Crimson Snow
- March 29, 2023
- Steppe Hare Studio
- 1h median play time
Get on SteamIn Crimson Snow, survive a Christmas night stalked by a supernatural being while trying to escape with your girlfriend. Your choices and actions determine your fate in this story-driven horror game set in a festively decorated yet menacing house. Uncover the secrets of your past before they destroy you.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Great atmosphere and visuals that effectively create a creepy Christmas vibe.
- Engaging story with multiple endings based on dialogue choices, adding replayability.
- Well-timed jump scares that enhance the overall horror experience without being overused.
- Very bad optimization leading to stutters and frame drops, affecting immersion.
- Short gameplay duration, taking about 1-2 hours to complete, which may leave some players wanting more.
- Limited mechanics, such as the inability to run or crouch, which can make stealth sections feel tedious.
- story135 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its engaging plot, intriguing twists, and the emotional depth of its characters. While some reviews note that the narrative can be simple or predictable, the interactive elements and multiple endings enhance the overall experience, making it a solid choice for horror fans. The atmosphere, voice acting, and well-placed jump scares further contribute to a captivating storytelling experience.
“The game compensates with a well-crafted story that kept me engaged throughout.”
“The story is solid so it keeps you entertained throughout, the environments are detailed, the graphics are great, and the voice acting is surprisingly good given the low-budget nature of the game.”
“The story intrigued me from start to end and I actually felt a sense of tense atmosphere from start to finish.”
“The plot is very basic and the voice acting is fair at best, but good for a Christmas time playthrough.”
“The story is very basic with some dialogue options that will have an effect on the game's ending; it's not too deep but it's serviceable.”
“The only negative part was, it really didn't have much of a backstory to the villain.”
- graphics72 mentions
- 72 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising their quality, detail, and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere. While some users noted issues with optimization and performance on certain hardware, the majority found the visuals stunning and immersive, contributing significantly to the horror experience. Overall, the graphics are consistently rated highly, often described as beautiful and impressive for an indie title.
“But the atmosphere, the visuals, the music, it's all amazing, and it makes it so much worth playing.”
“The graphics and sound design are excellent here, helping to add to the atmosphere.”
“The voice acting overall was superb, story was well written, and the graphics are gorgeous.”
“I experienced constant frame rate drops when turning and moving using an RTX 3080 and i9 processor, no matter what I changed the very few graphic settings to.”
“The first one my PC has meets the requirements of the minimum specification, but the game is still running on low FPS although I just got the minimum graphics on settings.”
“I lowered all the graphic settings and it was a little better, but still laggy.”
- gameplay62 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally characterized as simple and straightforward, primarily focusing on stealth mechanics with some basic puzzles and jump scares. While many players appreciate the engaging atmosphere and graphics, some criticize the repetitive nature and limitations of the gameplay, suggesting it lacks depth and variety. Overall, the experience is described as enjoyable for horror fans, though it may feel shallow to those seeking more complex mechanics.
“Priced at under $10, it's a steal for approximately 2 hours of spine-chilling gameplay.”
“The gameplay is predominantly stealth sections with a cool little boss battle at the end, both of which I think were done well and I enjoyed them; nothing ground-breaking in this regard but I still found the gameplay engaging and fun enough.”
“Beautiful game, fun gameplay, and an entertaining story.”
“The gameplay is highly repetitive and predictable, which is not fun.”
“Overall, highly limiting gameplay makes this game a very shallow and unsatisfying experience, unfortunately.”
“However, after the introduction part, the overly limiting gameplay ruins everything.”
- atmosphere57 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and spooky qualities, enhanced by excellent graphics, sound design, and thematic elements that align well with the holiday season. Players appreciate the effective use of jump scares and the overall tension that keeps them engaged throughout the experience. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to create a claustrophobic and eerie environment, making it a standout in atmospheric horror, particularly during Christmas time.
“But the atmosphere, the visuals, the music, it's all amazing, and it makes it so much worth playing.”
“The atmosphere was absolutely creepy and festive, and the game was perfect for this season.”
“The atmosphere is well done, and it has some solid jump scares.”
“Not all is crimson news: the graphics for an indie studio are decent and detailed enough, and the sound effects are the best part as they pull the most weight in creating the dreaded and claustrophobic atmosphere.”
“Accompanied by the immersive sound design and eerie ambience, it brings together a familiar yet unsettling atmosphere that suspends the immersion in this Christmas horror setting.”
- music21 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and thematic integration, particularly with its dark Christmas undertones that enhance the horror experience. Reviewers praised the soundtrack for being well-timed, immersive, and effectively contributing to the game's tension and ambiance, making it a standout feature that resonates with players. Overall, the combination of festive and eerie elements in the music creates a rich and memorable auditory experience.
“The music was well timed and any true horror fan would love this game.”
“Very atmospheric game with great dark Christmas-themed music.”
“The festive music and environment drowned out by absolutely insane and evil undertones left a very, very rich aftertaste for this game.”
“The sound design was impeccable; the darkened, minored versions of popular Christmas songs was just the icing on the cake.”
“- atmosphere and music was very well themed for the holidays while maintaining the horror.”
- optimization15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 47 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing smooth performance on high-end systems, while others report significant issues, including low frame rates and stuttering on lower-end hardware. Many users have noted specific areas where performance drops occur, suggesting that further improvements are needed. Overall, while some players find the game playable with adjustments, a substantial number express frustration over its optimization shortcomings.
“The only issue right now is performance, but other than that it's such a solid title.”
“Played well with no crashes and no real performance issues that affected gameplay.”
“The graphics are good, the controls and performance are good and the voice acting is good.”
“This is easily one of the worst optimized games I have ever played.”
“Horrible optimization despite playing on the minimum requirements; I got a GT 1030 and the FPS on 1024x768 lowest is barely 15 FPS.”
“Lastly, optimization is pretty bad.”
- replayability11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game offers moderate replayability primarily through multiple dialogue choices that lead to different endings, with players noting the potential to experience four distinct outcomes. While some find the game short and engaging enough to warrant multiple playthroughs, others feel it lacks depth and can become repetitive, limiting its overall replay value. Overall, it strikes a balance between being concise and providing enough variation to encourage players to return for alternate experiences.
“The game also has replayability in that you can make different dialogue choices, affecting your ending.”
“Not too terribly long so it doesn't overstay its welcome but gives it a good bit of replayability to get different endings and choices.”
“The jump scares were great.. the potential for replayability makes me excited to someday return to this game and experience the alternate endings.”
“Not much replayability in my opinion outside of getting the achievements for the different endings.”
“The game is not replayable; it's too boring, repetitive, and slow progressing for replaying.”
“There's a little replayability with multiple endings (4, I believe), so I'd say this is a solid 7/10 and well worth the price.”
- stability10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- -10 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while some players experienced minor glitches and bugs, many found them forgivable and not overly disruptive to gameplay. The developers appear committed to refining the experience, suggesting that future updates may address these issues. Most users reported smooth performance, particularly on Linux, indicating a generally stable experience despite occasional hiccups.
“Played on Linux using Proton Experimental, the game works and runs great. The graphics are assets, but thanks to the way the devs have used them, it's not so noticeable. The house/map is not a default asset and has been remapped to look and feel very different. Overall, the game is stable and enjoyable.”
“It's a really simple game that isn't going to really wow anyone, but it's fun and bug-free.”
“The gameplay is kind of hide and seek, where you hide and the girl seeks. The game is stable and not hard to play once you figure out the girl's pattern.”
“Playing it from the get-go, I encountered a few glitches, but that's forgivable considering the initial release.”
“There are some buggy parts, I would say, but it didn't really annoy me.”
“I liked this game; I mean, I escaped death more times than I can count because of the glitches, but I enjoyed the story.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurd and silly elements, such as a comically inept villain and amusing animations, like a monster performing a dance. Players find themselves laughing at unexpected moments, including exaggerated death scenes and quirky physics, which contribute to an overall lighthearted experience despite the presence of jump scares.
“I have video footage of me laughing out with tears at the 'monster' in this game doing the monster mash dance towards me.”
“Funny story, I didn't even realize I bought this game when I found it in my library and decided to play it; I thought it was one of those free games you find sometimes that are like student projects or something... turns out I did buy it.”
“A lot of jump scares so it was fun and funny!”
- grinding2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly due to the linear level design that requires repetitive sneaking through narrow hallways. While some don't mind the linearity, the need for multiple attempts to progress can become frustrating.
“Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
“The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“I didn't mind how linear the game was; however, it did begin to feel tedious to sneak past her in single-way hallways.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its wholesome and warm narrative, making it particularly appealing for those who appreciate emotionally resonant stories, though it may be intense for more sensitive players.
“Absolutely recommended for those with a weak heart; it's such a wholesome and warm story about a couple.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praised the character design, highlighting it as a strong aspect of character development.
