Heartstop

About

"Heartstop" is a single-player adventure game with a gripping plot. After a mysterious event stops everyone's movement, player-character Cora seeks to bring back her friends and family. Along the way, her relationship with a stranger who was unaffected by the event unfolds, presenting the player with impactful choices and multiple endings. The game explores themes of isolation, connection, and hope in the midst of fear.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

100%

Audience ScoreBased on 74 reviews

story15 positive mentions

gameplay2 negative mentions

The game features a beautifully written story with relatable characters, making it easy for players to empathize with their struggles and decisions.
Multiple endings based on player choices add significant replay value, allowing players to explore different outcomes and character interactions.
The emotional depth of the narrative, combined with charming dialogue and engaging music, creates a memorable experience that resonates with players.

Some players found the protagonist, Cora, to be unlikable and inconsistent, which detracted from their overall enjoyment of the story.
There are minor technical issues, such as save file corruption and spelling errors, that can disrupt the gameplay experience.
The game lacks a chapter select feature, which could have enhanced replayability by allowing players to revisit specific parts of the story.

story
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
69%
5%
The game features a heart-wrenching and well-written story that explores heavy themes such as loss, loneliness, and love, particularly within a sapphic context. While the narrative is mostly linear, it offers significant choices that impact the outcome, encouraging replayability. Despite some minor clunkiness and character issues, the overall storytelling and character development are praised, making it a standout title for fans of story-driven games.
- “Although the storyline is mostly linear, this high level of variety ensures that you could replay this game just to see the effects of your various choices.”
- “Speaking of the story: it handles heavy topics, like loss, loneliness, being an outcast, and making sacrifices out of love.”
- “The story is intriguing until the very last second, and it really did manage to make my heart drop at moments.”
- “I'm sure there may be some plot reason as to why, but Cora (the protagonist) is just awful.”
- “But as someone who plays for story and interaction between characters, I didn't want to continue.”
- “Characters don't need to necessarily be likable, but an uncommunicative protagonist in a game all about story feels like a misstep.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is described as a heart-wrenching emotional experience, particularly noted for its impactful storytelling and the strong feelings it evokes, including sadness and difficulty in decision-making. Players report being deeply moved, with many expressing that they cried during key moments, especially at the conclusion. The combination of a touching narrative and fitting music enhances the overall emotional atmosphere, making it a memorable visual novel.
- “I had a very hard time making the final choice; just thinking about the outcomes made me cry. Finally choosing and seeing the ending made me cry even more.”
- “Beautifully touching and engaging visual novel 9/10.”
- “Loved it, very cute and simple but heart wrenching.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its ability to enhance emotional scenes and fit the overall mood. While some tracks are described as memorable, others are noted to be sourced from an asset store, leading to a perception that they lack uniqueness. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's colorful and adorable atmosphere.
- “The music and writing is great here.”
- “And the music is decent, too, even memorable in certain scenes.”
- “Adorable, colorful, great music, generally bug free.”
- “The game does have music and boasts sound effects, all of which the developer got from an asset store.”
- “While nothing really stands out, it does fit the mood of the game, especially some of the music in the more emotional scenes.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's graphics evoke a nostalgic 16-bit era style, effectively utilizing expressive character designs and dynamic visual elements such as moving cloud shadows, dust motes, and weather effects. This combination creates a charming and immersive atmosphere, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- “The majority of the game is reminiscent of 16-bit era graphics, and it works very well; the characters can be very expressive.”
- “On the visuals, the engine is definitely put to good use with lazily moving cloud shadows outdoors, dust motes, dynamic lighting and weather effects, blowing leaves, and foley to match.”
- “Due to the quality of visuals, there is a certain nostalgic cuteness to a lot of it.”
- “The majority of the game is reminiscent of 16-bit era graphics, and while it works well, it may not appeal to everyone.”
- “The RPG movement is utilized very few times, and although the visuals have a nostalgic cuteness, they may feel limited.”
- “The graphics are a throwback to the 16-bit era, which can be charming, but ultimately lacks the depth and detail expected in modern games.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
40%
40%
The gameplay is primarily narrative-driven, focusing on player choices rather than traditional RPG mechanics, with limited movement elements. Despite this, the game's visuals contribute a nostalgic charm to the overall experience.
- “This game is mostly narrative, which means the biggest part of gameplay is actually the choices players make.”
- “This game is mostly narrative, which means the biggest part of gameplay is actually the choices you make.”
- “The times the RPG movement is utilized for gameplay are very few, although due to the aforementioned quality of visuals, there is a certain nostalgic cuteness to a lot of it.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game offers high replayability due to the variety of choices available, leading to multiple endings that encourage players to explore different outcomes. However, some users note that the extras are limited, which may affect long-term engagement for certain players.
- “But, due to the variety of choices you're given, it has high replayability.”
- “The game features a few different endings, which can add replay value for those who enjoyed it.”
- “The only extras it has are a few different endings, which can add a little replay value for those who liked it.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report that the game is stable, highlighting its bug-free experience alongside its charming visuals and enjoyable music.
- “Adorable, colorful, great music, generally bug free.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently praised as amazing, highlighting its effectiveness in engaging players and enhancing the overall experience.
- “The humor is amazing.”
- “The humor is amazing.”