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Harthorn

85%Game Brain Score
story, atmosphere
gameplay, optimization
85% User Score Based on 125 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
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About

"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
Harthorn screenshot
Harthorn screenshot
Harthorn screenshot
Harthorn screenshot
Harthorn screenshot
Harthorn screenshot
Harthorn screenshot

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 125 reviews
story20 positive mentions
optimization5 negative mentions
  • The game features excellent graphics and a creepy atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
  • It offers a variety of puzzles and gameplay mechanics, keeping the experience engaging despite its short length.
  • The voice acting is well done, and the story is intriguing, making it a compelling narrative-driven horror game.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs, including issues with AI detection and game-breaking glitches that can prevent progression.
  • The stealth mechanics can be frustrating, with the enemy AI often being inconsistent and the gameplay feeling overly scripted.
  • The game is very short, with some players feeling it lacks replayability and depth, leading to a less satisfying overall experience.
  • story
    53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in this indie horror game is generally considered intriguing and well-crafted, with a compelling premise centered around a security guard investigating disturbances in a school setting. While some players found the narrative straightforward and occasionally lacking depth, many appreciated the atmospheric storytelling and the gradual reveal of lore through exploration. Overall, the game offers a solid, albeit short, narrative experience that effectively combines horror elements with engaging plot twists.

    • “The story was remarkable and compelling, the visuals were amazing, the atmospheric sound terrifying—all lending to a wonderful experience.”
    • “The story kept me captivated as I wanted to know more and more of what happened, why it happened, and so on.”
    • “Harthorn is a first-person, story-driven psychological horror with a touch of walking simulator game set in Harthorn High School, a dark and dreary school with a sinister past.”
    • “The story and gameplay aren't that complex, and the AI is arguably a bit dumb and forgiving.”
    • “Basically, the story and pacing just fall apart.”
    • “Sadly, the plot becomes Scooby-Doo levels of ridiculous (and he would have gotten away if it wasn't for you meddling kids!).”
  • atmosphere
    29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its creepy and immersive qualities, enhanced by excellent graphics and effective sound design. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to build tension and suspense, creating a memorable experience that captures the essence of atmospheric horror. However, some note that the atmosphere falters during certain gameplay sections, detracting from the overall tension.

    • “The music did a great job of setting up the suspense and the graphics were good enough to set the atmosphere.”
    • “Vincent Lade's ability to pair creepy music and an eerie atmosphere is unrivaled.”
    • “The atmosphere works well and both graphics and sound have a solid, gritty quality to them to make the experience memorable.”
    • “Beyond a creepy atmosphere and some dark visual moments, there is little horror in the game.”
    • “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 early spooky atmosphere is the highlight of the game, and that is quite sad.”
  • graphics
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and ability to create a creepy atmosphere, with many reviewers noting excellent visuals, particularly in ultra mode. However, some technical issues such as frame rate drops, aliasing, and lighting inconsistencies were mentioned, which detracted slightly from the experience. Despite these flaws, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's engaging and immersive horror experience.

    • “For a couple of hours and a couple of dollars, I got a creepy atmosphere, great visuals, and a really engaging experience.”
    • “The graphics were really beautiful in ultra mode.”
    • “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.”
    • “I did notice some graphical oddities, like how your viewpoint and the character head position don’t align...unless the security dude uses his belly button to see.”
  • gameplay
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is primarily a narrative-driven exploration experience with elements of horror, featuring minimal first-person shooter mechanics and a focus on puzzle-solving and stealth. While some players appreciate the variety and depth added compared to previous titles, others criticize the lack of clear instructions, repetitive mechanics, and a decline in tension due to predictable enemy behavior. Overall, the gameplay is described as a mix of walking simulator elements with occasional action, but it risks becoming tedious and less engaging over time.

    • “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.”
    • “Light switches float from the walls, your shadow clips and makes weird geometry on the floor; there's no gameplay!”
    • “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.”
  • optimization
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is widely criticized, particularly for AMD and older graphics cards, with reports of significant frame rate drops and poor performance even on high-end hardware like the RTX 4090 and GTX 970. Many players experienced subpar performance, often below 70 fps, and encountered bugs that further hindered gameplay. While some users noted minor performance issues, the general consensus is that the game suffers from classic Unity optimization problems.

    • “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!”
    • “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, with a low of 35 FPS in certain areas, even after lowering the settings on a GTX 970.”
    • “The performance is pretty horrid, classic Unity, dropping as low as sub 70 FPS at 1440p on a 3080 FTW3.”
  • music
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game effectively enhances the suspense and eerie atmosphere, with standout compositions that complement the horror elements. While many praise the pairing of music with graphics and voice acting, some users noted inconsistencies in volume and timing that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the music is considered a strong asset, contributing significantly to the game's immersive quality.

    • “The music did a great job of setting up the suspense and the graphics were good enough to set the atmosphere.”
    • “Vincent Lade's ability to pair creepy music and an eerie atmosphere is unrivaled.”
    • “Top-notch voice-over talent and perfect choice of music accompaniment set the stage for the cat-and-mouse game of Hawthorn.”
    • “This is done in the way of hiding when you hear the spooky music, or told to over the comms.”
    • “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
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by a hilariously inept main villain, whose comical blunders during the final boss fight elicit laughter rather than frustration. His attempts at an ominous persona come off as cheesy, adding to the overall comedic tone of the experience.

    • “The main villain himself is a hilariously stupid character.”
    • “During the last boss fight, he got stuck multiple times, and usually this would be frustrating, but it was kind of hilarious.”
    • “The main baddie uses an ominous evil overlord voice, but it just comes off as cheesy and funny.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with many users noting a lack of glitches and a well-crafted horror atmosphere. However, some players have reported minor bugs, indicating that while the experience is mostly stable, there are occasional issues that may affect gameplay.

    • “There are plenty of good horror environmental sounds, graphics, and suspense, and I didn't encounter any glitches.”
    • “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or performance issues.”
    • “I appreciate the consistent frame rate and stability throughout my gameplay experience.”
    • “It's a touch buggy.”
    • “I have a notorious history of finding bugs and glitches.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players report a strong emotional impact from the game's atmospheric tension, which keeps them engaged despite its short length. The immersive experience evokes a sense of unease and satisfaction, contributing to an overall positive impression.

    • “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 it made me feel.”
    • “The emotional depth of the characters truly resonated with me, making their struggles feel incredibly real.”
    • “I was moved to tears by the storyline; it beautifully captured the complexities of love and loss.”

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