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Dark Hours: Prologue

88%Game Brain Score
gameplay, atmosphere
optimization, music
88% User Score Based on 1,230 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
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About

"Dark Hours: Prologue" is a free prelude to the co-op survival horror game "Dark Hours." In this version, players can explore the auction house setting, solve cooperative puzzles, and encounter up to two types of demonic creatures. This prologue serves as a preview of the full game's experience, including its terrifying supernatural events and the challenge of escaping the auction house alive.

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Dark Hours: Prologue screenshot
Dark Hours: Prologue screenshot
Dark Hours: Prologue screenshot
Dark Hours: Prologue screenshot

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,230 reviews
gameplay34 positive mentions
optimization8 negative mentions
  • The game is very fun to play with friends, providing a hilarious and engaging cooperative experience.
  • Atmospheric horror elements and well-designed puzzles create a thrilling gameplay experience.
  • The graphics and sound design are impressive, enhancing the overall immersion and tension.
  • The game can become repetitive quickly due to limited content and monster variety.
  • There are significant bugs and performance issues, including frequent monster spawn glitches.
  • The prologue is short, leaving players wanting more depth and exploration in the gameplay.
  • gameplay
    92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Dark Hours: Prologue" is generally praised for being engaging, intuitive, and well-paced, balancing exploration with jump scares and cooperative mechanics. While the controls are responsive and the graphics are impressive, some players noted issues with lag and unbalanced mechanics, particularly in early access. Overall, the game offers a promising experience for horror and narrative enthusiasts, with potential for further development in its story and gameplay elements.

    • “The gameplay is intuitive yet challenging, keeping you on edge as you navigate through dark corridors and solve sinister puzzles.”
    • “With its intense gameplay mechanics, stunning visuals, and a narrative that grips you from start to finish, it delivers an adrenaline-fueled journey into darkness that will leave you breathless.”
    • “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.”
    • “The radio mechanic needs a little work, but Discord exists.”
  • atmosphere
    82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "Dark Hours: Prologue" is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, characterized by eerie sound design, dimly lit environments, and a pervasive sense of dread. Players are captivated by the game's ability to create tension and unease, making it a standout experience for horror enthusiasts. While some desire more narrative depth, the overall atmospheric storytelling and attention to detail effectively engage players throughout their journey.

    • “From eerie whispers to the subtle flicker of lights, every detail added to the foreboding atmosphere.”
    • “The game excels in creating a haunting atmosphere that keeps you on edge from start to finish.”
    • “From the moment you step into its chilling world, you're immersed in an atmosphere thick with dread and tension.”
    • “The atmosphere is deeply unsettling, and the puzzles are engaging, though the short duration and limited exploration leave you hungry for more.”
    • “The environments are dripping with atmosphere, with dimly lit corridors, eerie shadows, and unsettling sounds that constantly remind you of the lurking danger.”
    • “The lighting and shadows play a crucial role in creating an atmosphere of perpetual unease, where danger could lurk in every shadow.”
  • humor
    70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting its ability to blend comedy and horror effectively, especially when played with friends. Many reviews mention moments of laughter stemming from both the game's mechanics and the antics of teammates, creating a fun and chaotic atmosphere. Overall, the game is described as a hilarious experience that enhances the cooperative gameplay, making it a standout feature despite some minor bugs.

    • “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.”
    • “Ngl this game is really really good, the monsters, the characters and the fact that you can troll your friends and push them to the monsters is hilarious.”
    • “For a demo of sorts, this game was amazing, it was super funny to play with my friends and was actually scary too, super excited for the full release and I'm looking forward to the full release!!”
  • story
    68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Dark Hours: Prologue" is characterized by its atmospheric and haunting narrative, effectively utilizing environmental storytelling and minimal dialogue to create suspense and a sense of dread. While the prologue captivates players with intriguing hints and a mysterious backstory, some may desire more direct storytelling to enhance the experience. Overall, it sets a promising foundation for a deeper narrative in the full game, appealing to fans of horror and narrative-driven gameplay.

    • “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.”
    • “The story unfolds through compelling dialogue, chilling audio logs, and environmental storytelling that slowly unveils the sinister truths lurking beneath the surface.”
    • “With its captivating storyline, immersive gameplay, and impeccable sound design, it's a must-play for anyone brave enough to face the shadows and uncover the secrets hidden within 'dark hours.'”
    • “✅ this game has no story”
    • “While it builds atmosphere, some players might crave more direct storytelling or dialogue to flesh out the narrative.”
    • “The game’s reliance on environmental storytelling is both a strength and a weakness.”
  • graphics
    54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their stunning visuals and smooth performance, creating a captivating and immersive atmosphere. Players appreciate the detailed environments and the effective use of light and shadow, which enhance the horror elements. However, some users have reported issues with crashes and bugs that can detract from the overall experience.

    • “At first, the atmosphere and graphics drew me in, providing a captivating world to explore.”
    • “The visuals are striking, with detailed, shadowy environments that play with light and darkness to create a pervasive sense of unease.”
    • “Visually striking graphics and a haunting soundtrack further enhance the immersive experience, ensuring every moment is filled with suspense.”
    • “The game constantly crashes and if you lower your graphics settings the game gets worse.”
    • “The graphics?”
    • “The monster has its edge but when it appears every 4 seconds to chase you down it loses a lot of its thematic and aesthetic appeal.”
  • optimization
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game currently suffers from significant optimization issues, with many players reporting inconsistent performance, lag, and crashes. While the gameplay is enjoyable, especially in multiplayer settings, the overall experience is hampered by the need for substantial optimization before the final release.

    • “With multiple maps, monsters, modifiers, and even further optimizations.”
    • “Overall fun experience on the demo with a friend, but I think this game overall needs to be optimized.”
    • “It needs to be optimized before final release.”
    • “It definitely needs optimization with performance being iffy.”
    • “Poorly unoptimized game.”
    • “The game is good for playing with friends, it still needs to be optimized and in my case there was a crash when starting the game.”
  • music
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is characterized by a chilling soundtrack and haunting ambient noises that significantly enhance the atmosphere of horror and suspense. While some players find the sound design effective in building tension, there are mixed feelings about the clarity of the music's role in gameplay, particularly regarding its interaction with the monster AI. Overall, the soundtrack is praised for its ability to immerse players in a relentless atmosphere of dread.

    • “The sound design complements this perfectly, with haunting ambient noises and a chilling soundtrack that heightens the tension.”
    • “Visually striking graphics and a haunting soundtrack further enhance the immersive experience, ensuring every moment is filled with suspense.”
    • “✅ just filling noises/no music”
    • “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.”
    • “The soundtrack, composed of haunting melodies and discordant tones, underscores the relentless atmosphere of dread and impending danger.”
  • stability
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting frequent bugs and glitches that affect gameplay. Issues include disconnections that prevent players from rejoining and overall poor optimization. Despite these problems, players still find the game enjoyable for short co-op sessions.

    • “The game is also buggy and if someone in the group disconnects, there is no way for them to rejoin.”
    • “Played two rounds of the game and got 3 different kinds of glitches.”
    • “Too buggy.”
  • replayability
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it infinitely replayable and enjoyable, others feel it lacks long-term appeal due to limited content and repetitive gameplay after initial exploration. Many express hope for future updates to enhance replay value with additional levels and monsters.

    • “Infinitely replayable (or almost).”
    • “You have something different with this game; listen to the people, it's fun with a good replay value.”
    • “I'm excited to see further development of the game with extra levels and more monsters.”
    • “Great concept, great fun, but lacks replay value.”
    • “I can see this game getting old quickly as there is not much replay value once you have played a stage and come across a new monster.”

Buy Dark Hours: Prologue

2h Median play time
2h Average play time
2-2h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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