Husk

About

Husk is a single player survival survival game with drama and violence themes. It was developed by UndeadScout and was released on February 3, 2017. It received negative reviews from both critics and players.

Husk is a purebred FPP horror inspired by the most classical representatives of the genre. Discover Shivercliff - a daunting town where you uncover the ominous and tantalizing plot. Face the worst nightmares, solve mysteries and survive the devouring darkness in order to find your family.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

37%

Audience ScoreBased on 399 reviews

story56 positive mentions

gameplay36 negative mentions

Strong atmosphere and eerie setting reminiscent of classic horror games like Silent Hill and Alan Wake.
Good voice acting and soundtrack contribute to the immersive experience.
Graphically decent environments with attention to detail, lighting, and sound design create a compelling world to explore.

Gameplay mechanics such as combat and stealth are clunky, inconsistent, and frustrating, reducing tension and immersion.
The story is predictable, unevenly delivered, and overshadowed by poor pacing and repetitive fetch quests.
The game suffers from numerous bugs, performance issues, and poor optimization that hinder enjoyment and progression.

story
259 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
66%
12%
The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its atmospheric, emotional, and dark narrative centered on themes like domestic abuse and personal trauma, while others find it predictable, clichéd, and unevenly delivered. Though the setting and environmental storytelling effectively create a haunting mood reminiscent of classic horror, many felt the plot was stretched thin, slow-paced, and lacked depth or originality, often relying on common horror tropes without engaging execution. Overall, it offers a decent but unremarkable story experience that might appeal more to fans of slow, atmospheric walking simulators than to those seeking a tightly woven or innovative narrative.
- “This game was amazing, scary, Silent Hill vibe, deep dark storyline that crush your soul!”
- “Beneath its supernatural veneer lies a story rooted in personal failure, emotional repression, and the consequences of destructive behavior.”
- “"Husk" follows protagonist Matthew Palmer on his quest to find his missing family, uncovering the depths of a deserted town harboring mysterious threats, and trying to survive long enough to overcome his woes.”
- “The story is lackluster and predictable, and veers away from the paranormal happenings almost immediately which was incredibly disappointing to me.”
- “This game is a walking simulator "horror" game filled with predictable cliches and where nothing really happens, the plot feels predictable from the very first cutscene in the prologue, stealth doesn't work, you can easily stun and outrun enemies, the moment the game gives you more tools to use they get taken away from you two rooms after.”
- “The factory has one of the longest, most egregious examples of Matthew spoon-feeding the player the story as he talks out loud for ten minutes to an empty factory floor.”
gameplay
156 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
67%
23%
The gameplay in Husk is widely criticized for being clunky, repetitive, and poorly executed, with broken stealth mechanics, unsatisfying combat, and linear exploration that lack meaningful challenge or engagement. While the atmosphere and story are noted as strong points, the overall gameplay feels shallow, buggy, and frustrating, often disrupting immersion rather than enhancing the horror experience. Many reviewers highlight that the game prioritizes mood and narrative over polished mechanics, resulting in a largely unsatisfying interactive experience.
- “While the gameplay sticks to familiar survival horror mechanics, the strong plot and tense setting make it engaging.”
- “Gameplay: first person, main focus is clearly “exploration” and solving easy puzzles (collect keys, restore power, search for pin codes, etc.), but with survival aspects.”
- “The gameplay is solid, the graphics are really nice, the sound and atmosphere are top notch, and it's just one big bundle of horror joy.”
- “There's a very dodgy (or even broken) stealth mechanic in place where enemies can detect and attack you through walls; combat blows too so there was some trial and error.”
- “It isn't until the halfway point in which an invincible variant is introduced that tension is regained, but even that is lost to the frustrating mechanics like getting hurt through walls, having your speed sapped by one of the enemy types, etc. The gun also doesn't feel great to use, and will occasionally shoot bullets into a hard surface like a wall or box whether or not you're actually aiming at one.”
- “The stealth mechanics flat out don't work and the game has the most awkward firearm I have seen in recent memory.”
atmosphere
126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
46%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, oppressive, and eerie tone, successfully evoking a haunting, late-1990s survival horror vibe reminiscent of Silent Hill and Alan Wake. Strong environmental storytelling, detailed settings, and atmospheric sound design create immersion and suspense without relying on cheap jump scares. However, some players note that while the atmosphere starts compellingly and remains a highlight, it can be undermined by rough gameplay, pacing issues, and occasional bugs, making the overall horror impact uneven.
- “The strongest aspect of Husk lies in its oppressive atmosphere and environmental storytelling.”
- “For players drawn to atmospheric horror experiences inspired by classics like Silent Hill, and who are willing to tolerate rough edges in exchange for a haunting tone and somber storytelling, Husk offers a memorable journey through a town shaped as much by inner demons as supernatural ones.”
- “The game doesn't rely on jump scares to frighten you but on its unsettling atmosphere.”
- “The story sounds deep at first — missing people, strange town, mysterious atmosphere — but after a while, you’re just running around thinking, “Am I supposed to be scared right now?””
- “I have always maintained that atmosphere is one of the essential elements of any good horror and the atmosphere for the game missed the mark.”
- “The game itself is poorly done in terms of story and atmosphere, and more boring than scary.”
graphics
126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
48%
10%
The graphics are generally regarded as decent to good, with impressive environmental details and a strong atmospheric tone enhanced by Unreal Engine 4. However, many users report issues such as awkward monster animations, occasional bugs, texture pop-ins, and optimization problems causing frame rate drops and crashes. Overall, while the visuals effectively contribute to the game's mood and setting, they are occasionally undermined by technical shortcomings and inconsistent quality.
- “The graphics are amazing.”
- “The game has the most beautiful and uncomfortably scary environment that I have seen since Alan Wake; it varies along the story as well—caves, small town, harbor, woods, hospital—and the graphics are amazing for an indie title.”
- “Graphics (Unreal Engine 4): The very decent graphics, with attention to detail, reflected in diversified level design, fills the game with the right touch of mystery.”
- “Omg this is one of the worst games I ever played, buggy enemies, graphics are way outdated and what starts as a story suddenly is nothing great.”
- “Terrible graphics, boring gameplay, buggy mechanics - 2/10, don't waste your time.”
- “Graphics are horrible, story is cliche, voice acting is laughable, controls are janky, combat is as basic and unsatisfying as it gets.”
music
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
57%
8%
The music and soundtrack in the game receive mixed feedback: many praise its atmospheric, ambient design and connection to horror classics like Silent Hill, enhancing the mood and tension. However, repeated criticism highlights the abrupt and jarring start-stop of chase music, which disrupts suspense, alongside its scarcity and occasional poor timing. Despite flaws, the soundtrack, composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski, is generally seen as a strong positive contributing to the game’s grim tone and atmosphere.
- “Sound design further elevates these spaces, using ambient noise, distant echoes, and subtle musical cues to maintain a constant undercurrent of unease.”
- “The graphics, sounds and the music are all very pleasing and set a good, grim tone.”
- “The soundtrack is beautiful, so are the voice actors, and just everything in this game screams 'atmosphere'... and as 'bad' as people make the combat, I'm an absolute noob at games and had no severe problems with it.”
- “The chase music stops the second you’re safe, instantly killing any tension.”
- “Chase music starts when they spot you and cuts out abruptly without fading away which is very jarring.”
- “"Husk" is a horror game that fails to deliver scares, with lackluster storytelling and repetitive gameplay and boring music.”
- “The chase music will also sometimes start playing even with no enemies around.”
optimization
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
57%
37%
The game suffers from severe optimization issues, causing frequent FPS drops, stuttering, and poor performance even on high-end rigs, particularly with higher shadow quality settings. While some players report improvements after patches, many still experience significant technical problems that hinder smooth gameplay. Overall, optimization remains a major drawback that impacts the game's playability and reception.
- “There are a lot of settings to adjust the details of graphics quality to avoid performance issues.”
- “They fixed moderate performance issues and as a result, the game is a lot smoother than it was at launch.”
- “The game's performance issues that were a major problem at launch have been fixed, along with many mechanics.”
- “Borderline unplayable due to really bad optimization.”
- “The setting that kills all performance is the shadow quality - anything above low tanks the FPS and I mean, like, really kills it.”
- “Game is so terribly optimized it gave me a headache - I was at 60 FPS then fell to 7.”
stability
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues that often disrupt gameplay, including problematic AI, locked doors, and graphical errors. While some players find these stability problems frustrating and immersion-breaking, others feel that recent patches have addressed many issues, making the experience somewhat enjoyable despite its rough technical state. Overall, the game's stability significantly hampers its quality and may deter many players.
- “The game is very buggy, with numerous glitches that disrupt gameplay and immersion.”
- “Husk is loaded with game-destroying glitches like doors that you already have the key card for but simply won't open, causing you to get caught by monsters.”
- “The amount of technical problems, glitches, and frustrating pointless rooms is way beyond acceptable, severely impacting the gameplay experience.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor arises largely from its unintentionally funny elements, such as awkward enemy animations, bizarrely scaled objects, and ridiculous monster behaviors that undermine any intended horror. While these aspects detract from the experience for some, they also provide genuine laughs and a quirky charm, making the game entertaining in a campy, so-bad-it's-good way. Overall, it’s recommended as a humorous, casual playthrough, especially if acquired at a discount.
- “There's a sequence in a hospital that actually made me laugh out loud.”
- “The game scared the living hell out of me and made me laugh multiple times (the doll), which is tough to pull off in a Silent Hill-esque game.”
- “While they make idle noises, they don’t make any noise on the attack so you don’t even know when you’ve activated one until you’re dead by its hilarious flailing.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
Grinding in the game is often described as tedious and repetitive, especially with slow walking speeds, repetitive fetch quests, and frustrating combat or stealth sections. While some enjoy the investigative elements, the overall experience can become boring and slow-paced over time.
- “It did get boring and tedious after a while, especially with the repetition of finding keys.”
- “The walking speed is tediously slow, which I can understand if you want a suspenseful game, but there is barely any suspense at all.”
- “At worst, there are repetitive fetch-quest objectives and tedious combat with enemy NPCs.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game offers very limited replayability due to its linear design and lack of creative elements, providing little incentive for players to revisit after completion. While achievement hunting may extend playtime slightly, the overall experience does not justify its price or encourage repeated playthroughs.
- “With no replay value or creativity, the game fails to give players any reason to revisit Shivercliff as it's infested with disgusting black goo, monsters, and bizarre hallucinations.”
- “The price is too high; buy at a discount. In my opinion, there is no replayability here, not an interesting replay at least.”
- “The game is extremely linear and there is no replayability value.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game aims to deliver a deeply emotional story centered on personal failure and emotional repression, emphasizing mood and symbolism over gameplay mechanics. However, many find the emotional impact lacking, with execution described as flat and the narrative feeling hollow and drawn out.
- “Beneath its supernatural veneer lies a story rooted in personal failure, emotional repression, and the consequences of destructive behavior.”
- “It is a game that prioritizes mood, symbolism, and emotional discomfort over polish or mechanical depth.”
- “The setup hints at emotional weight, but the execution felt flat.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel that the game lacks character development, failing to create a sense of urgency or emotional investment in the storyline.
- “In the hour I played, I saw no character development, no urgency, and no attempt to make me care about the missing family.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel that the game's monetization, particularly promoting 4K and 60fps performance, serves more as a marketing tactic than an actual playable experience.