Honestly, the idea isn't very original and the gameplay is eh.
Multiplayer "scary" games don't work together to well, it's usually not scary, or creepy overall as you have others there as "comfort". And with the design you're looking for, it looks a bit more strategic than scary, too.
It has potential, but with the very little information given doesn't make it sound interesting as a concept, to be fair. But it's also very early in development, so there are many more ideas that can come up along the way, of course.
Making a topic this early is usually a bad sign
Being open about a project this early in development isn't the best, but it's not a bad sign. As a matter of fact, he can get help from others opinions and such, so as a "new" developer, it's more of helping than anything from what I see.
not a cheap and outdated engine that's slow as forget?
Neither engines are very out of date, and not all new developers should dive into more complicated engines and concepts and all that, it's overwhelming it gives a huge lack of motivation. Let them work with what they can as they begin game development, as they might change later on if they feel the need.