Dead Horizon

About

Dead Horizon is a free, western-themed point-and-click adventure game, where players get the opportunity to make a difference in a world of gunslingers and outlaws. With its gritty atmosphere and challenging puzzles, the game offers a short but intense experience, putting your reflexes and problem-solving skills to the test. Will you take your shot and become a legend of the wild west?

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 272 reviews

story52 positive mentions

replayability2 negative mentions

Engaging storytelling with memorable characters and a captivating plot, especially for a short game.
Beautiful pixel art and a nostalgic retro aesthetic that enhances the overall experience.
Fun and simple gameplay mechanics that effectively capture the essence of quick-draw shootouts.

Extremely short playtime, typically around 10 minutes, leaving players wanting more content.
Limited gameplay variety, primarily focused on shooting mechanics with little depth or complexity.
Some technical issues reported, such as bugs and display problems on certain systems.

story
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
52%
3%
The story of "Dead Horizon: Origin" is a concise yet engaging narrative that follows the journey of a female gunslinger, Bonnie, as she rises to infamy in a wild west-inspired setting. Despite its brief playtime of around 10-20 minutes, players appreciate the well-crafted writing, memorable characters, and atmospheric presentation, which effectively convey themes of grit and reputation. While some reviewers express a desire for a longer, more detailed exploration of the story, the game's compact storytelling and immersive mechanics leave a lasting impression.
- “A very nice little game that has a very memorable plot and characters even with being so short.”
- “With a duration of less than 20 minutes, it tells the story of the gunslinger Bonnie and how she became a legend.”
- “It's incredibly simple but also effective for the story the game is trying to tell.”
- “The problem is that the story is told so briefly with so little detail that it is hard to fully understand the emotional turmoil of the character, and the player doesn't know much about her to begin with to the point that I forgot something basic like her name because the dialogue only says it two or three times in the entire game.”
- “While the story is interesting, it is incredibly simple and lacks depth, leaving players wanting more context and emotional engagement.”
- “The game is super short, but the storytelling is so minimal that it feels more like a brief outline of a story rather than a fully fleshed-out narrative.”
gameplay
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
7%
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and effectiveness, featuring a unique quick-draw shooting mechanic that enhances the narrative experience. While the game is short, often lasting under ten minutes, it successfully combines engaging storytelling with minimalistic mechanics, though some players desire more depth and variety. Overall, the gameplay is enjoyable and charming, making it a fun, albeit brief, experience.
- “The gameplay is simple but effective, perfect for enjoying a good story without complications.”
- “This game managed to tell a full story with a fun fast draw showdown gameplay style and establish an interesting setting to boot in 10 minutes flat.”
- “A great story-focused game with cool mechanics.”
- “Dead Horizon is an extremely short 2D retro pixel ripoff of Duck Hunt from the NES, but with shallower gameplay.”
- “It's nice that this is free, but it's got less quality and shallower gameplay than Duck Hunt, and you can play that for free in a web-based NES emulator.”
- “The gameplay is extremely simple.”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
48%
8%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a nostalgic retro pixel art style that many players find visually appealing and thematically fitting. While some appreciate the charming artwork and its ability to evoke memories of classic games, others criticize the locked resolution and lack of graphical options, deeming the visuals as mediocre or outdated. Overall, the pixel graphics receive mixed reviews, with many praising their aesthetic while noting the game's brevity and simplicity.
- “The visuals...the music...the transitions...everything is simply perfect in their pixelated presentation.”
- “Its almost square aspect ratio, use of colours, the beautifully made pixel graphics and the dirty sounds all contribute to a fit and proper retro vibe.”
- “Highly thematic, retro pixel graphics and matching audio.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “Resolution is locked and can't be changed, and there's no visual or graphics tweaks, so there's no way to improve the very lazy, mediocre visuals.”
- “I've played Adobe Flash games with better graphics, depth, and gameplay.”
music
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
43%
10%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its catchy chiptune style that evokes nostalgia for the 16-bit era. While some found the soundtrack limited and the sound effects annoying, the overall composition adds to the game's charming atmosphere and enhances the storytelling. Many players even expressed a desire to purchase the soundtrack, highlighting its quality despite the game's brevity.
- “Great western feel, and the music is great!”
- “The soundtrack is an 8-bit throwback and it's a pretty good one at that, although there's not that much of it.”
- “Stunning art, catchy music, and good writing, all wrapped in an interesting setting.”
- “You also can't turn off the annoying chiptune soundtrack.”
- “If you go back to the main menu during almost any section with music, the music stays and then the game just overlaps the rest of the soundtrack.”
- “Dead Horizon greets the player with distorted chiptune music, seemingly coming right from an '80s PC speaker.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
30%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive quality, combining well-crafted graphics, engaging music, and a compelling narrative that draws players into its world. Reviewers highlight the effective use of sound and art style to create a tense yet enjoyable experience, despite the game's brevity. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a standout feature that enhances the storytelling and emotional impact of the game.
- “Incredibly atmospheric and very well written.”
- “There was amazing atmosphere here... I suspect there is a larger story to tell of this world.”
- “Audio is superb: every track fits the mood and atmosphere that's going on, and helps keep you immersed in the story the game is trying to convey.”
- “The writing is okay, but the atmosphere and graphics really bring it down.”
- “Right off the bat, the game throws you into a dramatic scene with a grim reaper in an almost unwinnable situation. The 8-bit art style and boxy flat sounds make you feel the atmosphere immediately.”
- “I usually don't mind this, but in my opinion, the well-done music adds a tense but gritty atmosphere.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game offers limited replayability, with some players noting it can be enjoyable to discover missed details during subsequent playthroughs. However, its short duration of only 4-5 minutes significantly restricts overall replay value, leading to mixed opinions on its worthiness for multiple plays.
- “The writing was fun and engaging, and there was a good amount of replayability to find all the little things you might miss the first time through.”
- “Replay value: 1/10”
- “It's literally only 4-5 minutes long and has absolutely no replayability, but it's free, and it's written decently enough.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is described as quick and engaging, providing players with a lighthearted and entertaining experience.
- “The game is quick and filled with humor that keeps you laughing.”
- “I love how the humor is woven into the gameplay, making every moment enjoyable.”
- “The witty dialogue and funny scenarios had me chuckling throughout my playthrough.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is noted for its unique designs and a smoothly progressing story, although the gameplay itself is described as simple.
- “The gameplay is simple, the story moves comfortably forward, and the character designs are unique.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game experiences significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent freezes occurring on the title screen.
- “It freezes on the title screen.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it unplayable.”
- “I experienced constant lag and instability during gameplay.”