HROT

About

"HROT is a single-player horror shooter game set in a socialist Czechoslovakia after a 1986 disaster, with classic gameplay and vibe of 90s romeric shooters. Players start in a civil defense shelter, armed with a gas mask and vz. 52 pistol, protecting their homeland from strange intruders. Handcrafted levels, exceptional music, dense atmosphere, and plenty of humor are combined with soviet-inspired weapons and historical details."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,899 reviews

atmosphere502 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

HROT offers a unique blend of retro FPS gameplay with a dark, atmospheric setting reminiscent of Czechoslovakia in the 1980s.
The game features excellent level design, filled with secrets and interactive elements that enhance exploration and engagement.
The humor and surrealism throughout the game, including quirky enemy designs and unexpected moments, add a delightful charm to the experience.

The color palette is overwhelmingly brown, which can make navigation and visual variety feel monotonous.
Some weapons lack impactful sound design, making them feel less satisfying to use compared to other retro shooters.
The game can feel short, with some players wishing for more content and variety in enemy encounters and level design.

atmosphere
814 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
38%
The atmosphere in *Hrot* is widely praised for its immersive and oppressive qualities, effectively capturing a bleak, post-apocalyptic Soviet-era setting. Reviewers highlight the game's unique blend of humor and horror, with a color palette dominated by shades of brown that enhances its eerie vibe. The combination of atmospheric sound design, level intricacies, and cultural references creates a compelling experience that resonates particularly with fans of retro shooters and Eastern European history.
- “The atmosphere is immense.”
- “Hrot is an awesome shooter that stands out of the latest boomer shooter crowd with its atmosphere, creative enemy and level design and its central/eastern european setting which is rarely used in video games.”
- “The atmosphere is perfectly oppressive and super creepy.”
- “The atmosphere is so strong that Hrot could probably be considered even too oppressive and alienating to actually enjoy.”
- “The atmosphere is constantly oppressive and at the same time alienating.”
- “The brown color palette seems bland at first, but it creates a surreal, eerie atmosphere and solidifies the horror elements of the game.”
gameplay
540 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The gameplay of *Hrot* is characterized by its fast-paced, smooth mechanics reminiscent of classic first-person shooters like *Quake*, combined with a unique Eastern European atmosphere. Players appreciate the tight controls, diverse enemy designs, and engaging level layouts, although some note that the gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks groundbreaking mechanics. Overall, it offers a satisfying blend of nostalgia and modern design, making it a solid choice for fans of retro shooters.
- “The gameplay is tight and refined.”
- “Hrot is a thrilling homage to old first-person shooters, skillfully blending retro aesthetics with modern gameplay.”
- “The gameplay and atmosphere of hrot are truly great and unique.”
- “I really wanted to like Hrot, but the gameplay loop feels incredibly shallow and frustrating for a boomer shooter.”
- “Gameplay mostly works but levels are dull and there's nothing memorable in it.”
- “This game has a great atmosphere and is very creative, but lacks in the gameplay department.”
graphics
508 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
63%
2%
The graphics of Hrot are characterized by a distinctive retro aesthetic reminiscent of classic 90s shooters like Quake, featuring a predominantly brown and pixelated color palette that effectively conveys a bleak, oppressive atmosphere reflective of its Cold War-era setting. While some players appreciate the game's commitment to this unique visual style, others find the muted colors and simplistic graphics detract from the overall experience, leading to mixed opinions on their effectiveness. Overall, the graphics serve as a nostalgic homage to the genre, blending old-school charm with modern gameplay elements.
- “The visuals have that nice retro aesthetic like Quake, and the music has that ominous droning sound, creating a world warped during the events of the Cold War.”
- “Hrot has nailed every bit of 90s shooter aesthetic and the custom engine handles it so well.”
- “The graphics capture the era quite well, and the soundtrack is fantastic so far.”
- “The visual style is dreary and takes place in a Soviet-era nation, which is why everything looks so bland and depressing, a common theme and art style among Slavic developers or games inspired by Slavic cultures.”
- “The bleak aesthetic is very striking, but at times too bleak - it can be hard to spot essential switches in such a muted grey and brown environment.”
- “The graphics are too rudimentary to really provide too much of an atmosphere, but on the gameplay side of things, it's terrific despite its imperfections.”
music
338 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
51%
3%
The music in the game is predominantly atmospheric, featuring ominous droning sounds and intense tracks during combat, effectively enhancing the game's bleak and eerie atmosphere reminiscent of Cold War themes. While some players appreciate the haunting and immersive quality of the soundtrack, others feel it lacks memorability and punch, particularly during action sequences. Overall, the music is praised for its ability to complement the game's retro aesthetic and contribute to its unique ambiance, though some players desire a more dynamic and varied musical experience.
- “The music is also excellent and the game does a good job of switching between atmospheric music, uptempo music, and silence depending on the situation.”
- “The well-crafted level design and haunting soundtrack further contribute to its appeal.”
- “The music is very good and atmospheric, and the overall ambient noises work quite well.”
- “The game's music was the only aspect where it could have performed better.”
- “Lack of soundtracks to be played during the most stages.”
- “I sort of felt the music was a bit on the repetitive side, especially between levels 4-6.”
humor
284 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in the game is described as a blend of dark, surreal, and quirky elements, often reflecting Czech culture and history, which resonates particularly well with local players. Reviewers appreciate the game's ability to shift between comedic and horror elements seamlessly, with many noting the presence of funny interactions, absurd boss designs, and clever easter eggs that enhance the overall experience. While some find the humor to be janky or inconsistent, the majority agree that it adds a unique charm to the gameplay, making it a standout title in the boomer shooter genre.
- “Hrot is a fun, surprisingly funny (some player deaths left me laughing out loud), atmospheric game.”
- “The game is both dark and hilarious, and it is an excellent vessel of Czech culture with a surrealist twist.”
- “The ambiance is on point, gunplay is fast and fun, there are little 'puzzles' and calm moments, boss fights are surprising and each boss is very unique and the game is quite funny itself and a bit scary which is a plus.”
- “The final boss is just ridiculous (Putin riding a bear and then a pterodactyl), so I assume the overall game is supposed to be funny?”
story
216 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
73%
8%
The game's story is often described as minimal or nearly nonexistent, relying heavily on environmental storytelling and subtle cultural references rather than a coherent narrative. Players appreciate the atmospheric setting and unique enemy designs, but many express a desire for more explicit story elements or deeper lore to enhance the experience. Overall, while the gameplay is praised, the lack of a clear plot may deter those seeking a more traditional story-driven experience.
- “It is a story of survival, home, and estrangement.”
- “The atmosphere tells the story of sorrow, pestilence, perseverance, and humility, a lovingly crafted, if low poly recreation of many Czech landmarks and sights, sprinkled with culture and love.”
- “Add to this a plot communicated almost entirely through environmental storytelling, as well as an entire dump truck of pure, unbridled weird, and you've got an instant classic.”
- “The game doesn't really have a story; instead, it focuses on delivering an atmosphere, and it does that excellently.”
- “There's absolutely no story... and I know that this is not that important in a retro shooter, but even Quake had a background story.”
- “The utter lack of even the slightest crumb of story means that every level is completely unpredictable.”
replayability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
54%
11%
The game offers significant replayability, enhanced by features like an endless mode and an "intruder mode" that randomizes enemies and items, keeping gameplay fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the clever level design and the challenge of uncovering secrets, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of old-school FPS games. Overall, the combination of varied gameplay options and solid content ensures that players will find plenty of reasons to return.
- “The weapons and enemy types are pretty standard (except visually), but the game more than makes up for it with its incredible level design and amazing replayability.”
- “A big bonus for the game is that, if the game wasn't replayable enough already, it features an option to randomize enemies and items in a run, which is always going to be fun.”
- “Considering the amount of replayability and upcoming two episodes, I think this game deserves to be in the library of any gamer who enjoys old-school FPS games.”
- “They're playable but not very fun.”
- “The first EA version has 8 levels, a lot of weapons and different enemies, hard to find but absolutely rewarding secrets, a horde mode, just really solid and replayable content, completely worth it.”
- “Considering the amount of replayability and upcoming 2 episodes, I think this game deserves to be in the library of any gamer who enjoys old-school FPS games.”
optimization
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
42%
12%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly on the Steam Deck, including input lag and unresponsive controls. Conversely, others praise the game's smooth performance and impressive engine, noting that it runs well on various systems and allows for deep exploration. Overall, while some users report rough performance, many highlight the game's strong optimization and configurability.
- “Buttery smooth performance.”
- “Really impressive engine, perfect performance, with perfect recreation of old software accelerated 3D FPS games, just go and buy it.”
- “It is super impressive to see how optimized this game is and how much interactivity it allows through the custom engine.”
- “Currently the buttons don't react and the performance and input lag make the game unplayable regardless.”
- “Performance is atrocious on Steam Deck.”
- “The game has inconsistent performance on the Steam Deck at the time of this review.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes strong emotions, with players reporting tears within the first half-hour due to its heartfelt and raw portrayal of life under communism. However, some feel that it lacks originality compared to other retro shooters, despite moments that resonate deeply, such as the poignant encounter with a washing machine. Overall, while the emotional impact is significant, there are mixed feelings about the game's novelty and gameplay mechanics.
- “Made me cry 30 minutes in.”
- “Unexpectedly heartfelt and raw representation of life under communism.”
- “I shed a tear when I encountered that washing machine and got that achievement.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be challenging yet rewarding, with engaging gameplay and humor that offset some visual monotony. However, the repetitive brown visuals can become tedious, and there is a desire for a more dynamic soundtrack to enhance the experience.
- “All that brown gets a little tedious visually though.”
- “It's challenging in the right places, and while the brownness can be a little tedious, the humour and gameplay more than make up for it.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, the game demonstrates excellent stability, with no reported performance issues, freezes, or crashes during extensive playtime. However, users have noted some bugs when running the game on Linux, despite it not being officially supported. The game is easy to set up and performs well on high-resolution displays.
- “Went and bought the full version; it was very easy to set up and runs great on a 4K monitor.”
- “It's a bit buggy on Linux (I know it doesn't support Linux, but it's something to mention).”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers appreciate the game's monetization model, noting it avoids the pitfalls of modern DLCs and microtransactions, presenting it as a well-crafted experience rather than a cash grab.
- “Before the time of DLCs and crappy microtransactions, when the future looked so bright.”
- “This is a very well-made game, not a cash grab.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The character development in the game has been criticized for lacking creativity and inspiration, resulting in designs that feel uninspired and generic.
- “The character designs are just not especially creative or inspired.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth.”
- “I found the characters to be one-dimensional and unrelatable.”