Flicker of Hope

About

Flicker of Hope is a single player survival puzzle game with horror, mystery and thriller themes. It was developed by Studio Whip and was released on August 2, 2020. It received very positive reviews from players.

Flicker of Hope is a suspense thriller where you play as a small candle in the ruins of a dark cathedral. Though the halls are littered with victims of a mysterious plague, you are not the only soul left. Use the properties of a candle, and a trusty douter to prevent yourself from being discovered.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 442 reviews

gameplay46 positive mentions

stability21 negative mentions

Flicker of Hope features a unique and charming premise where players control a candle navigating a dark environment, reminiscent of games like Little Nightmares.
The game has a captivating atmosphere with impressive graphics and sound design, creating an engaging horror experience.
Despite its short length, the gameplay mechanics, such as the melting candle and the ability to create distractions, add depth and challenge to the experience.

The game is quite short, typically taking only 30-45 minutes to complete, leaving players wanting more content and a deeper story.
There are several technical issues, including camera glitches, unresponsive controls, and AI bugs that can detract from the overall experience.
The lack of a save system means players must complete the game in one sitting, which can be frustrating if they encounter difficulties or bugs.

gameplay
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
57%
3%
The gameplay is characterized by its unique mechanics centered around stealth and light management, where players navigate a spooky environment as a candle, utilizing features like melting and distraction to progress. While many players appreciate the creative concepts and engaging atmosphere, some have noted issues with bugs and a lack of clarity in mechanics, leading to a trial-and-error experience. Overall, the game offers a short but enjoyable playthrough, reminiscent of titles like "Little Nightmares," with potential for expansion into a longer format.
- “Indeed, this is mostly stealth horror gameplay where you try to trick the AI in their pathfinding in order to pass.”
- “The gameplay is good; it was definitely an interesting concept playing as a magic candle as you must light regular candles, make sure you don’t melt, and create little magical candles to act as a distraction for you.”
- “The gameplay was great, the pacing was amazing, and some of the stealth was actually frightening and a little challenging.”
- “Unfortunately, I found the gameplay to leave something to be desired.”
- “Unfortunately, however, the gameplay is just too poor to recommend.”
- “Due to this timer mechanic, exploring rooms is also a death sentence and so the game can become trial and error if you don't immediately see the correct path forward.”
story
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
69%
6%
The game's story is generally perceived as short and lacking explicit explanations, leaving players to piece together the narrative through environmental storytelling and gameplay mechanics. While some appreciate the intriguing concept of navigating as a candle in a dark, plague-ridden setting, many express a desire for a more developed plot and backstory. Overall, the story is seen as a promising foundation that could benefit from further expansion and polish.
- “It's such a beautiful game and the story and gameplay are captivating.”
- “The game focuses on its story told through the actions of the candle, what had transpired around you, and the strange nuns that hunt you.”
- “I absolutely loved how the story is unraveled through the environment!”
- “There isn't any explicit explanation to the backstory or clear explanation to the story, but it is interesting nonetheless.”
- “You're literally a candle in which you light your way to the ending... this game has no story and all you are is a candle.”
- “Another thing I found disappointing was that no plot or story was present in the game at all.”
graphics
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
32%
5%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their high quality, detailed environments, and atmospheric design, contributing significantly to the overall immersive experience. However, several users reported issues with the graphics settings, including crashes when attempting to adjust them and a lack of optimization that affected performance. Despite these technical challenges, the art style and visuals are often described as charming and engaging, reminiscent of titles like "Little Nightmares."
- “It's so atmospheric and memorable, especially the graphics and lots of detail, stained glass and lighting in the church.”
- “The graphics in the game are really good, definitely very detailed with plenty of interesting scenery and backgrounds to look at and explore.”
- “The mechanics were so fun and unique, the graphics were very charming, it was spooky without being too difficult and without jumpscares, and it just pulled off a great blend of whimsy and horror.”
- “Firstly, I had to drop the graphics in order to run it, and even then it was laggy.”
- “Trying to fix graphics: I went to adjust graphics all the way to low, but the game crashed every time I 'fixed' them and got back into the game, and they remained the same.”
- “The graphics setting is broken in many cases, but the default should work if your video card meets the requirement (GTX 1650 is enough in my case).”
atmosphere
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
72%
23%
5%
The atmosphere of "Flicker of Hope" is widely praised for its immersive and chilling qualities, reminiscent of horror films, with detailed graphics and effective sound design that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to create tension without relying heavily on jump scares, instead using music and environmental storytelling to evoke a sense of unease. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as beautiful, spooky, and memorable, contributing significantly to its appeal despite its short length.
- “It's so atmospheric and memorable, especially the graphics and lots of detail, stained glass and lighting in the church.”
- “The atmosphere was amazing, and the soundtrack helped tie everything together in a neat little bow.”
- “The experience had a very immersive atmosphere that is similar to Little Nightmares and how it handled the scale, even feeling claustrophobic as you escape through tiny corridors.”
- “It is surprisingly well done in setting the atmosphere, immersing you within its depressing world.”
- “The concept and design of the game is original, the atmosphere was chilling, and the music gave the whole thing a sombre tone.”
- “The game might be small but it is crammed full of atmosphere with just the right amount of horror and certainly tension as you have to avoid the hideous looking nun as you make your way from one location to the next, lighting the candles as you go.”
music
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
48%
13%
The music in the game is generally praised for enhancing the immersive atmosphere and contributing to the overall chilling experience, with some tracks effectively heightening tension during gameplay. However, there are criticisms regarding the limited number of tracks, with some players finding certain sound cues and specific pieces, like the chase music, to be lackluster or poorly mixed. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated for its ambiance, technical issues and repetitiveness detract from the experience for some players.
- “The atmosphere was amazing, and the soundtrack helped tie everything together in a neat little bow.”
- “The music really gave me spooks and heart stops sometimes.”
- “Refreshing story with great ambience, music, and lighting.”
- “There's not much music and the only few tracks that there are in the game aren't really that good, especially the music once you get spotted, which just has wacky drums that I found lackluster.”
- “This may just be a technical issue on my end, but the sounds and music are glitchy as all get-out, and near impossible to listen to for longer than a couple of minutes.”
- “Found this game very boring and the music was horribly mixed and sounds dull.”
stability
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with players reporting numerous glitches, particularly with enemy AI and camera controls, which can disrupt gameplay and make it unplayable at times. While some users found enjoyment despite these issues, the overall consensus suggests that the game suffers from significant bugs and performance problems, leading to a lack of recommendation for potential players.
- “Not recommended due to strange camera glitches.”
- “This seems like a neat little game and I'm sure it'll be fine for most players, but I experienced weird camera glitches that made the game unplayable.”
- “I have all the requirements needed for the game to run well and after I click start, it just freezes.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some users report decent performance and robust polish, others experience significant lag, frame drops, and unoptimized areas that detract from the experience. Many players suggest that further improvements are needed, particularly regarding the attack mechanics and overall performance stability. Despite these issues, the game's audio, graphics, and narrative have received positive feedback.
- “Wick is a well-optimized game that has been robustly polished, save for a couple of instances where object placement is a problem (falling behind things and being unable to jump out of the gap).”
- “Someone recommended this game on TikTok and I have to say I'm pretty happy to find this. I loved the idea and the mechanics; it just needs a little improvement in optimization. I had a few issues with lag, but that's it.”
- “The minimum game requirements look kind of silly (RTX 2070 as a minimum?), but I didn't have any optimization problems on a 2060, so I imagine you should be fine in that ballpark, granted there are limited visual settings you can play with.”
- “There is an unoptimized area, so don't freak out if you see 30 fps; it's the area, not your PC.”
- “Apart from that, the performance is quite poor, so you might face lags and freezes.”
- “Someone recommended this game on TikTok, and I have to say I'm pretty happy to find this. I loved the idea and the mechanics, but it needs to improve just a little bit in terms of optimization; I have a few issues with lag, but that's it.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for lacking replayability, which has prevented some reviewers from giving it a perfect score.
- “The only reason it doesn't have a 10 is the lack of replay value.”
- “Once you finish the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
- “The game feels like a one-and-done experience with no real motivation to replay.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is highlighted by the main character's charming design, which effectively embodies themes of light and hope, enhancing the overall narrative experience.
- “The main character design is absolutely adorable and beautifully represents the themes of light and hope that are visually expressed throughout the game.”
- “The character development is incredibly engaging, allowing players to form a deep emotional connection with the protagonist as they navigate their journey.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, with their backstories and motivations being revealed in a way that feels organic and impactful.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and irritating, leading some to abandon it after a short playtime.
- “I stopped playing after 40 minutes because the game had just become tedious and irritating.”
- “The grinding feels endless and offers little reward, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I found myself doing the same repetitive tasks over and over, which quickly became boring.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its humor, with players finding it genuinely funny and enjoyable, leading to multiple playthroughs over a total of 1.6 hours.
- “It's a funny game that kept me laughing throughout.”
- “It made me laugh, and I enjoyed the whole 1.6 hours it took to complete the game 2-3 times.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express mixed feelings about the emotional impact of the game, noting that certain character actions can diminish the intended emotional weight. However, many found the overall experience to be emotionally satisfying by the conclusion.
- “I stuck with it to the end and was emotionally satisfied.”