Harthorn

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

Single-Player

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 250 reviews

story40 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

The game features excellent graphics and a creepy atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
The puzzles are engaging and creative, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly complex.
The voice acting is well done, contributing to the overall immersion and storytelling of the game.

The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs that can prevent progression and AI that sometimes fails to function properly.
The gameplay can feel scripted and lacks depth, leading to moments where the tension is diminished.
The game is very short, with some players feeling it doesn't justify its price due to its length and limited replayability.

story
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
58%
4%
The story of the game is generally considered intriguing and compelling, set in a creepy school environment that enhances the horror experience. While some players found the narrative straightforward and occasionally lacking depth, many appreciated the atmospheric storytelling and the need for exploration to uncover the plot. Overall, the game offers a solid, albeit short, narrative that captivates players, though some wished for a more fleshed-out experience.
- “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.”
- “Sadly, the plot becomes Scooby-Doo levels of ridiculous (and he would have gotten away if it wasn't for you meddling kids!).”
- “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.”
atmosphere
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
36%
5%
The atmosphere in "Harthorn" is widely praised for its creepy and immersive qualities, enhanced by excellent graphics and effective sound design that builds suspense. Many players appreciate the game's ability to create a tense environment that keeps them on edge, although some note that the atmosphere falters during certain gameplay sections. Overall, the combination of unsettling visuals, engaging storytelling, and atmospheric sound contributes to a memorable horror experience.
- “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.”
- “If you're looking for a horror game that builds and builds on atmosphere until you can cut the tension with a knife, then you have found it here in Harthorn.”
- “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
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
23%
6%
The graphics in 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 occasional graphical oddities were mentioned, which detracted slightly from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, the combination of strong visuals and atmospheric sound contributes to a memorable and engaging gameplay experience.
- “The graphics were really beautiful in ultra mode.”
- “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.”
- “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
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
82%
10%
The gameplay of the game is primarily a narrative-driven exploration experience with elements of horror, featuring simple mechanics such as puzzle-solving and stealth. However, players have noted issues with clarity in gameplay instructions, repetitive and unscary encounters, and some glitches in AI behavior, which detract from the overall experience. While there are moments of variety and potential, many feel the gameplay lacks depth and can become tedious 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.”
- “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.”
- “Gameplay is kinda boring and the villain becomes unscary after you have a conversation with him.”
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, and 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
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The music in the game effectively enhances the suspense and eerie atmosphere, with Vincent Lade's composition being particularly praised for its ability to complement the horror elements. While the overall ambiance and voice acting are top-notch, some users noted inconsistencies in the music's volume and transitions. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the immersive experience, making it a valuable aspect of the game.
- “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 of the cat and mouse game of Harthorn.”
- “It also felt like the music was going in and out or getting louder at times that didn't make sense to me.”
- “Additionally, the atmosphere is kind of spooky, and the music is adequate.”
- “This is done in the way of hiding when you hear the spooky music, or told to over the comms.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from the main villain, who is portrayed as hilariously inept, often getting stuck during boss battles in a way that is more amusing than frustrating. His attempts at an ominous evil overlord voice come off as cheesy, adding to the overall comedic tone of the game.
- “The main villain himself is a hilariously stupid villain.”
- “During the last boss, he got stuck multiple times and usually this would be frustrating, but it was kind of hilarious.”
- “The main baddie does an ominous evil overlord voice, but it just comes off as cheesy and funny.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
16%
67%
Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with many players noting a lack of significant glitches or bugs. However, some users have reported minor issues, indicating that while the game is mostly stable, it may still have occasional bugs.
- “There are plenty of good horror environmental sounds, graphics, and suspense, and I didn't encounter any glitches.”
- “- It's a touch buggy.”
- “I have a notorious history of finding bugs and glitches.”
- “- It's a touch buggy.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report that the game effectively creates a strong sense of atmospheric tension, contributing to an emotional experience that keeps them engaged, despite its brevity. The emotional impact is significant enough to enhance overall enjoyment, even if the game's short length poses a challenge.
- “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.”

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Harthorn
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Harthorn

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