What is the ‘Closing Shift’ horror game that’s going viral on TikTok?

A terrifying new game is going viral on TikTok as people sign on to spook themselves with 2022’s The Closing Shift.

The popular game was released in mid-March of this year, arriving on Steam and quickly garnering “Very Positive” reviews. In the month since it arrived on the market, the game has rocketed to popularity, drawing in lovers of horror and newcomers to the genre alike. Its popularity on Steam — where it’s been reviewed by hundreds of people already — soon prompted the game to go viral on TikTok, where users began uploading standout moments from their play-throughs.

The last few weeks have seen dozens of creators jump on the Closing Shift trend, sharing eerie videos to countless users’ FYPs. The game’s continued rise on TikTok is prompting questions among some of its users, particularly those who would like to have a go at the game behind the viral trend.

What is The Closing Shift?

Part coffee shop sim, part horror game, The Closing Shift puts players in an aggressively average situation. Playing as a young woman working the closing shift at a coffee shop, users spend the first parts of the game enjoying a straightforward walking sim, mixing lattes and serving customers. The tone of the game shifts with the introduction of a stalker, however, who gradually begins to overtake more and more of the player’s attention.

An uneasy, eerie energy soon overtakes the opening act’s calm, as the game leans on our collective fears — like the dark, or being alone at night — to convey its horror. There aren’t any terrifying monsters in The Closing Shift, and the game relies on very few jump scares, but it’s thoroughly effective nonetheless. Reviewers note the game’s “stress-inducing” atmosphere, lauding it as “intense” but “top-notch.”

Frightening moments — and gamers’ reactions to them — are quickly becoming a trend on TikTok, as more and more users upload clips of themselves enjoying the unsettling title. A tag related to the game is full of creepy moments users have experienced as they play the brief game and do their best to avoid the increasingly discomforting attentions of their stalker.

The Closing Shift is currently on sale in the Steam store, with a 10 percent discount offering the game up at only $5.39.