7 Gates

7 Gates is a short, experimental indie horror game developed by Radiointeractive, based on the urban myth of the Seven Gates of Hell in Hellam Township, York County, Pennsylvania.

The Legend

In most respects, York is exactly what you'd expect of a rural Pennsylvania town: a quiet place in the heartland of the Keystone State. Don't be fooled, there is a mysterious history and a dark underside of York. It is the story of death, despair, and breaching the very boundaries of Hell itself. It is the story of Toad Road.

Many years ago, a colossal mental asylum stood in the woods off of Toad Road, located in what is now known as Hellam Township. This was a hellish place and the home of only the most dangerous, most unfortunate souls. The asylum was many stories high and contained hundreds of rooms. Buried in the desolate Pennsylvania wilderness, it was viewed as the perfect place to ship the insane from all over the state.

There was only one major problem with this location, however; it was miles away from civilization. While viewed as a blessing by those who didn't want to face their fears, the asylum was not easily accessible. This led to great tragedy when it caught fire one day.

Because of its remote locale, firefighters were not able to make it in time. Many of the asylum's patients burned to death on the upper levels of the building while hundreds of others fled into the surrounding woods. The scene was true chaos, some of the most deranged and dangerous people in all of Pennsylvania had vanished into the surrounding woods as an inferno spread throughout the area.

When officials finally put out the fire, they set out to capture all the inmates. Scared by the reputations of the asylum's inmates and unsure how to handle the situation, the search party was extraordinarily aggressive, beating some of those they found into submission and even killing others.

It's clear why no one in York acknowledges this publicly. Toad Road has since been named Trout Run Road, residents have stopped talking of the hospital, and the legend has been denied in York's attempt to put this tragedy behind itself. Unfortunately, this would be impossible.

The psychological impact of these horrible events have forever cursed Toad Road. Today, it is said that the area is so cursed that it is the location of the seven gateways to Hell. York officials had constructed seven barriers along the path to the site of the former asylum. Most adventurers never even locate the first one. For those who do manage to find the path, it is said that by the fifth barrier, the sense of evil and overpowering feelings of death will turn even the bravest explorer back. Apparitions of the deceased mental patients are often seen along these paths. Strange noises and menacing screams are also heard frequently as well.

Legend has it that if one manages to surpass all seven gates, they will be standing on the burnt remains of the mental asylum; a bona fide passage to Hell itself.