Harold Halibut Game Cover
A gorgeously hand-crafted adventure about escaping mundanity by taking chances.

In Harold Halibut, you play as a lab assistant on a spaceship that has been submerged in an alien ocean for 250 years. While most of the ship's inhabitants have accepted their life aboard the ship, you help the lead scientist, Jeanne Mareaux, in her quest to find a way to leave the planet and find a new home for humanity. The game features unique stop-motion aesthetics and allows you to explore a diverse and vibrant retro-future world. Join Harold as he navigates the challenges of life on the FEDORA I and uncovers the true meaning of "home."

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Reviews

82%
Audience ScoreBased on 362 reviews
story109 positive mentions
optimization4 negative mentions
  • Stunning stop-motion animation and beautiful environments create a unique visual experience.
  • Engaging storytelling with well-developed characters and a charming sense of humor.
  • The game offers a relaxing, slow-paced experience that encourages exploration and appreciation of its artistic craftsmanship.
  • Gameplay is primarily walking and fetching tasks, lacking depth and interactivity.
  • Pacing can feel slow and tedious, with long dialogues and minimal player agency.
  • Some technical issues and bugs can detract from the overall experience.
  • story298 mentions

    The story of "Harold Halibut" is a unique and beautifully crafted narrative that explores themes of human experience, connection, and existential reflection, often delivered with a quirky sense of humor. While many players appreciate the emotional depth and character development, some criticize the pacing and lack of engaging gameplay, likening it more to an interactive movie than a traditional game. Overall, it offers a charming, if slow-paced, storytelling experience that resonates with those who enjoy narrative-driven games.

    • “The story highlights the 'human experience' in a relevant, relatable, and non-pretentious way while still managing to add a few twists here and there.”
    • “The art, music, and characters come together beautifully to tell a very emotional story.”
    • “Harold Halibut is a genuine, heartwarming story told in a clever and endearing way.”
    • “The story is a slog though.”
    • “The dialogue is boring, the gameplay is boring, and the story is boring.”
    • “The story wasn't anything complex but it was still good to keep me going.”
  • graphics122 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning claymation art style and meticulous attention to detail, creating a visually immersive experience reminiscent of stop-motion animation. Many reviewers highlighted the beautiful visuals and atmospheric soundtrack, which enhance the storytelling, although some noted that the gameplay may not appeal to everyone due to its slower pace and limited interactivity. Overall, the game's artistic presentation is considered its standout feature, making it a recommended choice for fans of visually-driven narratives.

    • “The visuals are beautiful, the music well chosen, the characters are well drawn and you are encouraged to care about them.”
    • “The claymation art style and graphical fidelity combine for a really unique and awesome looking game, the writing and voice acting are great, and the setting is interesting and different!”
    • “Graphically, the game is a feast for the eyes.”
    • “Completely unplayable unless you have a dedicated graphics card.”
    • “Even the visuals leave a lot to be desired.”
    • “The graphics and tech level was pretty clunky polygonal but really failed at the cartoony style everything was in.”
  • gameplay103 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is primarily characterized as a slow-paced walking simulator with minimal mechanics, focusing heavily on narrative and character interactions rather than traditional gameplay elements. Many reviewers noted the lack of engaging gameplay, describing it as repetitive and monotonous, with most activities revolving around walking and dialogue. While some players appreciated the immersive story and visuals, others found the gameplay lacking in depth and excitement, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience.

    • “Amazing quality and gameplay!”
    • “The gameplay, although a bit barren, was also rather fun, and again fits that 'unique genre' defining game that this is.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, it's a nice mix of exploring, solving puzzles, and chatting with folks.”
    • “The gameplay (and I hesitate to call it that) is just walking back and forth and talking to people.”
    • “There is no engaging gameplay at all, and after a while you just wonder why this was made into a video game in the first place.”
    • “The gameplay loop mostly consists of fetch quests with a little bit of puzzle sprinkled on top of it.”
  • music67 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its emotional depth and atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience alongside the stunning visuals and engaging storytelling. Many reviewers noted that the soundtrack beautifully complements the narrative, with standout moments that evoke strong feelings, while the voice acting is described as natural and fitting. However, some players felt that the music could be sparse at times, leading to a slower-paced experience, but overall, the musical elements are considered a significant highlight of the game.

    • “The art, music, and characters come together beautifully to tell a very emotional story.”
    • “The soundtrack complements the visuals beautifully, enhancing the overall atmosphere and drawing you deeper into the story.”
    • “The music is beautiful, the animation is jaw-dropping, and for the most part, it truly feels as though you are in the fedora alongside Harold.”
    • “There's a severe lack of music and sound effects that makes this very, very slow-paced game even more grueling.”
    • “I only recall one in-game music track, and it was a whistling tune that sounded like I was in a western about to go to a showdown; it was very confusing.”
    • “The music is fine with a bit of a nod to Philip Glass, though it still feels half-effort in comparison to the visuals for me.”
  • emotional39 mentions

    "Harold Halibut" is praised for its deeply emotional narrative, combining beautiful art, music, and character development to create a heartfelt experience that resonates with players. Many reviewers noted the game's ability to evoke a wide range of emotions, from laughter to tears, particularly through its exploration of self-discovery and social connections. While some found the pacing slow and gameplay limited, those who engaged with the story were rewarded with profound emotional payoffs, making it a standout title for fans of narrative-driven games.

    • “The art, music, and characters come together beautifully to tell a very emotional story.”
    • “I just finished the game and it's such a beautiful story; I cried like a baby.”
    • “The back half of this game is so full of beautiful, emotionally impactful, and surreally affecting moments it has become an instant classic for me.”
    • “My game crashed after 2 1/2 hours of a boring story, boring dialogue, and boring gameplay.”
  • humor25 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dry wit, situational comedy, and charming character interactions, often with a cynical edge. While many players appreciate the clever dialogue and expressive characters, some feel that the humor can be inconsistent or falls flat at times, with a desire for more comedic moments. Overall, the game offers a mix of intentional and unintentional humor, creating a cozy and engaging experience, though not all players find it equally effective.

    • “The storytelling is well done, and the characters have a specific sense of humor that makes every twist pretty funny to witness.”
    • “Loved the really expressive characters, wry humor, and the deliberately silly puzzles.”
    • “The interplay of the characters was consistently sweet and funny, all while having a cynical edge regarding bureaucracy's hold over people.”
    • “The humor is not funny; the subjects and themes attempted are far over a kid's head, yet the atmosphere and dialogue are cartoonish.”
    • “The jokes fall flat and often feel forced, lacking the cleverness needed to engage players.”
    • “The attempts at humor seem out of place and fail to resonate, leaving the experience feeling awkward.”
  • atmosphere17 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, immersive soundtrack, and unique art style, which collectively enhance the storytelling experience. Reviewers note that the attention to detail in both the graphics and music creates a captivating environment that draws players in, even if the gameplay itself may not be as engaging. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as immaculate and a key reason to play, overshadowing other aspects like puzzles or humor.

    • “The soundtrack complements the visuals beautifully, enhancing the overall atmosphere and drawing you deeper into the story.”
    • “The atmosphere is immaculate.”
    • “You can tell there was love and care put into this game because the artwork, soundtrack, and overall atmosphere were phenomenal.”
    • “Once I had my fill of atmosphere, which did not take long, I came back once more hoping against hope that the game would pick up.”
    • “The humor is not funny, the subjects and themes attempted are far over a kid's head, yet the atmosphere and dialogue is kids' cartoon-like.”
    • “So they found an intermediate solution that still achieved very high visual quality, accompanied by a soundtrack of original and other licensed songs of the highest quality, contributing distinctly to the atmosphere.”
  • optimization15 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant performance issues, particularly on NVIDIA devices and lower-end hardware. Common complaints include janky transitions, stuttering, and overall poor performance, suggesting that the game requires further tweaking and updates to enhance the experience. While some players noted that the visuals and voice acting were impressive, the gameplay itself felt lacking, leading to a less rewarding experience.

    • “Needs some tweaking for Steam Deck performance, but overall it was a good game.”
    • “The game is not without its issues though, primarily in the realms of design and performance.”
    • “Performance is a more obvious issue: the things on screen may not move quickly, but they are detailed.”
    • “Performance is terrible on a lot of devices (especially NVIDIA).”
    • “The performance (especially if you don't have a controller or a very good PC) is not the best, and this game is pretty much a movie with some optional side storylines, meaning there is very little gameplay/reward for playing.”
    • “It currently suffers from bad stuttering issues, even on high-end hardware.”
  • grinding10 mentions

    The aspect of grinding in this game is largely viewed as tedious, with many players noting the slow pace and repetitive tasks as potential drawbacks. While some appreciate the relaxing nature and quirky charm of the gameplay, others find the experience frustratingly monotonous, particularly in the context of fetch quests and the overall lack of engaging content for the price. Overall, the grinding element can be polarizing, appealing to fans of the genre while alienating those seeking more dynamic gameplay.

    • “Walking sims can be described as tedious, but as a fan of most walking sims I've played, this game is incredibly tedious.”
    • “The gameplay is dreadfully slow and tedious.”
    • “$35 for this is actually kind of insane considering how little there is to do, and what is here is extremely tedious and repetitive.”
  • character development6 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its high-quality design and rich world-building, which effectively draws players in. However, some reviews note a lack of connections to past plot points, suggesting that while the characters and environment are visually stunning, the depth of their development may not be as impactful as expected. Overall, the character design and voice acting contribute significantly to the game's appeal, despite some concerns about narrative cohesion.

    • “The devs and artists at Slow Bros truly hit the nail on the head with the world building and character development that instantly made me a fan of the studio.”
    • “The richness of the environment along with the beautiful soundscapes and character design that is reminiscent of 60's Eastern European animation art houses make this a delight to play.”
    • “The visual style is, of course, its big standout, but it's remarkable in pretty much all other aspects as well - voice acting; writing; story; music; sound design; animation; character design; etc.”
    • “None of it made any connections to past plot points or character development.”
    • “The visual style is, of course, its big standout, but it's remarkable in pretty much all other aspects as well - voice acting; writing; story; music; sound design; animation; character design; etc. it isn't an especially 'gamey' game, and (afaik) your experience won't be much different from the experience of others, so if any of this bothers you then you might want to avoid it, but that's the only warning I'd provide.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent clipping, animation glitches, and dialogue interruptions, leading to a frustrating experience that often requires reloading. Overall, it remains quite buggy and in need of further polish.

    • “Plenty of clipping, weird leg positions, animation glitches, and dialogue getting stuck.”
    • “It's still quite buggy, and there were many times when I had to reload the game.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Users appreciate the inclusion of small TV ads as part of the monetization strategy, suggesting that it is a non-intrusive way to generate revenue while maintaining player engagement.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Play time

15hMedian play time
11hAverage play time
13-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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