Horror Story: Hallowseed

About

In "Horror Story: Hallowseed," players explore a frightening, AI-driven world after waking up alone in a mysterious place following a camping trip. As they search for their friends and uncover the dark secrets of Hallowseed, they must evade malevolent spirits and solve puzzles in this story-driven psychological horror adventure. The game features a rich narrative and beautiful, atmospheric environments.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 153 reviews

story21 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game features impressive graphics and sound design, creating a haunting atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
The story is intriguing, with elements of possession and religious themes that add depth to the gameplay.
The developer is responsive to feedback and actively works on updates, showing commitment to improving the game.

Gameplay can feel tedious due to excessive backtracking and the need to find keys for numerous doors, leading to a repetitive experience.
Chase sequences are poorly designed, often giving players little to no time to react, resulting in frustrating instant deaths.
The game lacks clear direction and can leave players confused about objectives, detracting from the overall experience.

story
79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
66%
8%
The story of "Horror Story: Hallowseed" has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its intriguing narrative and effective horror elements, while others criticize it for being linear, cliché, or poorly executed. Many appreciate the atmosphere and pacing, noting that it successfully delivers scares and builds suspense, though some find the dialogue and character interactions lacking. Overall, while the game shows promise and has a dedicated fan base, opinions vary widely on the quality and originality of its storyline.
- “The story is interesting and from what I've read is the first part of a horror series, which is awesome.”
- “Filled with fun scares, compelling story, and refreshing mechanics (I loved the piano).”
- “I thought this was a fun narrative horror with a good story, good spooks, and compared to a lot of the other indie horror trash out there, this is a diamond in the rough.”
- “Game is abandoned, lame storyline, don't buy.”
- “Story and voice acting are so bad that it feels like a parody.”
- “There is no story going on in the game at all.”
atmosphere
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
26%
6%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and creepy qualities, effectively capturing the essence of a 1980s horror film with realistic visuals and sound design. Many players appreciate the dense, oppressive environment that builds suspense without relying on cheap jump scares, although some note that gameplay mechanics, such as slow movement and frustrating puzzles, can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully creates a haunting atmosphere that keeps players engaged and on edge.
- “The atmosphere is overwhelming; you think there is someone next to you every step of the way.”
- “The atmosphere is incredible and very well done.”
- “Within 30 minutes, I was bored with them because they were constantly happening, so they sort of blended in with the background noise and hurt the atmosphere.”
- “It's actually really disappointing as what I could get through had me hooked, but the moment the motion blur kicks in, it ruins the atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is dark and disturbing, adding in the survival horror aspects; hiding, conserving matches.”
graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
28%
7%
The graphics in the game have received widespread acclaim for their realism and attention to detail, with many reviewers highlighting the impressive use of lighting and atmospheric effects. While some noted minor glitches and a lack of customizable settings, the overall visual presentation is considered stunning, especially for an indie title. The combination of beautiful visuals and immersive sound design contributes significantly to the game's engaging atmosphere.
- “The graphics, music, and sound effects were very well done.”
- “The graphics are very eye-catching and at times photo-realistic.”
- “The visuals and overall atmosphere were absolutely fantastic!”
- “There's no options to change the resolution for the game, and very little in the way of customizable graphics settings.”
- “There are some noticeable graphic glitches, as well as non sequitur visual effects, but overall, I feel the assets look very pretty.”
- “The visuals are pretty, but the game gets boring pretty fast.”
gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
69%
9%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique piano save mechanic and the engaging demon chase sequences, while others criticize the repetitive nature of key and door mechanics, sluggish movement, and poor optimization. Many feel that the game lacks depth and polish, leading to frustration during gameplay, especially given its price point. Overall, while there are moments of fun and potential, the gameplay experience is marred by design flaws and a lack of variety.
- “The story and voice acting were weak, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the gameplay.”
- “The demon chase parts keep it fun and engaging because you had a very small window to get it right; otherwise, the demons would get you, so it's got some skill-based gameplay in it.”
- “Gameplay 8/10 (simple mechanic) but yet really fun.”
- “Enemies spawn at triggers really close to you, so you die the first time and have to redo 1-2 minutes of gameplay without messing up again.”
- “20€ for ~4-5 hours of gameplay is not really worth it.”
- “Yes, in the current state, the whole gameplay loop boils down to opening doors: you open one door and go into the room, there you find a key to another room, that has a key to another room, which has a means of opening another room, and another room, and you get where this is going.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
20%
30%
The music in the game has been praised for effectively enhancing the atmosphere and mood, with an eerie soundtrack that complements the visuals and sound effects. While many reviewers appreciated the overall sound design, some felt that additional music could have further heightened the tension during key moments. Overall, the soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience, particularly in the horror genre.
- “The music score was on point with setting the mood for each moment.”
- “There are some great things in this game, namely the visuals, soundtrack, use of sound effects, and use of light and shadow.”
- “The graphics in the game were beautiful and the music/atmosphere just kept me on edge throughout!”
- “Soundtrack?”
- “- eerie soundtrack”
- “Still, like the atmosphere and music, like I said for the early access, it has the conjuring feels to it.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits notable stability issues, including visual glitches and unexpected effects, which are common in in-progress titles. While some users find these bugs amusing, they acknowledge that the graphical assets remain visually appealing despite the instability.
- “Visual glitches are to be expected, especially with an in-progress game, so the lanterns that seemed to be caught up in hurricane-force winds were amusing.”
- “Buggy as hell.”
- “There are some noticeable graphic glitches, as well as nonsensical visual effects, but overall, I feel the assets look very pretty.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the inability to run while inside the house, which leads to frustratingly slow backtracking for doors and keys. This reduced mobility contributes to a sense of monotony in gameplay.
- “Once you're in the house (where you spend most of your time), you can no longer run, which makes all the constant backtracking for doors and keys feel painfully tedious.”
- “The non-running walking speed is a bit too slow and makes the gameplay a little tedious.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while it features impressive graphics and runs smoothly during gameplay, some users have noted significant issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “So far, the game looks really good (50 min of gameplay that will be extended to up to 3 hours), has very good graphics and runs smoothly.”
- “The game's optimization is pretty awful.”
- “The performance issues make it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
- “I constantly experience frame drops and stuttering, which ruins the experience.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is highlighted by unexpected and comedic moments, such as a demon suddenly appearing and chasing the player, which adds a lighthearted and entertaining element to the gameplay experience.
- “To break it up, you’re granted a hilarious split second of reaction time as a demon appears and starts chasing you.”
- “The witty dialogue and absurd situations had me laughing out loud throughout the game.”
- “The humor is perfectly timed, making even the most intense moments feel light-hearted and fun.”