I Remain Unsettled by the Spooky Barbie Game That Knew My Name.

When considering horror game protagonists, Barbie isn't the first name that comes to mind. But anyone who experienced the charmingly eerie 1998 PC game Detective Barbie in the Mystery of the Carnival Caper recognizes that Barbie certainly holds survivor qualities.

The Absurd Premise

The premise is fittingly bizarre: Barbie and her companion Becky have newly finished from their area sleuthing college, since naturally that's a thing. A "fall charity carnival" is taking place locally, and Ken is inexplicably the chairman of the event, even though he and Barbie are indicated as teens. However, the evening before the carnival starts, tragedy strikes: Ken vanishes via a magic show mishap, and the donation funds vanishes with him! Of course, it's the task for Detective Barbie, her friend Becky (who acts as her "mission control"), and the player to crack the case of his absence.

Investigator Barbie was uttering user names out loud long before Fallout 4 and Starfield used the feature — and she could pronounce nearly any name.

The Creepiness Starts

The peculiarity emerges almost right away. After booting up the game, users are invited to pick their name from a list, and Barbie will address the player by name all through the experience. I must underline how extensive and detailed this selection of names is. If you're someone who has historically had trouble locating souvenirs with your name on them at gift shops, you might think you're out of luck here, but you're wrong. There are thousands of names on the list, which looks to include almost all versions of every girl's given name in existence, from extremely popular to surprisingly rare. Even though Barbie utters the player's name with a truly unsettling amount of lively energy, it doesn't sound like text-to-speech, which has me pondering how long Barbie actress Chris Anthony Lansdowne spent in the recording booth rattling off virtually each feminine name under the sun.

Investigating the Fair

After users input their name, they gain control of Barbie as she explores the scene of the crime. The time is late, and she's all alone (except for Becky, who periodically contacts via the Crime Computer). Reflecting now, I can't get over how much exploring the game's creepy carnival grounds feels like playing Silent Hill 3. Sure, this carnival lacks blood and rust, or plagued by terrifying creatures like Lakeside Amusement Park, but the atmosphere is distinctly spooky. Things only get more paranoia-inducing when Barbie begins observing a dark figure roaming the grounds. It becomes clear she's not alone after all.

It's hard to beat a tense chase down a hilariously extended slide to get your blood pumping.

Spooky Games and Hunts

As you guide Barbie through more and more creepy rides and attractions (the festive item stockroom still gives me nightmares), the player will discover hints, which she forwards to Becky to analyze. The clues ultimately lead Barbie to the unknown person's location, and it's her responsibility to hunt them down, pursuing Ken's abductor through a selection of carnival/theme park staples including dodgem cars, an enormous slide with splitting ways, and a poorly illuminated love tunnel. These chases were authentically exciting — the music becomes intense, and a single misstep could result in the suspect escaping.

Unexpected Complexity

Detective Barbie in the Mystery of the Carnival Caper had a astonishing degree of complexity, especially for a 1990s click-based adventure designed for girl youths. Rather than outfitting Barbie, or interacting with her ponies, Detective Barbie focused on actual gameplay, had a captivating plot, and was extremely spooky. It even had a degree of repeat play appeal — each run-through switched up the kinds of evidence players would come upon, and concerning Ken's kidnapper, there were multiple suspects — the culprit's name altered with each session you played. When the puzzle was unraveled, players could even generate a young sleuth emblem to show off for maximum girl-world street cred.

A child's initial fright! The clues in this room creak loudly or emerge unexpectedly as players examine them.

Legacy and Sequels

Naturally, after a handful of reruns, you'd ultimately experience everything the game had to offer, but it was amazing in its era, and even produced two follow-ups: 1999's Detective Barbie 2: The Vacation Mystery, and 2000's Detective Barbie: The Mystery Cruise. The brand remains cranking out Barbie video games to this day — the upcoming title is Barbie Horse Tails (yes, another horse riding/accessorizing game), which releases later this month. Although the visuals are a certain upgrade over Detective Barbie, I question Barbie Horse Tails includes the same amount of play detail, replay value, or overall eeriness as its late-nineties predecessors, which is kind of a shame.

An Entry to Fear

Irrespective of the brand's primary aims for the game, Detective Barbie in the Mystery of the Carnival Caper finally evolved into my entry point for frightful entertainment, and I'd enjoy witnessing Detective Barbie appear in another lighthearted-yet-creepy game that involves more than dress-up and horse-riding. Society possesses plenty of horse girls, but it could certainly benefit from more tough young sleuths cracking important fundraising fair mysteries.