Helltown

75%
Game Brain Score Based on 80 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Helltown Game Cover
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"Helltown is a horror adventure game where you play as a postman delivering packages in a new residential development, but when monsters appear, you must escape and uncover the truth. Explore spooky locations, interact with townspeople, and choose from four endings. Helltown offers a mysterious story, scary monsters, and no cheap jumpscares or laughable grammar."

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

75%
Audience ScoreBased on 80 reviews
story20 positive mentions
stability2 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique retro aesthetic that effectively creates an unsettling atmosphere, reminiscent of classic horror games.
  • Improvements in the revival version include better visuals, a more engaging dialogue system, and enhanced gameplay mechanics, making it enjoyable for players.
  • The story is intriguing with multiple endings, encouraging exploration and replayability, which adds depth to the overall experience.
  • The enemy AI can be frustratingly aggressive and poorly balanced, leading to repetitive and annoying gameplay experiences.
  • The pacing of the game suffers, particularly in the second half, where it shifts from an engaging narrative to a more mechanical and less satisfying experience.
  • Some players found the game too short and felt that the abrupt transitions and lack of subtlety in the story diminished the overall impact.
  • story54 mentions

    The story of Helltown is described as interesting and engaging, with multiple endings and hidden secrets that enhance the experience. However, opinions are divided on its execution; some players appreciate the ambiguity and atmospheric storytelling of the original version, while others find the new version's directness less compelling. Overall, while the narrative has its strengths, it may leave some players wanting a more cohesive and resolved plot.

    • “I really love the setting, atmosphere, and story of Helltown.”
    • “The story of Helltown is pretty interesting and is definitely gripping enough for you to keep playing, and its bite-sized nature where one run is less than an hour definitely helps you find every bit of story you can uncover.”
    • “There's also multiple endings to see, and with how interesting the story is, it's definitely worth trying to see them all.”
    • “The story is not subtle; it literally ruins the plot in like 5 seconds of the game if you talk to every NPC. If you have watched a lot of horror, it's not hard to surmise who/what Lilith is.”
    • “Story-wise, there's a lot going on that doesn't get resolved in-game. While having some mysteries left unsolved can make the plot more intriguing, players who prefer a fully fleshed-out story that neatly ties itself up may find themselves disappointed after acquiring all of the endings.”
    • “I also think the storyline could have taken its time at the beginning because I barely knew any of the characters, so it didn't convince me to trust any of them as the peaceful people they were meant to be.”
  • gameplay46 mentions

    The gameplay of Helltown is characterized as a mix of walking simulator and horror elements, featuring exploration, stealth mechanics, and multiple endings that enhance replayability. However, players have noted issues with enemy AI and the lack of clear instructions for certain mechanics, such as hiding from monsters, which can detract from the experience. While some find the gameplay enjoyable and quirky, others criticize it for being mechanically shallow and occasionally frustrating.

    • “Great replayability with multiple endings and has new mechanics and interesting gameplay.”
    • “The game has a lot of quirkiness to it in how it's designed which threw me off my game on several occasions. It's got some weird-edge going on and does several interesting and varied mechanical things you really might not see coming.”
    • “The game also has a few enjoyable game mechanics that allow for strategy when facing the terrors of Helltown that set it above many walking-sim style horror games.”
    • “I'm not usually some bone-idle audiobook gamer who needs the developer to push my wheelchair when the gameplay comes up; those first enemies just seemed lazy and turned me off continuing, for whatever subjective reason.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, the biggest problem is the enemy AI.”
    • “There's a gameplay mechanic in which you can hide behind certain objects to lose the monsters chasing you, but it's not pointed out in-game and many players will most likely never know such a mechanic exists. If they do, they may find themselves still succumbing to the monster as hiding doesn't work well most of the time.”
  • graphics46 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received positive feedback for their retro PS1 aesthetic, which effectively creates a unique and eerie atmosphere reminiscent of classic horror titles like Silent Hill. Many players appreciate the visual updates and art style, noting that the polygonal graphics contribute to the game's unsettling ambiance, although some feel that the game's short length undermines the impact of its visuals. Overall, the art direction is praised for enhancing the horror experience, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics.

    • “The town itself is beautiful and the retro graphics give the game a really unique look.”
    • “Great atmosphere and even greater art style.”
    • “Helltown goes for that PSX retro throwback style and it's probably my favorite aesthetic, so I was immediately intrigued once I saw the screenshots of the game and once I saw the game in motion it definitely lived up to my expectations.”
    • “It's so sad, this game could be a 9/10, a masterpiece, but it destroys itself with so many things. The graphics and art style are what I love about the game, a true 9/10, and it started quite nice. However, this game destroys itself with the enemy AI. The first terrible encounter is where you get captured by around 10 skinwalkers in a small area, needing to find 3 keys. They are always running at you, and you don't have 2 seconds to wait before you can run again. After that, when this ghost girl runs at you, you can't do anything. It sucks because I loved the art style, and the game started so well. If it had maybe more scares instead of enemies that are too overpowered, this game would be a complete 9/10, but this completely destroyed the whole game and the whole experience. It wasn't even scary anymore; after the first encounter, it was just a big stress and very, very annoying.”
    • “It has the theme of a Silent Hill game and graphics kind of like Minecraft (stylistically).”
    • “The aesthetics are pleasingly polygonal and low-quality enough to make you not always certain what you're looking at, but had some nice art direction.”
  • atmosphere24 mentions

    The atmosphere of Helltown is widely praised for its eerie charm and effective use of sound design, creating a compelling horror experience that transitions from a serene to a sinister environment. While the original version is noted for its unique ambiance and retro graphics, some players feel the new iteration lacks the same unsettling qualities. Overall, the game successfully establishes a haunting atmosphere that enhances its intriguing story and visuals.

    • “Great atmosphere and even greater art style.”
    • “It's a nice little horror experience that has an eerie atmosphere, some cool visuals, and an interesting story.”
    • “The atmosphere is really good, the sound design is good, the build-up from normal to abnormal is pretty cool and not too slow.”
    • “The new version lacks a lot of the original's charm and its eerie atmosphere.”
    • “There's some cool ambience like crickets chirping, birds singing while you're walking during daytime and at night it turns sinister to match the really creepy atmosphere; it's not amazing, but it does help unsettle you just a tiny bit more.”
    • “I think the beginning of the game has this really unsettling blue velvet-like atmosphere, since the town and its inhabitants seem too perfect to be true.”
  • music14 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to set the tone, while others find it forgettable and lacking in substance. Many players feel that the soundtrack is minimal, consisting mainly of droning noises and a few jingles, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the weakest aspects of the game.

    • “The soundtrack is incredible in setting the tone.”
    • “Would have been great to see some improvements in the soundtrack, sound effects, and visuals to enhance the overall experience.”
    • “The music is probably the weakest part of the whole ordeal.”
    • “I don't recall much music throughout the entire game; what's here is basically creepy droning noises and a few jingles here and there, but not much.”
    • “The soundtrack is just missing and is painstakingly felt.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers excellent replayability due to its multiple endings and the introduction of new mechanics, which enhance the overall gameplay experience.

    • “Great replayability with multiple endings and new mechanics that make for interesting gameplay.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Users report significant stability issues, particularly with enemy pathfinding in tight corridors, leading to unpredictable behavior that can result in frustrating gameplay experiences.

    • “It's incredibly annoying to deal with, and it's not even because they're smart. They're sort of designed to just book it straight to you once they see you, but sometimes their pathing glitches out as soon as tight corridors are involved. Trying to predict where they will go can sometimes get you killed.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a haunting nightmare that sets a tense tone, followed by a contrasting sense of warmth and anticipation as players begin their journey in the seemingly idyllic town of Little Vale. This juxtaposition creates a compelling emotional experience that engages players from the outset.

    • “It starts with a nightmare that gave me goosebumps, and then swiftly establishes the setup - with you waking up early, ahead of your first day as a postman, assigned to the wholesome-on-the-surface tiny rural town of Little Vale.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game, particularly during chase sequences, to become tedious after the initial encounters, leading to a sense of repetitiveness that detracts from the overall experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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