Discover the Truth Behind the SCP Foundation

Edmund_McGowan · February 2023

Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster, the Jersey Devil, the Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp, when it comes to the paranormal, the list just keeps on growing. Even if we don’t know too much about them, most of us can name a few curious creatures. Maybe there are even sightings of these elusive cryptids in the backwoods or creeks near your home? How about SCP-014, aka The Concrete Man? Chances are you are not so familiar with the myriad mysterious creatures that inhabit the SCP Foundation. Read on to discover more about this fictional international secret society, famed for its secretive nature and links to the supernatural.

So, what is the SCP Foundation?

Since first appearing on the internet in 2007, the fictional secret organization called the SCP Foundation has grown into the largest collaborative writing project ever. It is a vast online universe documenting the various activities of the Foundation. So, what does the SCP Foundation do? According to their website mission statement:

“Operating clandestine and worldwide, the Foundation operates beyond jurisdiction, empowered and entrusted by every major national government with the task of containing anomalous objects, entities, and phenomena. Many of these anomalies pose a significant threat to global security by threatening either physical or psychological harm. All of them undermine the natural laws that the people of the world implicitly trust in.”

Sounds interesting? Have a look at the SCP website to discover much more about the Foundation and their activities. The website is a database of the countless anomalies that the Foundation has discovered and contained. These are commonly referred to as “SCPs” due to the special containment procedures required to safely contain them. The mission of the SCP Foundation is to maintain the status quo for the rest of humanity so that they can carry on living without fear of the paranormal disturbing their views and beliefs.

So, what does SCP stand for?

Secure, Contain and Protect. Firstly, the foundation secures anomalies after intercepting them and stops them falling into the hands of rival organizations (Groups of Interest) such as the Global Occult Coalition who seek to use the anomalies for nefarious goals. Once they are secured, the anomalies are contained in order to prevent them from negatively affecting humanity. The anomalies and humanity are mutually protected by the Foundation keeping them apart from each other until the anomalies are understood or new scientific theories can be conceived from their behavior and properties.

What is an SCP classification and monster?

SCP Monsters Come in all Shapes and Sizes.

SCP classifications are used to indicate the difficulty of containing an SCP object, entity, or location. The primary classifications are:

Safe: Safe class SCPs are anomalies that are easily and safely contained. They pose little or no threat to personnel or the public.
Euclid: Euclid class SCPs are anomalies that require more resources to contain completely or where containment isn't always reliable. They may pose a threat to personnel or the public, but they can generally be contained with proper precautions.
Keter: Keter class SCPs are anomalies that are exceedingly difficult to contain consistently or reliably. They often pose a grave threat to personnel and the public.

The plethora of creatures in the SCP universe come in literally all shapes and sizes. Read on to meet two of our favorites, starting with a monster that could hold its own against Godzilla, followed by a truly hair raising creature.

SCP-682 - Hard-to-Destroy Reptile: A large reptilian creature with a hatred of all life. Easily angered. Highly intelligent and possessing great strength, speed and agility and able to harvest energy from anything it ingests. If captured, it must be submerged in hydrochloric acid in order to limit movement. SCP-682 frequently tries to escape containment, and should be contained in an area surrounded by 50 km of land devoid of human inhabitants due to regular occurrence of SCP containment breach. Classed as Keter: extremely difficult to contain.
SCP-096 - The "Shy Guy”: A mostly docile, hairless humanoid creature just under 2.4m tall, SCP-096 has long arms and is able to open its jaws four times wider than a human. In the shyness of this creature lies its danger! If a human looks at the face of SCP-096, directly, in a photograph or video recording, after a few minutes of distress, the creature will run after whoever viewed its face at great speed. Nothing known to man can stop SCP-096 at this point and it will kill whoever looks at it, leaving no trace of the victim. Classed as Euclid: requiring more resources to contain/containment is unreliable.

SCP Foundation Inspired Video Games

Are you thinking that The “Shy Guy” sounds like a worthy adversary in a video game? Well perhaps you have encountered SCP-096 in one of its video game incarnations. Many SCP games have popped up over the years, one of the earliest and still well thought of is SCP – Containment Breach, released by Joonas Rikkonen in 2012. In this FPP indie-horror video game, the player controls a disposable test subject (Class-D personnel) as they attempt to escape an underground research and containment facility. As the name suggests, in SCP – Containment Breach, The SCPs are also running loose as well as Foundation soldiers who are tasked with recapturing the SCPs and killing Class-D personnel.

The action-adventure game, Control, was released for various consoles between 2019 and 2021. Control is heavily inspired by the SCP Foundation, the game renames the Foundation the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) and centers around their activities containing and studying paranormal phenomena. Played in the third person, Control received glowing reviews upon release.

For those looking to immerse themselves in the true experience of being an SCP Foundation member, the game SCP: 5K will satisfy that craving. Launched in early access on Steam on February 2, 2022, it has already captivated audiences with its exceptional reviews, underscoring its immense potential. Upon full release, this game may become the best SCP game to date. To learn more, check out its Steam page, play the game, and help the developers make it a once-in-a-lifetime SCP experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3qxdcwV8os

How can I get involved?

If you are a writer, or an aspiring writer and you feel inspired to contribute to the universe of the SCP Foundation, there are a few steps that you will need to follow before your work is published on the SCP Wiki. First, create a Wikidot account, and then visit the SCP website to apply for it to become a member of the SCP Wiki. The SCP Foundation is a friendly, helpful space and extensive information on joining can be found in their basic guides pages.

Once you have signed up successfully, there are certain guidelines about what and what can’t be written on the SCP Wiki. Again, the Basic Guides provide plenty of information to help you get started in creating and developing your own monster stories, be they short or long, scary or funny. Before writing your first article, you will do well to get your idea greenlit by experienced reviewers, who will help you to improve your creative process. Contributing to the SCP Foundation should be enjoyable, so don’t stress, benefit from the critique offered by the community and most importantly, have fun!