AfterHours

About

AfterHours is a single player and multiplayer survival simulation game with horror and violence themes. It was developed by Runway Studios and was released on February 18, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Experience psychological horror in a large abandoned hospital. Hide, explore and survive from a mysterious creature living in the ruins of this hospital.

Skip User Reviews

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 345 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

The game delivers a creepy and tense atmosphere, effectively creating suspense during the nurse chases.
It is short and enjoyable, allowing for a quick horror experience that can be played in one sitting.
Runs on most PCs including low-end hardware, making it accessible; the gameplay is simple and easy to pick up.

The AI of the nurse is inconsistent and often gets stuck, reducing challenge and fear factor.
There are some bugs and glitches, including issues with doors, sound, saving/loading, and occasional frame rate drops.
The story and lore are minimal or confusing, with little explanation for events or characters, and some players found it lacking depth.

graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
69%
10%
The game's graphics are generally described as modest and fitting for an indie title, with a mix of low-resolution, simple visuals and some praised ambiance and environment design. While not technically advanced or polished, they effectively support the casual horror experience, though occasional performance issues and limited graphic settings have been noted. Overall, the graphics are decent but not a highlight of the game.
- “The graphics are really well made and the sound design is excellent, I've jumped a couple of times the nurse saw/killed me.”
- “The graphics are good and the ambiance is creepy.”
- “Good graphics and environment layout.”
- “Potato graphics.”
- “The general aesthetics are very low resolution with a particularly low level of detail.”
- “Such low quality graphics should not use 100% of GPU.”
story
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
70%
17%
The story is generally viewed as weak or minimal, with many players noting a lack of clear plot, explanation, and character development. While the premise and atmosphere have potential, it often feels more like an escape game than a narrative-driven experience, leaving key mysteries unresolved. Some players wish for more fleshed-out storytelling and additional content to enhance engagement.
- “Its... alright, the chases were just corny but the story is absolute cinema.”
- “The story so far is good and as you play you do find yourself wanting to hide even though overall the nurse isn't really scary.”
- “I enjoyed it for what it is, though I wish there was a bit more storytelling regarding the nurse and the transformation of the hospital.”
- “The story, or lack thereof, was pretty lame and filled with plot holes.”
- “There's no plot, the atmosphere is okayish, but that lack of plot really hurt it, imo.”
- “Very lacking in story (starts out with plot and then turns into an escape game)”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
64%
18%
The gameplay is fast-paced and enjoyable, featuring exploration and suspenseful elements within a maze-like hospital setting. However, some mechanics, like the chase sequences, need refinement, and the game may become easier over time without additional challenge modes. Overall, the gameplay balances fun and horror but can be difficult and somewhat repetitive.
- “It's a pretty fast paced game, and the gameplay really isn't too bad, I thought it was pretty enjoyable.”
- “The game becomes a little easy once you get used to the mechanics so adding a challenge mode or something of the sort would be cool.”
- “The jumpscares were bad but the atmosphere was very good, the maze-like hospital provides for interesting gameplay and even more fun, the lore is super duper interesting and the mystery will go on.”
- “Visually an 8/10, but gameplay-wise 3/10.”
- “And the chase mechanic could use some work.”
- “The game becomes a little easy once you get used to the mechanics, so adding a challenge mode or something of the sort would be cool.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The music in the game effectively heightens tension, especially with the eerie door sounds and intensified chase themes, though some find the nurse chase music unintentionally humorous. Sound design adds directional cues that enhance immersion, but occasional glitches and volume inconsistencies can reduce its impact. Overall, the music contributes to the atmosphere, making encounters more suspenseful, especially when played with headphones.
- “Loved the hectic music when the evil nurse was nearby, and the opening of doors is always a bit eerie.”
- “Music playing from the 'monster' is a nice touch.”
- “I got nowhere near the end, but it was terrifying hearing the music it plays when the nurse sees you and starts chasing you.”
- “When I needed to have my volume maxed out and ears straining to hear the nurse's theme music, it would destroy my eardrums every time I was caught by her.”
- “Regarding the sound design, on a few occasions, the danger music didn't play when I was facing away from the enemy.”
- “Other times the music would play at lower volumes, so I'm not sure if it just glitched or it was supposed to be like that.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The atmosphere receives mixed feedback: while some praise its creepy, spooky, and tension-filled setting that keeps players on edge, others criticize the lack of pacing, build-up, and meaningful tension, which diminishes the sense of fear. The hospital environment and lore contribute positively to the mood, though the absence of plot and overuse of constant enemy encounters limit deeper atmospheric immersion.
- “Amazing game, terrifying atmosphere!”
- “As goofy and low budget as this game might seem, it actually manages to set up a very creepy atmosphere that kept me on edge.”
- “The jumpscares were bad but the atmosphere was very good; the maze-like hospital provides interesting gameplay and the lore is super interesting, with a mystery that will continue.”
- “And instead of building tension, the game just throws the enemy at you constantly. With nonstop noise, there’s no pacing, no breathing room for discomfort, anxiety, or exploration—no atmosphere that actually creates fear.”
- “The main thing is there is no atmosphere or build up.”
- “There's no plot, the atmosphere is okayish, but that lack of plot really hurt it, in my opinion.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The game's optimization is inconsistent, with some users experiencing smooth performance at 60fps on mid-range hardware, while others report severe FPS drops below 30 in certain areas, making parts nearly unplayable. Overall, the optimization is seen as lacking and in need of improvement to enhance the experience.
- “I really liked this game and it definitely set my spine straight most of the time, and the performance is great and it takes up very little storage.”
- “Regarding the bitcoin mining accusations and performance issues, I played the game with an i7 7th gen and a 1050 mobile, and I managed to achieve 60fps throughout the game with low graphics.”
- “Actually pretty well done and very scary at times.”
- “Actually pretty well done and very scary at times but the game was so unoptimized at times that there were some areas that were practically unplayable because of the low FPS.”
- “This game should definitely be free because it is poorly optimized and feels outdated and cheap.”
- “The optimization is horrible, at some parts the FPS drops to below 30.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is widely appreciated, with users finding it genuinely funny and often unintentionally comedic. Elements like the nurse chase music and enemy design contribute to a humorous, rather than scary, atmosphere.
- “Funny as hell.”
- “The 'ooh scary nurse chase' music sounds like it's from a Carry On film, and combined with the nurse costume, it's a 10/10 funny.”
- “The enemy design is very lackluster, and honestly, it's more funny than scary.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits occasional bugs and glitches, particularly with certain in-game elements like doors and character interactions, affecting overall stability.
- “Sometimes the game can be a bit buggy.”
- “The game doors were a bit buggy in certain rooms.”
- “There are bugs and glitches throughout the game.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Users consistently find grinding in the game excessively tedious and time-consuming, to the point that it feels like requiring a "second life" to progress. The repetitive nature detracts from the overall experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers a quick, single-shot playthrough with decent graphics and engaging ambiance, but overall has very low replayability. However, its free availability makes it worth a try despite limited long-term appeal.
- “Very low replayability, but it's free.”