Home        Stories        About        Lookbook

Partner with Juniper        Customer Support

Dark Pals is Horror Skunx’s entry to the mascot horror genre

May 1, 2026
Dark Pals
Gaming Since the breakout success of Five Nights at Freddy’s in 2014, mascot horror has grown to dominate the horror genre in video games. Looking back, it’s clear that the subgenre was almost perfectly suited for the era of online content. Mascot horror often features an unseen, blank slate protagonist that lends itself well to playthroughs, and hidden mysteries that invite endless fan theories.

Winston van Graafeiland is an artist who creates songs and animations based on popular mascot horror games, and shares them on his YouTube channel Horror Skunx. He has amassed over 8 million subscribers since launching the channel in 2020, a testament to the popularity of the genre and his ability to tap into the online communities that form around it.

His skills and love for the genre turned out to be a natural fit for building a game of his own. With polished visuals and original songs, Winston is entering the mascot horror scene with the first release under his studio Skunx Games by Horror Skunx. “Players traverse shifting levels, solving environmental and logic-based puzzles alongside their Ink Blaster companion,” said Skunx Games in an official press release for Dark Pals: The 1st Floor. “They evade the facility’s disturbing residents such as Chompy Chasey, a dog with a comically large head and far too many teeth, and the ever-moist Binky Drinky.”

Winston understands that iconic characters are at the core of a successful mascot horror franchise. The game’s marketing prominently features Binky Drinky, a monster that resembles an infant with a baby bottle for a head and a gnashing mouth across his stomach.

The release of Dark Pals is accompanied by a collection of three plush toys based on Binky Drinky, Chompy Chasey, and the Ink Blaster companion. Skunx Games partnered with Juniper Creates to produce the plush toys, which include interactive elements like zippered mouths and malleable tentacles. “Plush toys are perfect for capturing the dark twist of mascot horror,” said Ben Bliss, Product Development Lead at Juniper. “Winston has such a love for the genre and has designed some fun and memorable characters.” 

The Dark Pals plush toys are available until June 14. Dark Pals: The 1st Floor is out now on Steam.

Credits

Brand Strategy
Vince Lau, Param Suru

Product DesignVictor Chang, Mirelys Colón

Product DevelopmentBen Bliss, Tina Xia

MarketingChris Berneck

Store DesignJoel Berg, Jemuel Datiles

Project ManagementBecca Webster

PhotographyKuma Xiong, Nicholas Yee

© 2026 Juniper Creates

Instagram        LinkedIn        Careers       Accessibility