1000 Heads Among the Trees

About

1000 Heads Among the Trees is a single player action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Aaron Oldenburg and was released on December 11, 2015. It received neutral reviews from players.

Visit the real town of Cachiche, Peru, to spend your nights looking for potential ghosts to photograph. Discover a generative narrative as you show your photos to local people who describe what they see in them.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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57%

Audience ScoreBased on 63 reviews

story8 positive mentions

graphics9 negative mentions

Unique and intriguing concept involving photography to uncover a narrative in a mysterious town in Peru.
Strong atmospheric design with effective use of ambient sound and music that enhances the eerie, unsettling mood.
Encourages exploration and allows the player to piece together the story through interactions and photographic evidence, offering a contemplative experience.

Poor graphics and technical performance, including low-quality visuals, bugs, and subpar optimization causing frame rate drops.
Gameplay is simplistic and can feel like a boring walking simulator with confusing objectives and lack of clear direction.
Story and narrative execution are incomplete or incoherent, with abrupt endings and repetitive or nonsensical dialogue diminishing immersion.

story
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
71%
8%
The story in "1,000 Heads Among the Trees" is unconventional and largely player-driven, unfolding through photo interactions and conversations that require players to piece together the narrative themselves. While praised for its atmospheric and immersive storytelling with cultural depth, it is also described as confusing, abrupt, and somewhat unfinished, which may challenge those seeking a linear or clear-cut plot. Overall, it appeals to fans of surreal, eerie experiences willing to embrace ambiguity and exploration over traditional storytelling.
- “It’s weird because there is not a story in the traditional sense; you need to explore and take photos, and it’s really interesting because every character gives you information when you show them the pictures, updating your journal. I really loved this concept, but the ending is kind of abrupt and unexpected, and you create the story with the info gathered.”
- “What makes the game fairly unique is the way the story unfolds based upon what you have photographed and who you discuss the photos with. You must create the story, so every conversation behind closed doors that you walk away from is a potential story detail missed.”
- “The storytelling is subtle yet effective, creating an atmosphere of unease and curiosity that drives you forward.”
- “The story is open to interpretation, and could be about a murder conspiracy, witchcraft or something less sinister but certainly not about everyday stuff.”
- “You must create the story, so every conversation behind closed doors that you walk away from is a potential story detail missed.”
- “In its current state, however, I cannot recommend "1,000 heads" as its unfinished story and barebone graphics all act as deterrent factors.”
graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
48%
36%
The graphics receive mixed feedback, with many users criticizing them as poor, dated, or low-budget, often describing them as clunky or ugly. However, some appreciate the hand-drawn, surreal, and minimalistic art style for effectively enhancing the game's eerie, atmospheric, and otherworldly tone. Overall, while not technically impressive, the visuals contribute to the unsettling mood for fans of atmospheric horror.
- “The hand-drawn graphics and surreal art style add a sense of otherworldliness to the experience.”
- “The visuals effectively contribute to the game's ominous atmosphere.”
- “With its immersive storytelling, atmospheric visuals, and thought-provoking gameplay, it offers a chilling and mysterious journey into the unknown.”
- “The graphics are awful.”
- “Graphically, 1khat is very underwhelming.”
- “In its current state, however, I cannot recommend '1,000 Heads' as its unfinished story and barebone graphics all act as deterrent factors.”
atmosphere
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
40%
12%
The atmosphere of "1000 Heads Among the Trees" is widely praised for its haunting, eerie, and immersive qualities, achieved through minimalist sound design, unsettling visuals, and subtle storytelling. While some find its pacing and abstract narrative deepen the sense of unease and curiosity, others feel technical and design flaws occasionally undermine the mood. Overall, it offers a compelling, atmospheric experience that appeals to players who appreciate mood-driven, exploratory horror games.
- “The sound design in 1000 Heads Among the Trees is exceptional, with a haunting soundtrack that further elevates the eerie atmosphere.”
- “The atmospheric audio cues and ambient sounds add depth and immersion, heightening the tension and unease as you navigate the forest's mysterious depths.”
- “The minimalistic music and sound effects of wind blowing and people chattering add to the spooky atmosphere.”
- “Alas, they are buried underneath clunky graphics, slipshod sound design and severe game design flaws that completely ruin all the atmosphere of the project.”
- “As you could already guess, it's not a 'horror game': the atmosphere is completely broken.”
- “The atmosphere, especially the busted and ugly graphics, was made to portray uneasiness and creepiness.”
gameplay
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The gameplay of "1,000 Heads Among the Trees" centers on exploration, photography, and puzzle-solving in a slow-paced, atmospheric walking simulator. While the photography mechanic is noted as original and integral to uncovering the story, the overall gameplay is simplistic, linear, and lacks significant challenge or depth. Performance issues and basic visuals further detract from the experience for some players.
- “Gameplay in 1000 Heads Among the Trees revolves around exploration, puzzle-solving, and uncovering hidden secrets.”
- “The game mechanics are original and I believe this game was the first to use a camera feature this realistic.”
- “In terms of gameplay, it's a pretty straightforward first-person walking simulator where you take pictures of interesting people and things.”
- “1,000 Heads Among the Trees is a creepy walking simulator where you take pictures to advance the story. The gameplay is pretty mediocre, and the game uses low-poly, bad textures that don't really sell it.”
- “Gameplay is quite simplistic and very linear. There are no quest elements beyond optional photo tasks that only affect achievements, no real challenge, and no substantial gameplay in 1,000 Heads.”
- “The gameplay is filled with lags and bugs.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences a mix of stability issues, with several users reporting bugs, glitches, and occasional crashes, particularly affecting quest progression. However, some players find the bugs minor or not game-breaking, noting that it runs smoothly given its low budget. Overall, stability is inconsistent and may impact the gameplay experience for some.
- “The game is buggy and I have no idea how to complete the first part of the quest but I don't mind.”
- “Unfortunately there's a few bugs and glitches, and some risk of crash to desktop (CTD).”
- “It just felt weird and buggy.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The music and sound design receive mixed feedback: some users praise the minimalistic, haunting soundtrack and ambient sounds for enhancing the eerie atmosphere, while others criticize the music as forgettable or absent, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The minimalistic music and sound effects of wind blowing and people chattering add to the spooky atmosphere.”
- “The sound design in 1000 Heads Among the Trees is exceptional, with a haunting soundtrack that further elevates the eerie atmosphere.”
- “The music is not good and sounds like the most forgettable royalty-free music.”
- “There's no music.”
- “Bad graphics, bad controls, and bad music.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's optimization presents mixed feedback: while some users report smooth performance without issues like stuttering or glitches, others criticize it for poor optimization typical of some Unity games, leading to low frame rates even on capable hardware.
- “I had no issues with gameplay: no stuttering, no walking through walls, sound works perfectly, no problems.”
- “The game runs smoothly.”
- “It's a Unity game and if not optimized well, those games will run at single digits, even if your rig can run it.”
- “Abysmal optimization.”
- “The only drawback is the unoptimized performance.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding is primarily focused on game and card farming, with players spending much of their time engaged in repetitive tasks to collect resources or cards.
- “Recommended for game farming.”
- “Rest of my time played was card farming.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely reliant on group interactions and commentary rather than the game's content itself, which struggles to deliver genuine laughs. Additionally, certain elements like shadow effects detract from the immersive, documentary-style experience, undermining the comedic impact.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's emotional impact is intense and evocative, delivering a complex and haunting experience reminiscent of a Stephen King novel, especially upon understanding its challenging ending.