This game was a pleasant surprise and I am so glad that I ended up taking a risk and purchasing it, even though I knew no one on my friend's list had played it. Everything released so far(i think three more episodes are still being developed) was phenomenal and it made me want to play it over and over - which I did. I played it three times.
One of the things I feel like the "Choose your own adventure" narrative style games struggle with sometimes is actually having variety with the different decisions. In this game, things can be drastically changed for you in terms of what you can access, what information you get, and how an interaction goes. Choice really does matter in this game - especially if you're playing in Hardcore mode.
I played it a ton over the few days that I played it. It is a short game, maybe about a hour per chapter(so 4 hours in total right now) when you're playing for the first time and reading everything in depth, but it is well worth it in my opinion between the writing, the art style, and the game in general.
Keep in mind, there is no voice acting, this is just a strictly reading game. So if that's not your thing, I would avoid.
One of the things I feel like the "Choose your own adventure" narrative style games struggle with sometimes is actually having variety with the different decisions. In this game, things can be drastically changed for you in terms of what you can access, what information you get, and how an interaction goes. Choice really does matter in this game - especially if you're playing in Hardcore mode.
I played it a ton over the few days that I played it. It is a short game, maybe about a hour per chapter(so 4 hours in total right now) when you're playing for the first time and reading everything in depth, but it is well worth it in my opinion between the writing, the art style, and the game in general.
Keep in mind, there is no voice acting, this is just a strictly reading game. So if that's not your thing, I would avoid.
The art is fantastic and the mysteries of the town are interesting. I am very excited for the remaining chapters to release and to see what happens.
Also the speak with animals perk is very fun.
Also the speak with animals perk is very fun.
What I noticed right away is that this is a visual novel (VN) that actually nails the visuals. There's a lot of effort put into having numerous custom backgrounds and sprites and also having characters interact with things in the background. It feels nice to play a VN where the visual aspect is given the attention it deserves.
I also appreciate the amount of choice you are given in your own dialogue. There are a numerous amount of responses that cover what you'd reasonably want to say in response to something in almost all circumstances. Better yet, what you say actually matters. Characters will form lasting opinions of you based on what you say and their perceptions of you will actually effect the story in significant ways. Scarlet Hollow also doesn't flaunt the fact that what you're saying matters: there is no "X will remember that" that pops up, because it'd have to pop up every 30 seconds with how often the things you say matter.
The writing is pretty good, it feels smart and the characters are well done. On the whole I like the story, but it isn't finished yet so its hard to truly judge. That's my biggest complaint really, that the game isn't finished yet.
I also appreciate the amount of choice you are given in your own dialogue. There are a numerous amount of responses that cover what you'd reasonably want to say in response to something in almost all circumstances. Better yet, what you say actually matters. Characters will form lasting opinions of you based on what you say and their perceptions of you will actually effect the story in significant ways. Scarlet Hollow also doesn't flaunt the fact that what you're saying matters: there is no "X will remember that" that pops up, because it'd have to pop up every 30 seconds with how often the things you say matter.
The writing is pretty good, it feels smart and the characters are well done. On the whole I like the story, but it isn't finished yet so its hard to truly judge. That's my biggest complaint really, that the game isn't finished yet.
love the art, characters, story and expansive number of optional paths to take! the lack of a skip button unlike slay the princess is just a bit obnoxious sometimes since i really am interested in alternate dialouge but not in having to reread the same default dialogue, but that's it really!
Really looking forward to the full release of this
Have been following this game since it was announced and it's never let me down, I recommend this game to people like all the time I will not stop until everyone I know has played this. Perfectly gothic and spooky but you really feel for the characters and the mystery is so intriguing, plus it's one of the most interesting gameplay systems I've ever encountered. Can't wait for it to be finished.
This is an enjoyable horror visual novel so far - it’s still in early access and there are only 4 chapters out currently, so it’s hard to comment on it too much as it isn’t a complete game yet. I had been wanting to check this out for a while but the early access put me off, however, while this isn’t an anthology series and each chapter is part of a larger narrative, the chapters still feel largely self-contained and don’t finish on any huge cliffhangers, so I wasn’t that disappointed when I reached the end. The developers also give frequent updates on the game and what they are working on.
The characters and mysteries presented so far are engaging, I can’t get a read on exactly where the story is headed at this point but hopefully it doesn’t crap the bed later on, as it’s been well-written so far. This is also definitely a ‘choices matter’ visual novel, where these choices can affect the rest of the game quite substantially, if you enjoy that - I went back and replayed some chapters in different ways and got a bunch of different dialogue and scenes, so there is definitely replayability here. I haven’t found it particularly scary so far, but I think it’s still enjoyable for any fan of horror stories, but maybe not anyone looking for big scares in a game. There are also some fun references in background visuals to horror movies, such as The Thing and Noroi. Overall the art and writing is well done, and I’m interested to see where the story ends up,
The characters and mysteries presented so far are engaging, I can’t get a read on exactly where the story is headed at this point but hopefully it doesn’t crap the bed later on, as it’s been well-written so far. This is also definitely a ‘choices matter’ visual novel, where these choices can affect the rest of the game quite substantially, if you enjoy that - I went back and replayed some chapters in different ways and got a bunch of different dialogue and scenes, so there is definitely replayability here. I haven’t found it particularly scary so far, but I think it’s still enjoyable for any fan of horror stories, but maybe not anyone looking for big scares in a game. There are also some fun references in background visuals to horror movies, such as The Thing and Noroi. Overall the art and writing is well done, and I’m interested to see where the story ends up,
Sempre gostei de dizer que nossos maiores tesouros são desenterrados ao acaso, nada com expectativa tem um bom final (pelo menos para essa pessoa que escreve) e acho que assim como aconteceu com Syberia, Scarlet Hollow é mais um exemplo disso.
Enquanto vagava pelas intermináveis páginas de jogos no steam, acabei encontrando um pequeno evento de um gênero que raramente jogo: Visual Novel. Existe toda uma história do que me motivou a evitar esse estilo, porém como estou totalmente livre para explorar novos rumos, acabei dando uma outra chance e ainda bem que desta vez minha impulsividade falou alto.
Scarlet Hollow foi um dos poucos jogos que comprei de maneira instantânea e isso me deixa com muito orgulho e felicidade, pois eu estava sem ninguém para comentar ou me mandar spoiler (igual aconteceu com Immortality). Era como encontrar um daqueles títulos que mudam toda a sua percepção sobre jogos e todo esse ciclo se tornou uma redoma de muita animação e interesse, posso considerar que foi uma sensação parecida com a do lançamento de Syberia: The World Before e sendo esse meu jogo favorito já fica perceptível o tanto que Scarlet me conquistou.
Antes de falar sobre o enredo, é necessário elogiar o trabalho artístico feito a mão em combinação com a forte produção musical. A representação psicodélica, o ambiente frio e sem cor e as diferenças físicas e até emocionais de cada personagem são demonstrados com extremo cuidado, isso simboliza o ótimo trabalho de imersão que os desenvolvedores estão tendo.
Scarlet ainda está em desenvolvimento e, por isso, não é possível falar que teremos uma qualidade mantida até o final. Porém, posso afirmar com tranquilidade que estou amando cada pequeno pedaço da narrativa, sejam os diálogos de complemento ou principal, os comentários de escolha, TUDO no jogo me cativou e isso vindo de uma pessoa extremamente chata em relação ao enredo é algo estranho.
A ideia de entrar em uma cidade pacata com um estranho mistério ao redor da família da protagonista é algo bem intrigante, porém conforme avançamos tudo fica ainda mais confuso e em pouco tempo estamos com um mundo que mistura lendas urbanas, uma prima estranhamente instável, uma pug , dois gatos, uma família de gambás e um bando de gente com sérios problemas psicológicos, o que me fez questionar a existência de psicólogos na região.
Cada escolha, por mais idiota que pareça, pode resultar em algo completamente diferente e por diversas vezes me encontrei voltando para observar as estranhas mudanças que me deixaram estática por minutos. Se eu cheguei a considerar jogos como Mass Effect e Divinity impactantes em questão de escolhas é porque nunca tinha encontrado algo como Scarlet Hollow.
Os personagens também não ficam atrás e mesmo tendo um ar de clichê em certos momentos, a forma como cada um reage ao próprio enredo ou à suas escolhas quebra a falta de expectativa. Inclusive, podemos resumir o grupo como um bando de gente estranha escondendo segredos ainda mais estranhos e desconfortáveis de se lidar, mas atire a primeira pedra quem nunca teve um segredo ruim na vida.
Mesmo em desenvolvimento, Scarlet Hollow mostra que tem todas as características para ser um grande sucesso e com sua construção ao redor dos preciosos temos de terror, horror, mistério e muita investigação, fica óbvio que é uma recomendação obrigatória tanto para quem gosta do gênero quanto para quem tem interesse ou não gosta. Porém, recomendo fortemente esperarem o lançamento dos três capítulos finais, pois a sensação de querer consumir tudo do universo aqui disposto é gigante.
Enquanto vagava pelas intermináveis páginas de jogos no steam, acabei encontrando um pequeno evento de um gênero que raramente jogo: Visual Novel. Existe toda uma história do que me motivou a evitar esse estilo, porém como estou totalmente livre para explorar novos rumos, acabei dando uma outra chance e ainda bem que desta vez minha impulsividade falou alto.
Scarlet Hollow foi um dos poucos jogos que comprei de maneira instantânea e isso me deixa com muito orgulho e felicidade, pois eu estava sem ninguém para comentar ou me mandar spoiler (igual aconteceu com Immortality). Era como encontrar um daqueles títulos que mudam toda a sua percepção sobre jogos e todo esse ciclo se tornou uma redoma de muita animação e interesse, posso considerar que foi uma sensação parecida com a do lançamento de Syberia: The World Before e sendo esse meu jogo favorito já fica perceptível o tanto que Scarlet me conquistou.
Antes de falar sobre o enredo, é necessário elogiar o trabalho artístico feito a mão em combinação com a forte produção musical. A representação psicodélica, o ambiente frio e sem cor e as diferenças físicas e até emocionais de cada personagem são demonstrados com extremo cuidado, isso simboliza o ótimo trabalho de imersão que os desenvolvedores estão tendo.
Scarlet ainda está em desenvolvimento e, por isso, não é possível falar que teremos uma qualidade mantida até o final. Porém, posso afirmar com tranquilidade que estou amando cada pequeno pedaço da narrativa, sejam os diálogos de complemento ou principal, os comentários de escolha, TUDO no jogo me cativou e isso vindo de uma pessoa extremamente chata em relação ao enredo é algo estranho.
A ideia de entrar em uma cidade pacata com um estranho mistério ao redor da família da protagonista é algo bem intrigante, porém conforme avançamos tudo fica ainda mais confuso e em pouco tempo estamos com um mundo que mistura lendas urbanas, uma prima estranhamente instável, uma pug , dois gatos, uma família de gambás e um bando de gente com sérios problemas psicológicos, o que me fez questionar a existência de psicólogos na região.
Cada escolha, por mais idiota que pareça, pode resultar em algo completamente diferente e por diversas vezes me encontrei voltando para observar as estranhas mudanças que me deixaram estática por minutos. Se eu cheguei a considerar jogos como Mass Effect e Divinity impactantes em questão de escolhas é porque nunca tinha encontrado algo como Scarlet Hollow.
Os personagens também não ficam atrás e mesmo tendo um ar de clichê em certos momentos, a forma como cada um reage ao próprio enredo ou à suas escolhas quebra a falta de expectativa. Inclusive, podemos resumir o grupo como um bando de gente estranha escondendo segredos ainda mais estranhos e desconfortáveis de se lidar, mas atire a primeira pedra quem nunca teve um segredo ruim na vida.
Mesmo em desenvolvimento, Scarlet Hollow mostra que tem todas as características para ser um grande sucesso e com sua construção ao redor dos preciosos temos de terror, horror, mistério e muita investigação, fica óbvio que é uma recomendação obrigatória tanto para quem gosta do gênero quanto para quem tem interesse ou não gosta. Porém, recomendo fortemente esperarem o lançamento dos três capítulos finais, pois a sensação de querer consumir tudo do universo aqui disposto é gigante.
Excellent horror visual novel, after the release of episode 3 I highly recommend it. It's got a nice spooky story, good characters, your choices actually matter and the inclusion of the attribute system does add another layer of replayability to it. Wonderful game all around, can't wait for episode 4.
i need episode 5
Love it so far! I just finished Chapter 4, the last chapter released as of this review, and I'm absolutely loving it and already looking forward to the next update.
The art style is unique and really lends itself to the horror genre, and in combination with the writing there are some genuinely horrific moments. Even outside of the crescendos, the writing does a great job of maintaining a tense vibe punctuated with some moments of levity. The characters also all feel distinct and consistent, something that I've found can be lost all too easily in the visual novel format.
If your interests intersect at horror and visual novels, I definitely recommend checking it out! You can play the first chapter for free on itch.io and probably Steam.
The art style is unique and really lends itself to the horror genre, and in combination with the writing there are some genuinely horrific moments. Even outside of the crescendos, the writing does a great job of maintaining a tense vibe punctuated with some moments of levity. The characters also all feel distinct and consistent, something that I've found can be lost all too easily in the visual novel format.
If your interests intersect at horror and visual novels, I definitely recommend checking it out! You can play the first chapter for free on itch.io and probably Steam.
played up to chapter 4 and oh my god this is a gem. the art is absolutely gorgeous, absolutely the highlight of the game, and it did give me the creeps! super excited to see what happens next
After completing the game once, I instantly finished 5 other playthroughs of the episodes so far, so let that speak for itself.
Disclaimer: Game is currently in Early Access and as of writing this review only four of the planned seven episodes are playable. As such things may change in future updates of the game, for better or for worse.
(Item): “You want some boiled peanuts before reading this review?”.
Scarlet Hollow was a game that I actually ended up dropping not even 5 minutes into my first playthrough due to what I felt at the time were some seriously cringe-inducing lines. What I didn’t know at the time was that I was doing myself a massive disservice by skipping out on this game.
Fast forward two years and I found myself staring at my Steam library for the nth time, trying to find something that could hold my attention for longer than an hour. Scrolling through the wide assortment of games, I decided to flick on the ‘Choices Matter’ tag and try to find a game that would scratch that Telltale itch. There Scarlet Hollow was staring me in the eye and I thought to myself: “why not give it another shot”.
That was the best decision I’d made all week.
Scarlet Hollow is a passion filled, tightly written, choice heavy Visual Novel with stunningly beautiful yet equally unsettling art. It’s filled with a carefully constructed cast of characters, all with their own diverse personalities that you will quickly learn how to either placate or annoy to your heart's content.
The tag ‘Choices Matter’ is no decoration. Personal experiences can vary greatly as the choices you make have a large effect on the town of Scarlet Hollow, its inhabitants, and yourself.
The game reacts well to the choices you make: both big and small. I was very impressed at how often I’d found myself facing a consequence some time down the line and thinking to myself “Oh shit this is because of that!”
Big choices can branch the story greatly, opening up different paths for you to take. Characters live or die. Doors open and close. Smaller choices often affect your ability to make other choices, sometimes limiting you due to a bad decision earlier on or letting you make certain decisions due to a good decision you made earlier on.
With the amount of choices that they have to account for (many of which most players won’t even touch) it’s genuinely impressive that Scarlet Hollow is able to follow through on so many of these smaller things. I certainly wouldn’t blame the developers for forgetting a thing or two.
The way you talk to the different characters also has a noticeable effect. Characters will have varying opinions of you depending on how you act toward them and the things you do throughout your stay at Scarlet Hollow.
Depending on your relationships with these characters certain choices open up to you and they can become more or less trusting of you; possibly having an effect on further choices relating to them in the future. You can of course romance some characters should you see fit, there are certainly many worthy of such attention.
I was able to become quite close to certain characters due to the way I interacted with them. The character writing was very impressive. Characters reacted to different dialogue options realistically based on their personalities. It was actually remarkably easy to read the personalities of certain characters and to know what to say and what not to say.
I looked forward to talking to the characters. Whether it is about the underlying plot at hand or just to learn about them, the realistic character writing makes me feel as if I’m having an actual conversation rather than one where I have to guess what the writer arbitrary thinks a person would feel.
And these conversations are important as how you decide to develop your relationships with the characters in Scarlet Hollow can have an effect. Friendships, Rivalry, Enemies... all these different relationship types have an effect on how the characters react to you and your decisions and whether they might lend a helping hand or act in a way that might be to your benefit.
All of this leads to another facet of choice and consequence which Scarlet Hollow already does so well. Oh and did I mention this game has RPG elements too? Well it does.
There are 7 traits to choose from; all of which have an effect on things you can do in the game and dialogue choices you may have.
Can you talk to animals? Well there are plenty of animals to talk to in this game. Just what does that cat lounging around know? What about that dog? What about that chicken? What secrets do they hide?
What about your connection to the mystical natures of the world? Are you street smart? Are you super attractive? Are you strong?
All of these traits offer different dialogue options and a variety of choices throughout the game; again offering another level of variety in gameplay and choice. Like most of the stuff in this game, it’s very well done and it never feels like you messed up picking a certain trait over another. They all have their own flavors and uses.
After finishing what is currently available I have to say the experience has been nothing short of great. There has been no point in this game where I felt like I was having meaningless conversations or that my decisions had no impact. Scarlet Hollow has been funny, it has been scary, it has been interesting, and most importantly it's been fun.
However it is hard to give a proper verdict on Scarlet Hollow as it's something that isn’t yet finished. As of writing this review only four of a planned seven chapters are out which means forty percent of the game isn’t even out yet.
This is important to consider as how you stick the landing tends to be the most important thing for these types of games. It’s all well and good that my small choices here or there are having an effect and that my big choices branch pretty well, but if it all leads to a 3 color ending then what’s the point.
That is all to say that this review needs to be taken with a major grain of salt... actually scratch that, take the whole shaker.
The game is made with a lot of passion and hard work and it shines through in the writing and gameplay. It’s because of this passion that I’m pretty confident in believing that the quality will continue in future chapters.
Scarlet Hollow is on track to be one of my favorite choice based games and if it sticks the landing it just may very well get there. Black Tabby Games have a complete banger on their hands and I really hope they manage to stick the landing.
If you don’t mind taking the risk supporting an early access game and you like choice based games, I’d heavily recommend giving Scarlet Hollow a try. If you like your ‘Telltales’ and your ‘Life is Stranges’, you’ll probably find yourself right at home with Scarlet Hollow.
You can play the first episode for free (the save will transfer into the paid version too) so at the very least if it sounds interesting to you definitely give it a try.
4.5/5
(Item): “You want some boiled peanuts before reading this review?”.
Scarlet Hollow was a game that I actually ended up dropping not even 5 minutes into my first playthrough due to what I felt at the time were some seriously cringe-inducing lines. What I didn’t know at the time was that I was doing myself a massive disservice by skipping out on this game.
Fast forward two years and I found myself staring at my Steam library for the nth time, trying to find something that could hold my attention for longer than an hour. Scrolling through the wide assortment of games, I decided to flick on the ‘Choices Matter’ tag and try to find a game that would scratch that Telltale itch. There Scarlet Hollow was staring me in the eye and I thought to myself: “why not give it another shot”.
That was the best decision I’d made all week.
Scarlet Hollow is a passion filled, tightly written, choice heavy Visual Novel with stunningly beautiful yet equally unsettling art. It’s filled with a carefully constructed cast of characters, all with their own diverse personalities that you will quickly learn how to either placate or annoy to your heart's content.
The tag ‘Choices Matter’ is no decoration. Personal experiences can vary greatly as the choices you make have a large effect on the town of Scarlet Hollow, its inhabitants, and yourself.
The game reacts well to the choices you make: both big and small. I was very impressed at how often I’d found myself facing a consequence some time down the line and thinking to myself “Oh shit this is because of that!”
Big choices can branch the story greatly, opening up different paths for you to take. Characters live or die. Doors open and close. Smaller choices often affect your ability to make other choices, sometimes limiting you due to a bad decision earlier on or letting you make certain decisions due to a good decision you made earlier on.
With the amount of choices that they have to account for (many of which most players won’t even touch) it’s genuinely impressive that Scarlet Hollow is able to follow through on so many of these smaller things. I certainly wouldn’t blame the developers for forgetting a thing or two.
The way you talk to the different characters also has a noticeable effect. Characters will have varying opinions of you depending on how you act toward them and the things you do throughout your stay at Scarlet Hollow.
Depending on your relationships with these characters certain choices open up to you and they can become more or less trusting of you; possibly having an effect on further choices relating to them in the future. You can of course romance some characters should you see fit, there are certainly many worthy of such attention.
I was able to become quite close to certain characters due to the way I interacted with them. The character writing was very impressive. Characters reacted to different dialogue options realistically based on their personalities. It was actually remarkably easy to read the personalities of certain characters and to know what to say and what not to say.
I looked forward to talking to the characters. Whether it is about the underlying plot at hand or just to learn about them, the realistic character writing makes me feel as if I’m having an actual conversation rather than one where I have to guess what the writer arbitrary thinks a person would feel.
And these conversations are important as how you decide to develop your relationships with the characters in Scarlet Hollow can have an effect. Friendships, Rivalry, Enemies... all these different relationship types have an effect on how the characters react to you and your decisions and whether they might lend a helping hand or act in a way that might be to your benefit.
All of this leads to another facet of choice and consequence which Scarlet Hollow already does so well. Oh and did I mention this game has RPG elements too? Well it does.
There are 7 traits to choose from; all of which have an effect on things you can do in the game and dialogue choices you may have.
Can you talk to animals? Well there are plenty of animals to talk to in this game. Just what does that cat lounging around know? What about that dog? What about that chicken? What secrets do they hide?
What about your connection to the mystical natures of the world? Are you street smart? Are you super attractive? Are you strong?
All of these traits offer different dialogue options and a variety of choices throughout the game; again offering another level of variety in gameplay and choice. Like most of the stuff in this game, it’s very well done and it never feels like you messed up picking a certain trait over another. They all have their own flavors and uses.
After finishing what is currently available I have to say the experience has been nothing short of great. There has been no point in this game where I felt like I was having meaningless conversations or that my decisions had no impact. Scarlet Hollow has been funny, it has been scary, it has been interesting, and most importantly it's been fun.
However it is hard to give a proper verdict on Scarlet Hollow as it's something that isn’t yet finished. As of writing this review only four of a planned seven chapters are out which means forty percent of the game isn’t even out yet.
This is important to consider as how you stick the landing tends to be the most important thing for these types of games. It’s all well and good that my small choices here or there are having an effect and that my big choices branch pretty well, but if it all leads to a 3 color ending then what’s the point.
That is all to say that this review needs to be taken with a major grain of salt... actually scratch that, take the whole shaker.
The game is made with a lot of passion and hard work and it shines through in the writing and gameplay. It’s because of this passion that I’m pretty confident in believing that the quality will continue in future chapters.
Scarlet Hollow is on track to be one of my favorite choice based games and if it sticks the landing it just may very well get there. Black Tabby Games have a complete banger on their hands and I really hope they manage to stick the landing.
If you don’t mind taking the risk supporting an early access game and you like choice based games, I’d heavily recommend giving Scarlet Hollow a try. If you like your ‘Telltales’ and your ‘Life is Stranges’, you’ll probably find yourself right at home with Scarlet Hollow.
You can play the first episode for free (the save will transfer into the paid version too) so at the very least if it sounds interesting to you definitely give it a try.
4.5/5
Reese.... I can change you.... just give me a chance
I played this game when there were only 4 out of 7 chapters released, but I can say I’m already incredibly excited for more, great art, well crafted characters and a system of traits and choices that really get me excited to come back and play more. Will be waiting for baited breath for the final three parts but I’m confident in their quality when they do come
i played up through chapter 3 in the past so today i just played the recap and then chapter 4. i was also a kickstarter backer. this is a beautiful game, with great art and writing and meaningful different choices throughout. it's genuinely scary for a visual novel. no spoilers but chapter 4 has something very fucked up.
An engaging horror visual novel about a dingy mining town, old gothic manors, the dark arrival of SOMETHING from the forest, and the quiet horror of living in a town on the decline. It doesn't waste time unveiling the monster (?) you're going up against, but it also gives you lots of choices in what kind of person your protagonist is, as well as your skills and faults. Engaging writing, gorgeous art, just a good time. Hard to recommend as an early access game with two out of seven chapters released, which I didn't know going in. Still! I think its got a lot of bold ideas and creativity. And sometimes that matters more than a complete product.