Dark Hours: Prologue

About

Dark Hours: Prologue is a single player and multiplayer survival action adventure game with horror and mystery themes. It was developed by Piece of Cake studios and was released on July 18, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

WISHLIST THE FULL GAME About the GameDark Hours: Prologue is a free version of Dark Hours. Experience the core gameplay and get a taste of the experience that awaits in the full game. Dark Hours is a co-op survival horror game for 1-4 players. Just when you think you've pulled off the perfect heist, your break-in is suddenly interrupted by an unexpected supernatural event. You find yourself t…

Skip User Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,071 reviews

humor62 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

Enjoyable and fun cooperative multiplayer horror experience, especially with friends.
Atmospheric and immersive with strong sound design and eerie visuals enhancing tension.
Unique combination of heist mechanics and horror elements providing strategic gameplay and teamwork.

Limited content and replayability currently with only one map and few monsters available.
Performance issues including poor optimization, bugs, and occasional crashes affecting gameplay.
Monster AI and spawn frequency can be frustrating, with unfair instant deaths and pathing problems.

humor
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for being hilarious, especially when playing with friends, with many mentioning laughter from funny and goofy moments, proximity chat antics, and cooperative sabotage. The mix of scary and comedic elements creates a unique, entertaining experience filled with memorable, joyful chaos. Though some report minor annoyances from trolling friends or bugs, the humor consistently stands out as a strong, enjoyable aspect.
- “The clever gameplay mechanics, terrifying creatures roaming the dark museum, plus whatever hilarious (and stupid) things your teammates might be doing to taunt you or the monsters makes an excellent comedic-horror-puzzle cooperative experience.”
- “Had me laughing so hard that I felt like I was about to die holding it in so the monster didn't hear me laughing at friends dying.”
- “My friend started snoring like a jackhammer when I tranquilized him, it never gets old and I always laugh, showed it to my entire friend group and they can't stop laughing either.”
gameplay
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
59%
5%
The gameplay in "Dark Hours: Prologue" is generally praised for being intuitive, smooth, and well-balanced, combining exploration, stealth, and resource management to create tense and immersive horror experiences. While mechanics are simple and accessible, they offer enough depth for cooperative play and strategic evasion, though some reviews note early access kinks like ease of bypassing mechanics and limited enemy variety. Overall, it delivers engaging, suspenseful gameplay with great potential, especially in multiplayer settings.
- “Gameplay is smooth and well-balanced, blending exploration, suspense, and challenge in a way that never feels overwhelming.”
- “The mechanics are intuitive, letting players focus on immersion rather than complexity, while still offering enough depth to remain interesting throughout.”
- “The gameplay mechanics, though simple in concept, are executed with precision, emphasizing stealth and evasion over direct confrontation, amplifying the sense of vulnerability and helplessness.”
- “At the time of writing the review, the game is in early access and has mechanics that are easy to bypass; if this is fixed, it will be a good game.”
- “I understand this is just the prologue, but the gameplay is pretty bland, if I'm completely honest.”
- “Basic mechanics.”
atmosphere
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
35%
6%
Dark Hours: Prologue consistently impresses with its deeply immersive and tense atmosphere, characterized by haunting visuals, eerie sound design, and masterful use of lighting and ambient effects. While the experience is relatively short, its gripping mood, unsettling environments, and subtle storytelling create a compelling horror ambiance that keeps players on edge throughout.
- “Dark prologue is a gripping and atmospheric experience that immediately pulls you into its haunting world.”
- “The sound design deserves special praise—ambient noises, music, and silence are used masterfully to heighten tension and atmosphere.”
- “The environments are dripping with atmosphere, with dimly lit corridors, eerie shadows, and unsettling sounds that constantly remind you of the lurking danger.”
- “While it builds atmosphere, some players might crave more direct storytelling or dialogue to flesh out the narrative.”
- “The atmosphere is deeply unsettling, and the puzzles are engaging, though the short duration and limited exploration leave you hungry for more.”
- “The atmosphere?”
story
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
62%
9%
The story of "Dark Hours: Prologue" is praised for its atmospheric, haunting, and immersive narrative that unfolds through environmental storytelling and subtle clues, creating a personal and suspenseful experience. While some players desire more direct dialogue and clarity, the prologue effectively teases a larger, darker backstory that captivates fans of horror and story-driven games. Overall, the storytelling is considered one of the game’s strongest and most engaging elements.
- “The prologue’s story is haunting and mysterious, pulling you in with just enough hints to keep you curious but withholding the full picture to build suspense.”
- “Through subtle environmental storytelling and scattered notes and clues, the game hints at a larger, darker backstory that leaves you hungry for more.”
- “The story unfolds through compelling dialogue, chilling audio logs, and environmental storytelling that slowly unveils the sinister truths lurking beneath the surface.”
- “The graphics are outdated, the controls are clunky, and the story makes no sense.”
- “No story.”
- “The game’s reliance on environmental storytelling is both a strength and a weakness. While it builds atmosphere, some players might crave more direct storytelling or dialogue to flesh out the narrative.”
graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
50%
8%
The graphics receive mixed feedback, praised for their striking, haunting aesthetic and smooth performance on higher settings, but criticized for being basic, outdated, or resource-intensive on some systems. While visuals effectively enhance the atmosphere and immersive horror experience for many, occasional bugs and clunky controls sometimes detract from the overall impact.
- “The game ran smoothly on my system at around 100 fps on the highest graphics settings, which is great performance for an indie horror game.”
- “The visuals are striking, with detailed, shadowy environments that play with light and darkness to create a pervasive sense of unease.”
- “With its stunning graphics, intriguing storyline, and challenging gameplay, this game is a must-play for any serious gamer.”
- “The game requires too high of a graphic resources, making it really hard to stay enjoyable while playing.”
- “Dark Hours Prologue is really disappointing. The graphics look outdated and the environment is super empty; nothing scary about it. The controls are clunky and the movement feels heavy. I was expecting horror but got bored after 20 minutes. Not worth the time.”
- “Buggy game, softlock in the first 8 seconds of my run. Plus only 75fps on minimum graphics, optimize better.”
optimization
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
58%
24%
The game's optimization is inconsistent, with some users experiencing stable, smooth performance and others reporting low FPS, lag, and crashes even on good hardware. Overall, it is considered poorly optimized and in need of significant improvement before the final release.
- “The game ran smoothly on my system at around 100 fps on the highest graphics settings, which is great performance for an indie horror game.”
- “Performance was very stable and optimized — minimal CPU usage and the game felt lightweight overall.”
- “With multiple maps, monsters, modifiers and even further optimizations.”
- “Overall, the game is nice, but the performance is terrible, getting low FPS on a good PC, which is not enjoyable.”
- “The game is good for playing with friends, but it still needs to be optimized; in my case, there was a crash when starting the game.”
- “Sat in a corner looking at 6 weeping angels for 55 minutes while my friends did all the work; also poorly optimized and laggy.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from multiple stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches, and occasional softlocks that affect gameplay. It also has optimization problems, resulting in low frame rates even on minimal settings. Despite these technical drawbacks, the game remains fun for cooperative play with friends.
- “Buggy game, softlock in the first 8 seconds of my run. Fix it or no one is going to play. Also only 75fps on minimum graphics, needs better optimization.”
- “Played two rounds of the game and encountered 3 different kinds of glitches.”
- “The game is buggy and if someone in the group disconnects, there is no way for them to rejoin.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's music and sound design are widely praised for effectively enhancing the atmosphere and tension, with haunting melodies and ambient noises that underscore the horror and suspense. However, some players find the monster's AI and its interaction with sound cues confusing. Overall, the soundtrack plays a crucial role in creating an immersive and chilling experience.
- “The sound design deserves special praise—ambient noises, music, and silence are used masterfully to heighten tension and atmosphere.”
- “The sound design complements this perfectly, with haunting ambient noises and a chilling soundtrack that heightens the tension.”
- “The soundtrack, composed of haunting melodies and discordant tones, underscores the relentless atmosphere of dread and impending danger.”
- “Just a part about the game when I got to the director's office my friend disconnected and the monster music played, he ran really fast without any animation.”
- “✅ Just filling noises/no music.”
- “I'm kind of confused about the AI of the monster because I'm silent yet it knows where I am, and I don't know if I have to turn off the music or not. Sometimes it's behind me, then spawns in front of me.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers an enjoyable initial experience but generally lacks strong replayability, especially in the free version. While some players find it fun and appreciate its concept, the limited variety and repetitive gameplay can cause it to feel old quickly after completing stages.
- “Infinitely replayable (or almost).”
- “You have something different with this game, listen to the people; it’s fun with good replay value.”
- “Whilst I'm excited to see further development of the game with extra levels and more monsters, I can see this game getting old quick as there is not much replay value once you have played a stage and come across a new monster.”
- “Unfortunately, the replayability is not there (at least for the free version), but it is a fun first experience.”
- “Great concept, great fun but lacks replay value.”
- “While I'm excited to see further development with extra levels and more monsters, this game can get old quickly as there is not much replay value once you have played a stage and encountered a new monster.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers mature, thought-provoking themes that add significant emotional depth and meaning to the experience. However, some moments, like unexpected scares, can evoke strong emotional reactions, ranging from frustration to genuine emotional impact.
- “The themes are mature and thought-provoking, adding emotional weight to the experience and making the journey feel meaningful.”
- “Makes me want to cry... I was playing at 5 AM and she spawned on me :(”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect is perceived as average, with users feeling that the game's quality does not fully meet the expectations set by its advertising.
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is notably demanding, often requiring additional time or resources such as extra lives to progress effectively.

Skip Game Offers

Buy Dark Hours: Prologue

Dark Hours: Prologue
See offer on Steam

7h Median play time

6h Average play time

2-9h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Dark Hours: Prologue

84%1.5kreviews

Dark Hours

2025

Survival Action Adventure

89%678reviews

PARANOIA PLACE

2025

Survival Simulation

85%408reviews

The Devourer: Hunted Souls

2023

Open World Action Adventure

88%21.3kreviews

Pacify

2019

Survival Management

86%13.5kreviews

Labyrinthine

2023

Action Adventure

More games like Dark Hours: Prologue

Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Dark Hours: Prologue is a survival action adventure game with horror and mystery themes.

Dark Hours: Prologue is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 6 hours playing Dark Hours: Prologue.

Dark Hours: Prologue was released on July 18, 2024.

Dark Hours: Prologue was developed by Piece of Cake studios.

Dark Hours: Prologue has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked Dark Hours: Prologue for its humor but disliked it for its optimization.

Dark Hours: Prologue is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Dark Hours, PARANOIA PLACE, The Devourer: Hunted Souls, Pacify, Labyrinthine and others.

Dark Hours: Prologue

Platforms

About

Buy Dark Hours: Prologue