Matilda is a short first-person psychological horror game about a five-year-old boy left at home with his older sister while their parents celebrate their anniversary. The evening begins with ordinary household responsibilities, but the situation changes when Matilda discovers a strange activity hidden beneath her bed. The siblings begin playing The New Friend Game, which allows an unknown presence to enter the house. Afterward, Matilda no longer behaves like herself, and the younger brother must survive until he understands what happened.

A Familiar House Becomes Unsafe

Most of the game takes place inside the family home, which contains bedrooms, hallways, living areas, and dark spaces used during the later chase sequences. Players explore from a first-person perspective, complete story objectives, and follow instructions that move the events forward. The house is not divided into traditional numbered levels. Instead, Matilda is presented as the first chapter of a continuing story, with each objective opening the next part of the night.

Objectives and Survival Tools

The gameplay changes from quiet exploration to hiding and entity hunting after the ritual is completed. Players must move through the house, locate required objects, monitor the threat, and avoid being caught. Important features and actions include:

•         Exploring rooms for objects and story clues
•         Completing several connected objectives
•         Using a radar system to track the entity
•         Hiding when Matilda approaches
•         Searching the house while visibility is limited
•         Discovering optional scares and secrets
•         Surviving the final pursuit sequence

The radar helps show the entity’s position, but players still need to watch their surroundings and select safe routes through the building.

Movement and interaction use a keyboard and mouse. The player should remember hiding locations, avoid remaining in narrow spaces, and check the radar before entering another room. During pursuit sections, running without a planned destination can lead into a dead end. The game offers a compact horror experience lasting roughly 30 to 45 minutes, although the developer’s original release announcement estimated a shorter playtime.

The First Chapter of Matilda’s Story

Completing Matilda requires finishing the household objectives, surviving encounters with the changed sister, and reaching the end of the chapter. The game uses PSX- and VHS-inspired visuals, scripted scares, environmental storytelling, and chase mechanics instead of combat or character upgrades. Its ending leads directly into Matilda 2, where the consequences of The New Friend Game continue beyond the first night.