Cry of Fear began as a total conversion mod for Half-Life, first released in 2012 before a standalone version arrived in 2013 from Team Psykskallar. The psychological survival horror game follows Simon Henriksson through a nightmarish city filled with distorted creatures, and its harsh enemy sounds became a big part of its reputation. Clips like the Upper noise later spread through YouTube playthroughs, horror edits and soundboards, where players kept reusing them outside the game as a shorthand for dread, panic and an approaching monster.