Hiding Spot
- August 12, 2018
- Corey Martin
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Hiding Spot" is a multiplayer horror/stealth game where players take turns either hiding or seeking. The hiders must strategically move around the environment, avoiding the seeker and using various objects to conceal themselves. The seeker's goal is to locate all the hiders before the time runs out, using only a flashlight to illuminate the darkness. With permadeath and a constantly changing environment, each round is a tense, exciting experience.
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Reviews
- Hiding Spot features clever and unique puzzle mechanics that gradually introduce complexity, making it accessible yet challenging for players.
- The game creates a surreal and atmospheric experience with its minimalist graphics and haunting music, enhancing the overall puzzle-solving experience.
- With 55 well-designed levels, the game offers a satisfying and engaging experience that encourages lateral thinking and problem-solving.
- The lack of a tutorial or clear guidance on mechanics can lead to confusion, making it difficult for players to understand how to progress in some puzzles.
- Some players found the difficulty curve inconsistent, with certain levels being significantly easier or harder than those around them, which can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
- The controls can feel awkward at times, particularly the inability to change direction without moving, which may lead to frustrating mistakes during puzzle-solving.
- gameplay52 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a gradual introduction of mechanics that encourage lateral thinking and puzzle-solving within a minimalist sokoban-style framework. While the puzzles are clever and the mechanics intriguing, some players find the controls awkward and the lack of a tutorial can make initial understanding challenging. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience with a mix of simple yet complex interactions, though it may feel underdeveloped in terms of progression and difficulty balance.
“It ramps up its mechanics in a sensible way, nudging your brain into increasingly cantilevered acts of lateral thinking as you internalize its ruleset, and the twists on that ruleset that each different piece of furniture introduces to the moving/stacking fundamentals.”
“This is a fun puzzle game with an easy-to-understand premise that uses simple mechanics of moving furniture around to solve complex puzzles.”
“The game achieves a great deal of complexity with very few mechanics and a small amount of space.”
“The mechanics are slightly awkward; you'll often need to crouch or un-crouch to perform actions and there's no way to change your facing direction without a movement input.”
“Might be hard to get into at first, as the game never really explains how the mechanics work or what the win condition is.”
“Entire puzzles are counting on this being a problem, which is frustrating since you might see what you need to do, but you have to wrestle the game's movement mechanics in order to do it.”
- music15 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as atmospheric, haunting, and subtly fitting the overall aesthetic, enhancing the experience with its minimalistic and ambient qualities. While it effectively complements the visuals and creates an uncanny atmosphere, some players noted a lack of variation that could lead to fatigue during prolonged listening. Overall, the soundtrack is well-suited for background ambiance, contributing positively to the game's charm and puzzle-solving experience.
“Music and voxel art complement the design of each level perfectly.”
“The music is haunting and the graphics are excellent.”
“Thematically, the game just works really well, and the music and art that ties it all together is soothing and well-suited to the experience.”
“For better or worse, the graphics, music, and story are also minimal.”
“There's not too much variation in the music, so you might get a little fatigued if you're actively listening to it, but as background puzzle noise, it's very suitable.”
“The game also needs options to turn off the droning ambient music.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are characterized by a minimalistic and voxel art style, which some players find charming despite its simplicity and occasional lag. While the visuals may not be hyper-detailed, they effectively complement the game's atmosphere and themes, with a haunting soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Overall, the aesthetic choices contribute to a unique vibe, though opinions vary on their execution and impact on gameplay.
“The music is haunting and the graphics are excellent.”
“The game's sombre art style and ambience manage to convey its psychological and mental health themes without ever explicitly acknowledging them.”
“A simple, isometric puzzle game with chill music, minimalistic graphics, and an overall charming feeling to it.”
“For better or worse, the graphics, music, and story are also minimal.”
“The art style is flat, the difficulty curve felt off in the middle since the game doesn't teach any of the mechanics, and it's all pretty short.”
“Although the graphics are not super detailed, there is something charming about them.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as surreal and dreamlike, blending calmness with an eerie undertone that enhances the puzzle-solving experience. Users appreciate the subtle yet effective music and sound design, which contribute to a peaceful ambiance, making it a unique and enjoyable setting for gameplay. Overall, the strong atmosphere is highlighted as a key element that elevates the game's appeal.
“The puzzles are intuitive and the atmosphere is spot on.”
“Hiding spot is just plain surreal, with weird low noises in the background and a claustrophobic, dreamlike atmosphere that could be read as threatening or merely deeply odd, depending on your mood.”
“Puzzle game with a calm yet eerie atmosphere.”
“Goes to show how much setting and atmosphere matters for a puzzle game.”
- story9 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The story in "Hiding Spot" is minimal and largely left to the player's imagination, with no rich narrative or character development. Players navigate a multistory building, arranging furniture to hide from an unspecified threat, which some found relatable but ultimately lacking in depth and variety. While the game embraces a minimal aesthetic, it leaves many wishing for a more interwoven and escalating storyline.
“Hiding Spot features a stiff man tip-tapping away in a nine-story building and entering different rooms just to hide from an unknown threat.”
“It's in the same style as those games, and retains the same ingenuity, but feels smaller-scale, almost like the difference between a short story and a novel.”
“For better or worse, the graphics, music, and story are also minimal.”
“The game doesn't really have a story unless you come up with one yourself, but as an office worker, I could somehow relate to the 'completing a room' animation, where your nameless character huddles up in a fetal position under the furniture and the camera zooms out.”
“First of all, I want to touch upon the lack of story.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a heartwarming and humorous scene at the end, complemented by occasional funny moments during gameplay, particularly while engaging in quirky furniture-balancing puzzles. Overall, the humor enhances the peaceful atmosphere, contributing to a delightful gaming experience.
“The presentation is nicely functional, and altogether the game is a great experience, complete with a heartwarmingly funny little scene at the end.”
“It's also a very peaceful atmosphere, perfect for puzzle solving, with the occasional humorous moments as you perform all sorts of strange furniture-on-head balancing acts.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is limited due to the absence of user-designed levels, resulting in players primarily revisiting the same environments without significant variation or new experiences.
“The game offers a variety of choices that significantly change the outcome, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple character builds and strategies to explore, I find myself coming back for more every time.”
“The dynamic events and random elements ensure that no two playthroughs are ever the same, keeping the experience engaging.”
“There aren't user-designed levels, so the replay value amounts to revisiting the same levels.”
“The lack of variety in gameplay makes it hard to find motivation to replay.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be a great emotional experience, highlighted by a heartwarming and humorous scene at the end that enhances its overall appeal.
“The presentation is nicely functional, and altogether the game is a great experience, complete with a heartwarmingly funny little scene at the end.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that while some furniture items experience occasional bugs, these issues can typically be resolved quickly with an undo function, indicating a generally stable experience.
“Some of the furniture was occasionally buggy, but a quick undo would always fix it.”
