDeath indiscernible and strained groaning]] along with ominous whistling noises in the background.

** Whistling Fungi are mushrooms with small holes in their caps, which they use to produce a dissonant whistling sound. While relatively harmless apart from causing foundational problems, it's noted that if Whistling Fungi start "whistling" in harmony, the homeowner should evacuate and never return. [[NothingIsScarier The reason for this is never stated]].

* BlueAndOrangeMorality: It's hard to tell how benevolent the HSH actually is. On the one hand, quite a few of the calls you handle involve situations that could potentially get entire families killed if they're handled badly, such as metamorphosis, and operators are [[YouHaveFailedMe punished severely for failure]]. On the other, there are a few hints that the HSH isn't especially selective about who it hires as operators. It also remains ambiguous if -- let alone ''what'' -- the callers are paying for the privilege of talking to you. [[spoiler:The Fae aren't known for giving anything away for free]].

** The fate of those who find and eat a False Beet, a parasitic creature that will latch onto the innards of its victim to leech their nutrients until they're dead. The data entry confirms there's absolutely no way to remove the creature without killing the host. [[spoiler:Ash will call in for advice over a incredibly painful stomach bug he's been having that's making him sick, with all symptoms and past history confirming he now has one. Sending him the correct information will do basically nothing but improve your work reliability score, while sending the incorrect information lets you listen to his panicked realization that he'll be eating for two for the rest of his life]].

* ExtraStrengthMasquerade: The general public don't seem to be aware of the existence of TheFairFolk, despite a publicly accessible hotline that will inform you of the existence of TheFairFolk, and the police very often referring to Home Safety Hotline when it seems to them that the issue involves the fae.

* DontLookAtMe: Boggarts do not enjoy being seen, and while these 7-foot tall and very hairy humanoids are excellent at hiding most of the time, actually managing to find one will cause them to aggressively lash out. Gary, if given the wrong advice, will make this mistake and will be cornered in his bedroom until the thing finally reaches out to brutalize him after starring him down.

* TyphoidMary: Several Sprites carry the [[MysticalPlague Fae Flu]], which doesn't affect them and which they don't intentionally spread, but it causes a debilitating, incurable illness to humans who come into contact with them. A good number of callers who aren't in immediate danger but fail receive good advise will eventually call back and describe harrowing and painful symptoms from the otherwise passive fae that infected them.

** Those touched by a [[GaiasVengeance Spriggan]], a creature of punishment who targets those who seemingly disrespect nature, will have a Sprig Tree rapidly sprout from their bodies. HSH's listed "Solution" is to quarantine the tree and arrange funeral services for the afflicted. [[spoiler:Patrice calls without realizing that the tree in her shed is most likely her son. [[spoiler:Howard, if you didn't give him the right advice, calls back to let you know the Spriggan stalking him has touched him before exploding into a tree over the call]].

** "Dorcha" seeks to locate and "[[AmbiguousSituation deliver]]" those which it seeks. People will only realize they are being targeted after-the-fact, with feelings of being watched and immense dread as the indicators. Loved ones are simply "advised to grieve" and seek "peace through acceptance".

** Those touched by a [[GaiasVengeance Spriggan]], a creature of punishment who targets those who seemingly disrespect nature, will have a Sprig Tree rapidly sprout from their bodies. HSH's listed "Solution" is to quarantine the tree and arrange funeral services for the afflicted. [[spoiler:Patrice calls without realizing that the tree in her shed is most likely her son, and Howard (if you didn't give him the right advice) calls back to let you know the Spriggan stalking him has touched him]].
** The Fae Flu, a rare but dangerous disease [[TyphoidMary typically indirectly spread]] by fae creatures. Its symptoms and bodily changes will affect a human for the rest of their life, with a slim chance of being fatal, and ThereIsNoCure. Many callers are at risk of catching it if you don't manage to give them proper advice to deal with their household fae problems. [[spoiler:Phil calls after his doctor refers him to the hotline, so it's already too late to do anything but tell him what he has]].

* YouAreAlreadyDead: Ash will call in for advice over a incredibly painful stomach bug he's been having that's making him sick, with all symptoms and past history confirming he found and ate a False Beet, a parasitic creature that will latch onto the innards of its victim to leech their nutrients until they're dead. The data entry confirms there's absolutely no way to remove the creature without killing the host, and sending him the correct information will do basically nothing but improve your work reliability score, while sending the incorrect information lets you listen to his panicked realization that he's a dead man walking.
* YouAreTooLate: One caller is a mother whose son has gone missing, [[spoiler:because his son has been ensnared by a False Artifact. As noted in the entity's entry, once a victim has been captured by the False Artifact, it's already too late to save them]].

* ExtraStrengthMasquerade: The general public don't seem to be aware of the existence of TheFairFolk, despite a publicly accessible hotline that will inform you of the existence of TheFairFolk.

* HunterOfHisOwnKind: [[spoiler:The upper management of the Home Safety Hotline are fae themselves, and many of the household problems they can deal with is to get rid of more bothersome and hostile fae.]]

* KilledOffscren: Aside from how the entire game takes place at your workstation with only the audio of victims of your poor advice being killed to go by, a small number of disgruntled callers will become frustrated over your lack of results and opt to deal with the problem themselves before hanging up, and if the problem was actually fae-related or paranormal, then it's with the implication being they're about to get themselves killed. Patrice, unaware that her son was touched and killed by a Spriggan, will continue on in ignorance and promise to head outside and deal with the 'Satanists' outside in spite of her house being surrounded by glowing eyes in the treeline. Leo, meanwhile, is implied to have unknowingly let his Fracture Hob turn into a [[DontLookAtMe Boggart]] and ends his angry call by saying he's going to take things into his own hands, with all the trouble that it entails.

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: The game is fond of working esoteric-but-concerning allusions to certain threats into lists of otherwise-mundane household dangers. For instance, the game's trailer mentions metamorphosis at the end of a list of completely-normal household issues, well before the player learns about [[spoiler:Boggarts]].

* UrbanFantasy: You play as a telephone operator for a pest control company in 1996 (with era-appropriate technology style) helping callers to identify household problems. These problems can vary from frozen pipes and roaches, to trolls, carnivorous televisions, and gnomes.

* BewareTheSillyOnes: Whistling Fungi have a rather amusing concept: they're fungi with holes in their caps that make dissonant whistling noises, and their whistling audio cue is rather whimsical. They're usually a minor nuisance with their whistling and foundational damage, ''but'' if they start whistling in unison... the homeowner should ''evacuate the house and never return'', [[NothingIsScarier with no explanation as to why]]. They also provide one of the most horrifying fates should you fail to handle them for an owner -- in what is likely the shortest callback response of the game, all the owner can say is [[SoundOnlyDeath indiscernible screaming]] along with ominous whistling noises in the background.

* {{Irony}}: The Soap Sprite appears to be a bar of soap and even consumes bacteria, but despite its clean looks and lifestyle, it's actually ThePigPen, being ''covered'' in several deadly diseases including the Fae Flu that can be spread upon touch.

* TyphoidMary: Several Sprites carry the [[MysticalPlague Fae Flu]], which doesn't affect them and which they don't intentionally spread, but it causes a debilitating, incurable illness to humans who come into contact with them.

* YourHeadASplode: Sprig Trees burst from humans, sprouting from where their heads used to be. [[spoiler:Fail to assist the caller dealing with a Spriggan, and his returning call has him panicking as its touch eventually results in a tree rapidly sprouting from his head with a SickeningCrunch]].

* TheThingThatWouldNotLeave: A number of the creatures can't be removed from a home once they've taken residence in or around it.