Harthorn

About

Harthorn is a single player casual action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Vincent Lade and was released on October 27, 2020. It received positive reviews from players.

"Harthorn is a single-player Horror Action game with an interesting plot and fabulous graphics, set in a high school during winter break 1994. As the new part-time security guard, you must investigate a mysterious break-in, aided by your radio dispatcher, April. Explore detailed environments, find clues, and survive encounters with unseen forces in this immersive, story-driven psychological horror."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 224 reviews

story36 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

The game features a creepy atmosphere and effective jump scares that keep players on edge.
High production quality with good graphics, sound design, and voice acting, making for an immersive experience.
The puzzles are simple yet enjoyable, and the game doesn't overstay its welcome, providing a concise horror experience.

The AI of the main villain is poorly designed, often making encounters feel too easy or unintentionally humorous.
The game suffers from performance issues, including frame rate drops and bugs that can disrupt gameplay.
Some players found the stealth sections frustratingly difficult, leading to repeated attempts and a lack of clear direction.

story
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it compelling and atmospheric, while others criticize its execution and simplicity. Set in a haunted school, the narrative follows a security guard investigating disturbances, requiring players to explore for notes to uncover the backstory. Although the story is intriguing and offers a unique horror experience, many feel it lacks depth and could benefit from more development, especially given its short playtime.
- “The story was remarkable and compelling, the visuals were amazing, the atmospheric sound terrifying—all lending to a wonderful experience.”
- “The amazing visuals, excellent storytelling, and deep dark atmosphere mingle together to create a fun and interesting game that can be completed in one sitting.”
- “The story kept me captivated as I wanted to know more and more of what happened, why it happened, and so on.”
- “Basically, the story and pacing just fall apart.”
- “So I'll be honest, and also understand that this is a one-hour game that feels like a written draft for a story and then quickly made.”
- “Sadly, the plot becomes Scooby-Doo levels of ridiculous (and he would have gotten away if it wasn't for you meddling kids!).”
atmosphere
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
31%
6%
The atmosphere in "Harthorn" is widely praised for its creepy and immersive qualities, enhanced by stunning visuals and effective sound design. Reviewers note that the game successfully builds tension, creating a memorable experience that keeps players on edge, although some gameplay sections disrupt this atmosphere. Overall, it is considered a strong example of atmospheric horror that captivates players with its unsettling yet engaging environment.
- “For a couple of hours and a couple of dollars, I got a creepy atmosphere, great visuals, and a really engaging experience.”
- “The story was remarkable and compelling, the visuals were amazing, the atmospheric sound terrifying—all lending to a wonderful experience.”
- “Fantastic graphics, a really creepy atmosphere, and again, just like the swine, that feeling that something could happen at any time.”
- “The start of the game started so strong and had such potential but was ruined by silly sections of gameplay where they just put the killer into a room with you and it destroys the spooky atmosphere and turns it into an instant kill checkpoint restart marathon.”
- “The atmosphere was very unsettling but welcoming at the same time.”
- “Additionally the atmosphere is kinda spooky, and the music is adequate.”
graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
74%
18%
8%
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their beauty and ability to create a creepy atmosphere, particularly in ultra mode. While many players enjoyed the stunning visuals and immersive environment, some reported technical issues such as frame rate drops and aliasing problems. Overall, the combination of excellent graphics, sound design, and storytelling contributes to a memorable gaming experience, despite minor graphical inconsistencies in certain areas.
- “For a couple of hours and a couple of dollars, I got a creepy atmosphere, great visuals, and a really engaging experience.”
- “The story was remarkable and compelling, the visuals were amazing, the atmospheric sound terrifying—all lending to a wonderful experience.”
- “Fantastic graphics, a really creepy atmosphere, and again, just like the swine, that feeling that something could happen at any time.”
- “There are also some technical issues such as random frame rate drops no matter what graphic setting, aliasing issues, and glitchy looking shadows.”
- “When outside the school, the graphics got a little jumpy and the textures looked like not as much time was spent on it.”
- “The atmosphere works well and both graphics and sound have a solid, gritty quality to them to make the experience memorable.”
gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
78%
13%
Gameplay is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the variety of mechanics like puzzle-solving and stealth, while others criticize the lack of clear instructions and the repetitive nature of certain sections. The game is described as more of a walking simulator with moments of tension, but it suffers from pacing issues and a villain that loses its scare factor over time. Overall, while there are some engaging elements, many feel the gameplay could benefit from more depth and refinement.
- “Gameplay-wise, it's more of a walking simulator with a few parts being hunted, some decent puzzles, and a simple yet cathartic action scene.”
- “There's decent variety to the gameplay as well from finding keys, picking up bits of lore, unlocking more parts of the school as your shifts wear on, threat evasion, and even a touch of combat.”
- “Plays to its strengths; knows that it's not big budget, so it does what it knows it can do well without lasting long enough to overuse any mechanics.”
- “It took me an embarrassingly long time to understand before someone in my chat actually told me, 'hey you need to actually get xxxx and do xxx with it first...' which once they said it, made perfect sense; however, prior to this, there is no explanation at all in the game describing the need, use, or game mechanics behind the use of said item.”
- “The start of the game started so strong and had such potential but was ruined by silly sections of gameplay where they just put the killer into a room with you, destroying the spooky atmosphere and turning it into an instant kill checkpoint restart marathon.”
- “I know this dev made Deathbloom Chapter 1+2, and judging by the time I've played this so far, I'd have to say in terms of gameplay this is kind of a step back because 30 minutes of running around without action is kind of boring, to be honest.”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
27%
56%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, particularly for AMD users, with reports of significant frame rate drops, sometimes as low as 30 fps, even on high-end hardware like the RTX 4090 and GTX 970. Many players experienced poor performance, especially in certain areas, and noted that the game suffers from typical Unity-related optimization issues. While some found minor performance issues acceptable, the overall consensus is that the game is not well-optimized, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- “Besides that the game is pretty short, it has voice acting now and it is decent, and I didn't have performance issues unlike in the Deathbloom games, and it even looks better.”
- “Apart from minor performance issues, this was a solid survival horror game!”
- “The performance is pretty horrid, classic Unity, low as sub 70 fps @1440p on a 3080 FTW3.”
- “I was getting massive FPS drops as low as ~30 FPS and this is on an RTX 4090; there is nothing in this game that would justify performance that terrible.”
- “The performance on this game was not very good (low of 35 FPS in certain areas) even after lowering the settings on a GTX 970.”
- “The performance is pretty horrid, classic Unity, low as sub 70 FPS @1440p on a 3080 FTW3.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to enhance the horror and suspense atmosphere, with a perfect choice of accompaniment that complements the storyline and voice acting. However, some users noted inconsistencies in the music's volume and presence, which detracted from the overall experience.
- “Between the horror and suspense, along with good graphics, voice acting, storyline, and music/ambiance, it is worth more than $4.”
- “Top-notch voice-over talent and perfect choice of music accompaniment set the stage for the cat and mouse game of Harthorn.”
- “Additionally, the atmosphere is kind of spooky, and the music is adequate.”
- “It also felt like the music was going in and out or getting louder at times that didn't make sense to me.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the portrayal of the main villain, who is described as hilariously inept, leading to amusing moments during the final boss fight where he gets stuck repeatedly. This blend of comedy and gameplay creates a lighthearted experience that players find entertaining rather than frustrating.
- “The main villain himself is a hilariously stupid character.”
- “I still want to talk about it because it's funny.”
- “During the last boss, he got stuck multiple times, and usually this would be frustrating, but it was kind of hilarious.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
16%
67%
Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with many players reporting no significant glitches or bugs. However, some users have noted minor issues, indicating that while the experience is mostly smooth, there are occasional bugs that can affect gameplay.
- “There is plenty of good horror environmental sounds, graphics, suspense, and no glitches that I ran into.”
- “It's a touch buggy.”
- “I have a notorious history of finding bugs and glitches.”
- “There are plenty of good horror environmental sounds, graphics, and suspense, but I ran into no glitches.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional impact from the game's atmospheric tension, which keeps them engaged despite its brevity. The intense feelings evoked contribute significantly to their overall satisfaction with the experience.
- “Overall, I am very pleased with the game. The short nature of it is the only thing that kept me going despite the immense amount of atmospheric tension the game made me feel.”