Banebush

About

Banebush is a single player action game. It was developed by Hinterland Mood and was released on December 25, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Banebush is a single-player adventure visual novel featuring a tense, atmospheric story about Alexey confronting childhood memories and nightmares in a haunted village. With ominous black-and-red visuals, dark ambient music, and a nonlinear narrative offering multiple endings, it delivers a gripping, eerie experience inspired by scary tales.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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96%

Audience ScoreBased on 94 reviews

story14 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a captivating and atmospheric story that draws heavily from Slavic folklore, creating a unique and immersive experience.
Visually, the game stands out with its striking red and black art style, which effectively enhances the eerie and foreboding atmosphere.
Despite its short length, the game offers multiple endings and choices that keep players engaged and encourage replayability.

The gameplay is minimal, with very few interactive elements and only one puzzle, which some players found disappointing.
The horror elements, while present, are often underwhelming, with some players feeling that the scares rely too heavily on jump scares.
Character development feels limited, as many players wished for more depth and exploration of the protagonist and supporting characters.

story
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
61%
7%
The game's story is a blend of dark folklore and horror, featuring a protagonist named Alexey who navigates a drug-smuggling plot and seeks refuge in his grandparents' village. While the narrative is described as simple and somewhat predictable, it is enriched by a nonlinear structure that allows for multiple endings, each contributing meaningfully to the overall experience. The atmospheric visuals and immersive storytelling enhance the eerie tone, making it a compelling choice for fans of horror and folklore.
- “The story draws players into a shadowy, unsettling universe, following a protagonist whose journey challenges perceptions of morality, survival, and the supernatural, all while maintaining a tense, immersive tone throughout.”
- “Its combination of engaging storytelling, morally complex choices, and a richly atmospheric presentation creates a deeply immersive game world.”
- “This is an absolutely amazing game, I really admire the eerie storyline, the art style and its endings, the writing style is also very good (the narration, dark setting description and character inner expression) which makes me really addicted!”
- “The story is fine and a bit repetitive, also easily predictable from the first 10 minutes of gameplay.”
- “Nothing special, short story about a Russian folklore character.”
- “The 'true' ending was pretty cool and even if it was kind of telegraphed, it fit the story; most of the others, however, were just small variations on the same ending.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
40%
15%
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their unique and evocative art style, which effectively enhances the eerie atmosphere and storytelling. Players appreciate the immersive visuals that blend gritty realism with dark fantasy elements, creating a captivating experience that keeps them engaged. Overall, the game's striking aesthetics and dynamic backgrounds contribute significantly to its haunting narrative and emotional impact.
- “Despite the rather high amount of unnecessary jumpscares and short runtime, Banebush offers a unique aesthetic and gripping revenge narrative that straddles the line between gritty realism and dark fantasy.”
- “Visually, Banebush stands out for its distinctive and evocative art style.”
- “This game tries something very interesting; its extremely red and realistic visuals generate a unique and intense visual style, always keeping the player tense, along with well-crafted dynamic backgrounds, sound effects, and very good music.”
- “Visuals?”
- “Despite the rather high amount of unnecessary jumpscares and short runtime, banebush offers a unique aesthetic and gripping revenge narrative that straddles the line between gritty realism and dark fantasy.”
- “This game tries something very interesting; its extremely red and realistic visuals generate a unique and intense visual style, always keeping the player tense as well as the main character.”
atmosphere
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
31%
16%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently described as bleak, oppressive, and hauntingly immersive, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack and striking visuals. Players appreciate the unique character designs and the overall eerie vibe, which contribute to a deeply engaging and foreboding experience. The combination of these elements creates a memorable and atmospheric horror visual novel that stands out in its genre.
- “The atmosphere they create is bleak, oppressive, mystical, and dream-like.”
- “Banebush, developed and published by Hinterland Mood, is a hauntingly atmospheric horror visual novel that immerses players in a dark, twisted fairy tale world.”
- “Its combination of engaging storytelling, morally complex choices, and a richly atmospheric presentation creates a deeply immersive game world.”
- “The atmosphere that they create is bleak, oppressive, mystical, and dream-like.”
- “Paired with the ambient music and sounds, the atmosphere overall is very foreboding and creepy.”
- “Character designs are unique and memorable, with each figure contributing to the overall eerie atmosphere of the game.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to create a foreboding and immersive atmosphere, effectively complementing the visuals and enhancing tension throughout. The combination of ambient and suspenseful tracks, along with well-placed sound effects, contributes to moments of shock and anxiety, making the overall auditory experience a standout feature. Reviewers note that the soundtrack is not only fitting but also reminiscent of notable musical influences, further enriching the game's intense ambiance.
- “The soundtrack is amazing as well, the atmosphere it creates with the bloody-red visual design is very immersive.”
- “Both the design and the music style are so good.”
- “Paired with the ambient music and sounds, the overall atmosphere is very foreboding and creepy.”
- “The soundtrack combines ambient and suspenseful music that amplifies the tension in every scene, while carefully placed sound effects create moments of shock and anxiety.”
- “Music is on par with the atmosphere.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The gameplay is primarily focused on choice branching typical of visual novels, with minimal interactive elements such as a single puzzle and a mini-game, leading to a lack of challenge. While the narrative-driven approach offers a nonlinear structure with significant consequences for decisions, some players find the overall experience repetitive and predictable.
- “Released in late 2024, the game expertly blends psychological horror with narrative-driven gameplay, placing players in a setting where reality and fantasy intertwine and every choice carries significant consequences.”
- “The core gameplay of Banebush centers on decision-making, with a nonlinear structure that allows multiple branching storylines and endings.”
- “There wasn't much gameplay; if you don't count the typical choice branching, which is okay for a visual novel, but there was one puzzle that I did like, even if it was somewhat easy to solve.”
- “There's barely any gameplay here: just one mini-game and scripted moments where you're literally guided on where to click so you, heaven forbid, don’t face any challenges.”
- “It is a solid 6.5/10 for me as the story is fine and a bit repetitive, also easily predictable from the first 10 minutes of gameplay.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game enjoyable, particularly when pursuing different endings and medals, as the option to skip previously seen dialogue enhances the experience. However, some achievements are considered tedious and not worth the effort, with one specific task (watching a cat dance) being particularly noted as less enjoyable. Overall, grinding is seen as a fun and rewarding part of the game, despite a few drawbacks.
- “Just don't bother with the achievements, they are too tedious to be worth it.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it fun and engaging, particularly in the context of pursuing various endings and achievements. However, some aspects, like the lengthy cat dance, can feel tedious despite being amusing. The option to skip previously seen dialogue enhances the overall experience.
- “It's very fun and not at all tedious to get all of the endings and achievements. The game makes it easy to skip dialogue that you've already seen when you're going for different endings.”
- “The humor in this game is spot on, with clever writing and hilarious situations that keep you engaged.”
- “I found myself laughing out loud at the quirky characters and their witty banter throughout the game.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is praised for its unique and memorable designs, particularly among the villagers, which effectively enhance the game's eerie atmosphere and create a sense of authenticity.
- “I really liked the character designs, particularly of the villagers; they feel exactly like the people you'd meet in such a place.”
- “Character designs are unique and memorable, with each figure contributing to the overall eerie atmosphere of the game.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find that the game effectively deepens emotional engagement through its narrative and psychological horror elements, delivering a significant emotional impact despite its short length.
- “Together, these elements draw players deeper into the narrative, heightening emotional engagement and reinforcing the game’s psychological horror elements.”
- “The game itself is not very long, sadly, but in such a short time it manages to pack quite an emotional punch.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's nonlinear design significantly enhances replayability, allowing players to explore various paths, discover hidden secrets, and experience multiple endings with each playthrough.
- “The nonlinear design also encourages replayability, as players can explore different paths, uncover hidden secrets, and experience alternative endings with each playthrough.”