Horripilant

About

Horripilant is a single player casual role playing game with horror, fantasy and dark fantasy themes. It was developed by Pas Game and was released on February 20, 2026. It received very positive reviews from players.

Horripilant is currently in development. Follow development by wishlisting the game on Steam and joining the Discord! Horripilant is a chilling incremental dungeon crawl through the horrors of a forgotten underworld. Combining idler, puzzle and autobattler elements, you'll fight, mine, and think your way through the depths of a forsaken dungeon. Gather resources, battle unholy creatures, and unra…

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,089 reviews

gameplay56 positive mentions

grinding72 negative mentions

Unique blend of idle/clicker, dungeon crawling, and point-and-click puzzle gameplay offering a fresh take on the incremental genre.
Exceptional atmosphere, art style, and sound design that strongly contribute to the game's immersive and creepy tone.
Engaging puzzles that add meaningful variety and intellectual challenge alongside incremental progression.
Well-paced skill and upgrade system with satisfying progression and rebirth mechanics that encourage replay and optimization.
Story and narrative elements provide intrigue and payoff, including multiple endings and worldbuilding through environmental clues.
Good value for the price considering length, content, and depth compared to typical incremental games.

Early game progression can feel slow and grindy, with some players finding the pacing uneven and tedious before upgrades snowball.
Combat and incremental mechanics become repetitive and less engaging over time, with limited active gameplay and some upgrades feeling underpowered or obsolete.
Some puzzles and progression elements are obtuse or confusing, occasionally causing frustration and requiring external guides.
The rebirth and upgrade system sometimes feels unbalanced, with a few upgrades dominating the build and others having little impact.
Endgame can be grind-heavy and slow, leading to a sense of repetitiveness and diminishing player interest.
Technical issues such as occasional crashes and lack of autosave have been reported, affecting some players' experience.

gameplay
219 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
67%
7%
The gameplay combines incremental/idler mechanics with point-and-click puzzle and dungeon-crawling elements, delivering an addictive but often slow-paced loop that can feel repetitive and occasionally tedious. While the puzzles and atmosphere are frequently praised for adding depth and engagement beyond typical idle games, many users find core mechanics shallow and progression unvaried, with some upgrades and systems losing relevance late-game. Overall, the gameplay is satisfying and unique in blending genres but may not fully sustain interest due to pacing issues and limited mechanical innovation.
- “Unexpectedly compelling, thick, dripping aesthetic, layered gameplay with surprising depth.”
- “It's funny, because I would have enjoyed a purely incremental game or purely point and click puzzle game built out of this same foundation, so it's a treat to be able to scratch both itches seamlessly blended together, and switching your focus to different styles of gameplay every now and then is great for avoiding fatigue.”
- “The rate of progression is not perfect (prestige upgrades drastically speed up progression each time), but this game does a fantastic job with two things that matter a lot in this genre: pacing the introduction of new mechanics in a way that makes the early game not overwhelming, but also stays interesting despite the slow resource gain; and letting game mechanics be "completed" or obsoleted throughout the mid/late game so you can focus on the relative few variables you've determined to be optimal for progression.”
- “The main incremental gameplay loop doesn't change that much and some rebirth upgrades felt way too underpowered for their cost/design purpose.”
- “On the other hand, it's paired with a cookie clicker idler mechanic that's incredibly tedious and doesn't add much to the experience besides the padding of time that forces you to spend several hours mindlessly grinding before you could tackle the next puzzle.”
- “This game kinda sucks, nothing really happens; you will spend most of the game just waiting either for enough resources to have a long run to convert the result into prestige currency and just do that over and over with very few moments where you need to solve basic puzzles. The progression is slow, pet and active item systems are useless, and most inputs late-game involve upgrading equipment with no perceivable difference. It's boring and repetitive.”
graphics
173 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
55%
2%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their unique, dark pixel art style that crafts a gripping, eerie atmosphere reminiscent of classic horror and dungeon crawlers. Reviewers highlight the art style as the standout feature, complimenting its immersive, distinctive, and polished aesthetic that deeply enhances storytelling and gameplay. While some find the visuals intense or occasionally hard on the eyes, the overall consensus is that the compelling art and atmosphere significantly elevate the idle/clicker experience.
- “The atmosphere and visual aesthetic are incredible, and the game has a lot of polish and quality of life.”
- “The art style, atmosphere, even down to the satisfying sounds, it all plays a part in this amazing game.”
- “The artstyle strikes that macabre balance of being detailed enough to be scary, but blocky enough your brain fills in the blanks and makes it scarier.”
- “The games base graphics gave me a bit of eye strain.”
- “Enemies flash past so quickly that the horror aesthetic, while visually striking, is barely experienced.”
- “Aesthetic gets old quick, and all you're left with is an insanely grindy clicker and awful puzzles.”
story
164 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
50%
2%
The story in this game is generally praised for its intriguing, dark, and atmospheric narrative that unfolds gradually through exploration, puzzles, and environmental clues, providing a unique blend of horror and mystery. While some find it simple or minimalistic, most appreciate the meaningful progression and immersive vibe that motivates continued play beyond typical idle mechanics. However, a few reviewers wished for a deeper or more expansive storyline integrated more closely with gameplay to reduce grind and enhance engagement.
- “The story is very captivating and kept pulling me in, making me want to see more, and the plot twist at the end genuinely shocked me.”
- “Overall the aesthetic, the sounds, the gameplay loop, the puzzles and the story were extremely enjoyable for me, I legit didn't put this down until I had fully completed it.”
- “Horripilant developed by Alexandre Declos in collaboration with PAS Game Studio and published by Black Lantern Collective is a dark, atmospheric dungeon experience that blends incremental progression systems with horror storytelling and strategic autobattler mechanics. The sense of isolation is reinforced by minimal exposition, encouraging players to piece together the story through encounters and environmental storytelling. This restrained storytelling approach complements the incremental structure, allowing players to discover meaning at their own pace. For players drawn to methodical gameplay and atmospheric storytelling, it offers a uniquely unsettling journey into the depths—one where every step forward is earned through persistence and careful planning rather than brute force.”
- “The story isn't anything special and the setting/art style are very clearly "inspired" by Plastiboo's Vermis I, but when you're solving some of the puzzles you can really see it as a potentially interesting game let down by its genre.”
- “And horror/story/puzzle part is an absolute garbage that doesn't make an ounce of sense.”
- “The story felt pretty minimalistic, which is a shame because I was hoping for it to be a strong point for this game.”
atmosphere
143 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
34%
2%
The game excels in creating a dark, eerie, and immersive atmosphere through its art style, music, and sound design, which many reviewers found to be its strongest and most captivating feature. This atmospheric depth is praised for adding a unique, haunting vibe to the incremental and puzzle gameplay, making it stand out within its genre. However, some note that repetitive grinding and gameplay mechanics at times detract from fully sustaining the initially compelling ambiance.
- “The art and mood of the game is absolutely great, really puts you in an eerie atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere and visual aesthetic are incredible, and the game has a lot of polish and quality of life improvements.”
- “The dark, dithered visual style gives the whole game a haunting retro atmosphere that really sticks with you.”
- “All the atmosphere that was built up in the first 30 minutes is very quickly ruined by the repetitive grind and tedious puzzles.”
- “Unfortunately, this same atmosphere is often at odds with the core incremental mechanics of the game itself, constantly being interrupted by the time gaps between bursts of progress.”
- “The idle gameplay completely kills the atmosphere.”
grinding
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
Grinding in this game is a significant aspect that receives mixed feedback; while its incremental and idle mechanics offer engagement and a satisfying progression loop for some, many find the grind tedious, repetitive, and sometimes overly prolonged, especially in early and endgame stages. Automation options are limited, leading to active, time-consuming resource farming, which can detract from the otherwise enjoyable puzzle-solving and atmospheric elements. Overall, grinding feels integral but often burdensome, with some players appreciating it as genre-typical and others wishing for better pacing or automation.
- “The overall vibe and atmosphere were excellent and the gameplay loop not too grindy. I wish I could have spent more time with it, but I 100% completed it just shy of 30 hours.”
- “The game isn't grindy; you can complete it in about 20 hours if you play actively and try to be efficient.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “On the other hand, it's paired with a cookie clicker idler mechanic that's incredibly tedious and doesn't add much to the experience besides padding time that forces you to spend several hours mindlessly grinding before you can tackle the next puzzle.”
- “All the atmosphere that was built up in the first 30 minutes is very quickly ruined by the repetitive grind and tedious puzzles.”
- “Hemaliths are earned by resetting and starting your next run; grinding these is a very frustrating experience and requires a lot of active time if you want to do it effectively.”
music
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
35%
7%
The music in this game is widely praised for its atmospheric, dungeon synth-inspired soundtrack that perfectly complements the eerie, immersive setting and art style. Reviewers highlight its effectiveness in enhancing the game's creepy world and mood, though some note that the soundtrack is somewhat short or repetitive. Overall, the sound design and music are key strengths, deeply contributing to the game's unique vibe and immersion.
- “Imagine if someone turned the concept of 'dungeon synth' music into a game.”
- “The lore is amazing, there is always this feeling that you're in something bigger and deeper than it seems, the vibe and immersion are immaculate, makes you crave to keep playing just to discover the secrets on this twisted dungeon and why everything feels so weird and misplaced, and the soundtrack is great too, it matches perfectly with the aesthetic and really drags you deeper into this wicked world.”
- “The gameplay loop, upgrades, exploration, art direction, sfx and music all cohesively work together to create a fantastic experience.”
- “Nice clicker game, though seriously lacks good soundtracks.”
- “Also the music is weak and the combat sound effects are grating especially if the game is run in the background.”
- “So I hit a milestone only to essentially be told 'you unlocked nothing actually.' Sucks because I really like the actual art, music, and overall game atmosphere.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game is generally praised for being well optimized, offering smooth performance that supports its unique blend of gameplay styles. However, some users experience occasional FPS drops and freezes during resource gathering, suggesting room for improvement in handling updates or computations more efficiently.
- “It's incredibly well optimized.”
- “An unexpected but amazing mix of clicker game and point and click adventure, it's dark and gritty with just enough mystery to keep you going and on top of all that well optimized.”
- “This system shifts the emphasis toward planning and optimization.”
- “I think there's maybe some optimization to be done by not actually adding resources every tick, but computing how much should be added and then adding them at intervals.”
- “I'm also having some random performance issues with FPS drops and freezes during the material gathering part.”
- “Unsure, I do software not game development, but I think Cookie Clicker had something similar since one of their options includes an optimized lower accuracy setting.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Replayability is mixed, with some users praising mechanics like rebirth for infinite replay potential, while others find the game’s content limited, hoping for future updates to enhance replay value.
- “The rebirth mechanic alone makes this game infinitely replayable.”
- “100% in 13 hours - no replayability, story elements are light and horror focused, but enjoyable.”
- “I just hope there are future updates to add more replayability.”
- “Replay value is limited.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is highly praised for being consistently funny and cleverly integrated, blending different gameplay styles to keep players engaged without fatigue. Its comedic elements, including amusing user errors, complement a surprisingly deep story, making the overall experience both entertaining and addictive.
- “Found it a week ago and I'm still laughing.”
- “It's funny, because I would've enjoyed a purely incremental game or purely point-and-click puzzle game built out of this same foundation, so it's a treat to be able to scratch both itches seamlessly blended together, and switching your focus to different styles of gameplay every now and then is great for avoiding fatigue.”
- “Hilarious user error.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes strong emotional engagement through its satisfying endings, clever puzzles that foster a sense of accomplishment, and a nostalgic mystery element reminiscent of classic point-and-click games. Its heartfelt writing, coupled with immersive artwork and mechanics, creates a genuine sense of presence and connection within the game world.
- “The endings are both really interesting and made me feel complete after getting through the dungeon; that final fight was an awesome way to finish off.”
- “There's a mystery/riddle portion of the game that made me feel like I was playing a 90s point and click, and it was quite nice.”
- “The world the game lives in has heartfelt sentiment in its writing; combined with the artwork and mechanics, I felt my sense of place and presence as I moved through the environment.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game features no microtransactions and allows for both active and passive play through offline progression, without artificially slowing down progress to encourage purchases. It appeals to players who prefer avoiding in-game purchases altogether.
- “It can be played actively or passively via offline progression and it doesn't artificially slow progress in order to sell microtransactions (there are no microtransactions).”
- “If you're into buying idlers to avoid the microtransactions, this is for you.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences stability issues, including buggy puzzles that lead to soft locks and occasional performance problems such as FPS drops and freezes during material gathering.
- “Buggy puzzles cause soft locks.”
- “I'm also having some random performance issues with FPS drops and freezes during the material gathering part.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development is praised for its immersive and well-crafted designs, featuring a grungy, dungeon-inspired aesthetic complemented by fitting macabre visuals and a gripping soundscape that enhances the overall atmosphere.