The Unsettling Start and First Anomalies
The game opens with the player behind the counter of a shawarma stand, ready to serve clients. The initial atmosphere is deceptively normal, but a sudden, jarring noise accompanied by a screen blackout and an unexpected income adjustment sets an ominous tone. The unsettling sight of customers outside the window disappearing, followed by the ominous closing of a door, hints at a reality far more unstable than it first appears. As night falls and snow descends, the first truly disturbing event unfolds: a pale, emaciated figure appears, then aggressively lunges towards the player with a bloodcurdling scream, triggering another temporary blackout.
Surveillance and Shifting Realities
The security camera system, 'STRAZH TEK,' becomes a crucial tool, revealing that not all customers are as they seem. Initially, a Santa-like figure, labeled 'Anomaly 01,' appears, only to inexplicably transform into a skeletal entity under surveillance. This pattern of bizarre transformations continues, with customers often appearing as two figures or demanding 'not grilled' orders, suggesting their unusual nature. Inside the shop, the horror escalates with grotesque entities manifesting: 'Anomaly 02,' a green-skinned creature, is first seen climbing the refrigerator, then falls, leaving a viscous mess. Later, 'Anomaly 03,' a floating, human-like figure, is observed on the ceiling.
Customer Interactions and Environmental Warping
The game masterfully blends mundane tasks with terrifying encounters. A seemingly normal car customer becomes enraged when the window closes, only to have their vehicle drive away leaving a cloud of green smoke, before returning with the customer morphing into a grotesque creature. The environment itself seems to distort, accompanied by loud bangs and screen flickers. The most terrifying internal anomaly is 'Anomaly 04,' a massive, fleshy, monstrous maw that appears to consume the ceiling above the player, emitting deep, guttural growls. The player must navigate these unsettling events, sometimes closing windows and doors to keep the horrors at bay, but the creeping dread remains.
Persistent Terrors and Multiple Endings
The shifts grow increasingly surreal. Two identical female customers appear, one with a glitching head, claiming to 'share everything,' including 'even hunger,' before a creature (Anomaly 05) abruptly jumps from under the counter. CCTV footage captures other customers morphing into creatures, some expressing frustration at the shop closing, while others exhibit unsettling behaviors like dancing or an arm that is disturbingly long. A particularly unnerving customer is accompanied by a cat with a 'face on its back,' which the player observes firsthand before the cat hisses and the customer's own face grotesquely morphs. The game offers various endings, including 'Shift Completed' (Ending 1/5) for a seemingly uneventful shift, and 'Shift Ended - Status: Unstable' (Ending 2/5) where the player sees someone else wearing their uniform in their reflection.
The Final Encounters: Michael Myers and The Inspector
The tension culminates with encounters that directly threaten the player. Michael Myers calmly orders a shawarma, foreshadowing a chilling warning to 'Quick, close the door and don't open it!' Disobeying this leads to a direct attack by Myers, resulting in a 'Terminated' ending (Ending 4/5). Another ending (Ending 3/5) involves a smiling customer (Anomaly 07) who presents an envelope, which, when opened, plunges the player into a dark, watery void with a slowly turning moon-like object, ending in 'Silence.' The most impactful ending (Ending 5/5) involves a towering figure known as 'Anomaly 08,' or 'The Inspector,' with glowing red eyes. He demands a 'warm again' shawarma, claiming the previous one was 'never finished,' before revealing himself inside the shop. The final message confirms the player's neutralization: 'Multiple anomalies detected. Acceptable limit exceeded. Inspector assigned for correction. Contact verified: Employee neutralized.'
Conclusion
SHAWARMA delivers a masterclass in psychological horror, turning a simple job into a nightmare of escalating anomalies and terrifying encounters. Each shift is a gamble, where seemingly minor choices or missed cues can lead to a variety of unsettling conclusions. The game effectively uses its minimalist setting to create a deeply unsettling atmosphere, proving that true horror lies not just in jump scares, but in the slow, creeping realization that reality itself is breaking down around you.