Drake Hollow

About

Drake Hollow is a single player and multiplayer action adventure game. It was developed by The Molasses Flood and was released on October 1, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Welcome to The Hollow, a blighted and dying place, and home to the Drakes.Drakes are the friendly vegetable folk native to these parts, and they need your help. They’re hungry, thirsty, and need a place to sleep. They can - quite literally - die of boredom. It’s on you to save them. Build gardens to provide them with food, wells for water, and yoga balls and puppet shows to keep them entertained. …

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76%

Audience ScoreBased on 940 reviews

story72 positive mentions

grinding81 negative mentions

The artwork is beautiful and the apocalyptic world is intriguing.
Building a home for the Drakes and taking care of their wellbeing is satisfying and wholesome.
Combat is smooth and rewarding, making exploration enjoyable.

The game becomes repetitive after a few hours, with little variation in gameplay.
The story is minimal and doesn't provide a strong hook to keep players engaged.
There are bugs and issues with the game mechanics that can hinder the experience.

story
244 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
66%
4%
The story in "Drake Hollow" is generally perceived as simplistic and lacking depth, with many players finding it forgettable or weakly executed. While some appreciate the whimsical elements and the charm of the world, others criticize the narrative for being disjointed and not fully engaging, often feeling like a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a central focus. Overall, the game offers a light and casual storyline that can be enjoyable for those who explore its lore, but it leaves many wishing for a more substantial narrative experience.
- “I really enjoyed the story and the world.”
- “The story is interesting, but the execution is too weak.”
- “The story itself unfolds slowly through quests and finding letters left in the world from its previous inhabitants - I'm keen to see how it unfolds.”
- “The story feels... kind of bland.”
- “There is very little story holding the game together which makes the game feel kind of shallow.”
- “The story is pretty terrible too.”
gameplay
224 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
63%
9%
The gameplay in "Drake Hollow" features a simple and easy-to-learn mechanics system that combines exploration, resource gathering, crafting, and base building, making it accessible for beginners. However, many players find the core gameplay loop repetitive and lacking depth, as it often revolves around similar tasks across different islands without significant variation or complexity. While the game offers enjoyable cooperative play and charming visuals, it struggles with pacing and can become tedious over time, particularly in solo play.
- “The mechanics are simple and easy to master, which is both a strength and a weakness.”
- “The gameplay loop is explore, fight, loot, craft.”
- “Drake Hollow combines base building, exploration, and survival and colony sim mechanics to create an experience that is very unique and greater than the sum of its parts, and it has little plant creatures that are super adorable.”
- “Despite this, I think the game is not very interesting in terms of gameplay.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay loop is extremely repetitive.”
- “The gameplay loop is simple and gets repetitive, but is fun to play a few hours at a time.”
graphics
187 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
45%
2%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming, cartoonish art style, which combines whimsical visuals with a polished aesthetic that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the unique character designs and vibrant environments, often likening the visuals to a blend of Fortnite and a dreamy watercolor palette. While some note minor performance issues, the overall consensus is that the graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it enjoyable and visually captivating.
- “The artwork is beautiful, the apocalyptic world intriguing, and the drakes are the cutest.”
- “The game's art style is a unique fusion of dreamy watercolors and cel-shading that evokes a sense of otherworldly beauty.”
- “The graphics are absolutely adorable, and you can't help but fall in love with the charm.”
- “I have no idea how a game that is so simple in both visuals and gameplay can run so poorly.”
- “The graphics are fine for what the game is, I guess; one wouldn't expect super quality graphics with what the game seems to want to be.”
- “I refuse to believe they couldn't find a better way of doing this rather than downgrading the graphics through most of the game with a cheap blur effect.”
grinding
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
4%
94%
The reviews indicate that the game features significant grinding elements, particularly in resource gathering and base building, which many players find tedious and repetitive over time. While some enjoy the initial gameplay and exploration, the grind becomes more pronounced in the late game, leading to feelings of boredom and frustration, especially when playing solo. Multiplayer experiences seem to alleviate some of the grind, but overall, the game is perceived as overly reliant on repetitive tasks for progression.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's also not too grindy for my taste; I enjoyed the island-to-island gameplay and was quite immersed in the cute stylized graphics while collecting trash like a vampiric raccoon for my base.”
- “This game got so unbelievably grindy, and I kept running out of resources because the raids happening on the camp occur way too often.”
- “It's fun and cute at first, but as time goes on, it gets a bit grindy and repetitive.”
- “I liked where things were going until you realize how repetitive and how much grinding you need to do; I've said this before, but those two combinations spell out disaster for any game.”
music
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
53%
4%
The music in the game is generally praised for its soothing and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a blend of fairy-tale and gloomy tones. However, many players note that the soundtrack can become repetitive and sparse, with some expressing disappointment over the lack of consistent music during exploration. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the ambiance, its limited variation and occasional absence can detract from the gameplay experience.
- “The music is amazing, the art is incredibly impressive, and it's generally just a really good game.”
- “The environment is amazing and the music is so soothing.”
- “Between the ethereal voices of the little creatures you're protecting, the devastated landscape you're exploring, and the melancholic exploration soundtrack, it feels like a waking dream.”
- “Unfortunately, the majority of the game plays the exact same song on loop, dragging the overall design into the mud of boring tedium.”
- “Oh, the music gets a bit boring, so make use of your own playlists; it's a much nicer ambience that way.”
- “Except, the music suddenly stops and becomes very absent most of the time you're exploring and suddenly starts again for almost no apparent reason.”
atmosphere
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its blend of beauty and a sense of abandonment, enhanced by ethereal melodies that create a feeling of wonder and immersion. While many players appreciate the compelling environment and whimsical design reminiscent of early Minecraft, some note that the music's sporadic presence and the gameplay's repetitiveness can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, contributing significantly to the game's charm and exploration.
- “I liked the atmosphere of abandonment and corruption of the world, which at the same time does not lose its beauty and continues to bloom.”
- “Its ethereal melodies perfectly complement the game's atmosphere, enhancing the sense of wonder and immersion.”
- “This game’s atmosphere reminds me of those whimsical early days of Minecraft alpha, where everything was new and exciting and I didn’t know what to expect.”
- “This game’s atmosphere reminds me of those whimsical early days of Minecraft Alpha, where everything was new and exciting and I didn’t know what to expect.”
- “This game is like Grounded meets Remnant: Ashes with a touch of Life is Strange atmosphere, and it works.”
- “Atmosphere: 7/10. It is a bit ruined by the too many integrated genres.”
replayability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
64%
18%
Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as limited, with many players noting that it can become repetitive over time. While some aspects, like dynamically generated maps and upcoming sandbox modes, may enhance replay value, the core gameplay remains largely unchanged, leading to mixed opinions on its long-term engagement. Players seeking varied experiences may find some enjoyment in achievements or base building, but overall, the replayability is not considered high.
- “It does have a replay value, with different difficulty and the fact that the maps are generated and are never the same.”
- “Dynamically generated and colorful world regions and seasons increase replayability.”
- “However, I unreservedly recommend the game as a well-balanced, visually beautiful multiplayer or single-player game with lots of replay value.”
- “I don't really think it offers any real replayability either, unless you feel like going endless and just going ham with base to build the biggest army of leaf critters you can.”
- “Sadly, the only reason I can't give the game a steady 10 and say that it's worth its full price is simply because it does get repetitive after a while and its replayability value isn't exactly sky high because it still remains the same game anyway.”
- “The replayability here is almost non-existent.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with many players reporting smooth performance and stable frame rates, even at higher resolutions. While some minor performance issues have been noted, they are not significant enough to detract from the overall experience, allowing for immersive gameplay without major interruptions.
- “The game's optimization ensures that you can fully immerse yourself in this breathtaking world without interruption.”
- “Drake Hollow runs smoothly, with no noticeable hiccups or technical issues during my playthrough.”
- “Seems to be well optimized, given that it runs 2560x1440 at 120 fps without issues.”
- “The optimization is a joke.”
- “There are a few performance issues I've experienced, but nothing major that can't be fixed in a patch.”
- “The idea and the performance itself are charming, many solutions like for example: fast traveling between waypoints, or ghost walking after death, are pretty cool, I can't say that they are not.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
92%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting a range of bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, while others have experienced minimal issues and found the game mostly stable. Overall, the consensus suggests that while some users enjoy the game, its buggy nature and unfinished feel detract from the experience for many.
- “No glitches at all.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes.”
- “I haven't experienced any bugs or issues during my playthrough.”
- “Has some good elements but currently feels like a buggy unfinished mess.”
- “It's a decent game, but it was so buggy it was infuriating in the end.”
- “When I got it, however, it felt very early access, short, and pretty buggy.”
humor
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its amusing story moments, such as the goat ritual dance, and quirky achievements that add a lighthearted touch. Players find the combat system unintentionally funny due to its ease, leading to moments of laughter during gameplay. Overall, the game offers a blend of cute and humorous elements that contribute to an enjoyable experience, despite some minor technical issues.
- “I died laughing at the goat ritual dance.”
- “Some of the achievements are pretty hilarious and cute too.”
- “A refreshing, sweet, and hopeful resource management game with a lot of depth and humor, plus thoughtful, lovely graphics!”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game deeply impactful, highlighting the satisfaction of nurturing and protecting companions, which fosters strong emotional connections. The experience is described as wholesome and touching, with moments of genuine sadness, such as the loss of characters, evoking tears and enhancing the overall emotional depth of the gameplay.
- “Nurturing, protecting, and building relationships with these delightful companions adds an emotional depth to the game that is truly extraordinary.”
- “I cried when the drakes died.”
- “Thank you for creating this wonderful game with such a touching story <3”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Character development in the game is noted for its engaging initial story and appealing character design, though some players feel that the overall experience is too short, leaving them wanting more depth and continuation in the narrative.
- “When I bought this game, I was pleasantly surprised by its visuals, music, and character design. My friend and I got it together to play, and it was a great few sessions.”
- “I like the character design, and the story felt involved at the beginning.”
- “The character design is okay, but the character development is lacking.”
- “The game is far too short, and you feel like you haven't even fully developed your character by the end.”
- “While the visuals and music are impressive, the character development feels rushed and incomplete.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers suggest that the game's monetization strategy could benefit from improved advertising and adjustments, as its casual nature may not align with initial expectations set by promotional materials.