Today, horror video games are as popular as they’ve ever been, with some mega-franchises like Resident Evil about to take a step into the emerging world of virtual reality. But even Resident Evil can give credit to the original 3D survival horror video game, Alone in the Dark.

Released in 1992, Alone in the Dark followed the protagonist (either Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood) after they become trapped inside a mansion. They must escape the mansion while avoiding or defeating a number of supernatural enemies such as zombies. The title was primarily puzzle-focused rather than many other horror games that would follow it, which would be more action-based.

Alone in the Dark was developed over the course of a couple of years by the company Infogrames; the company’s CEO took inspiration from horror films such as Dawn of the Dead in the creation of the title. Alone in the Dark is notable as being one of the first titles (and the first horror game) to have three-dimensional characters rendered on a two-dimensional static background. This forced them to use fixed camera angles – which in turn lent itself to the horror atmosphere.

The game was met with critical praise, and is still today considered one of the most influential games of all time due to its design and atmosphere. It was ported to a number of other systems, and kicked off a franchise that has continued as recently as 2015’s Alone in the Dark: Illumination. A couple of films based on the game were also made, but they’ve been negatively received – the first one is considered so bad it’s been listed as one of the worst films ever made. Though it may not have the brand recognition of a Resident Evil or Silent Hill, Alone in the Dark’s influence can still be felt throughout gaming today.