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Kholat

A poignant and masterfully haunting affair, Kholat’s flawed narrative and sparse environments aren’t enough to considerably detract from its overwhelming atmospherics and sense of adventure.
59%Game Brain Score
story, atmosphere
optimization, grinding
62% User Score Based on 4,486 reviews
Critic Score 56%Based on 21 reviews

Platforms

MOMac OSNSNintendo SwitchPCPCP4Playstation 4P5Playstation 5SDSteam DeckWinWindowsXOXbox OneXSXXbox Series X|SPlaPlayStationXboxXbox
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About

"Kholat is a single-player horror exploration game with an intriguing story based on the real Dyatlov Pass incident, where nine hikers died in the Ural Mountains. The game features marvelous graphics and sound, immersing you in its dense atmosphere, but be prepared for lots of grinding and bugs. Navigate the harsh environment, uncover the truth, and survive the unknown forces."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Kholat screenshot
Kholat screenshot
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+11

62%
Audience ScoreBased on 4,507 reviews
story680 positive mentions
optimization60 negative mentions
  • story
    2,332 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Kholat," inspired by the real-life Dyatlov Pass incident, is presented through scattered notes and environmental storytelling, creating a haunting atmosphere that intrigues many players. However, the narrative is often criticized for being convoluted and lacking coherence, leaving some players confused and unsatisfied with the ending. While the game appeals to fans of slow-burn horror and exploration, its reliance on piecing together the story from fragmented notes can be frustrating for those seeking a more structured narrative experience.

    • “The game’s environmental storytelling and cryptic narrative create a sense of mystery and dread that keeps players engaged.”
    • “Unlike traditional horror games that rely on jump scares, Kholat focuses on psychological horror and environmental storytelling.”
    • “With its gripping storytelling and atmospheric design, Kholat is a must-play for fans of psychological horror.”
    • “There is not enough narration either to justify all this walking around, and the story is paper thin.”
    • “However, it falls short of unlocking its full potential and the way the story narrated can put you to sleep.”
    • “The story is lacking and poorly told through notes; a lot, if not all, of these notes are based on real stories or notes, but eh, who really wants to spend their time reading all of these.”
  • atmosphere
    1,374 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in Kholat is widely praised for its chilling and immersive qualities, effectively capturing the eerie essence of a desolate winter landscape. Players appreciate the game's use of sound design, graphics, and environmental storytelling to create a sense of isolation and tension, making exploration both haunting and engaging. While some find the pacing slow and the gameplay mechanics frustrating, the overall atmospheric experience remains a standout feature that resonates with fans of psychological horror.

    • “Kholat is a beautifully eerie and atmospheric horror experience that relies on psychological tension rather than traditional scares.”
    • “The atmosphere is absolutely chilling and I felt cold terror in my chest for much of the time I spent playing.”
    • “Kholat does a splendid job of creating an eerie, unsettling atmosphere almost right from the get-go.”
    • “Kholat conjures a chilling atmosphere as a walking simulator, but playing years after its release and with the official statement attributing the Dyatlov Pass incident to an avalanche somewhat deflates the mystery the game tries to weave.”
    • “The atmosphere does a tremendous job of making you feel uncomfortable and seriously makes you consider quitting.”
    • “The actual threats you deal with in the game really detracts from the atmosphere/subtlety of the game, and feels like a complete afterthought; when you do die, it's always completely unexpected and instant, and then you're spawned in some random place that you don't recognize, lost.”
  • graphics
    1,006 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning and atmospheric quality, enhanced by the Unreal Engine 4, which creates a hauntingly immersive experience. Many players note the beautiful visuals and sound design, contributing to a chilling atmosphere, although some mention issues with optimization and repetitive environments. Overall, while the graphics are a highlight, the gameplay and narrative elements receive mixed reviews, with some players feeling the visuals overshadow other aspects of the game.

    • “The unreal engine-powered graphics enhance the eerie atmosphere, making exploration feel both breathtaking and unsettling.”
    • “A beautifully haunting game with some of the most stunning visuals to explore endlessly, still giving me many questions even after completing it.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the game runs smoothly, the soundtrack is excellent.”
    • “Even with a GTX 1060 at 1080p, this game runs like crap; it's so badly optimized that you need to play the game in low settings with the ugliest graphics I've ever seen in my life. The only setting that works is 'bloom', to hide all textures and make you dizzy while you try to see far away.”
    • “The graphics/atmosphere are beyond top-notch, but this serves only to trick you and hide a clunky, complicated mess of a game that works against you as you're trying to enjoy it.”
    • “Take away graphics and atmosphere and you're left with a game that offers nothing valuable.”
  • gameplay
    853 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Kholat is primarily characterized as a slow-paced walking simulator that emphasizes exploration and atmosphere over traditional mechanics, which may not appeal to all players. Many reviews highlight the frustrating navigation system, lack of direction, and repetitive tasks, leading to a sense of tedium despite the game's strong visual and auditory elements. While some players appreciate the unique map and compass mechanics, the overall consensus is that the gameplay is lacking in depth and engagement, often overshadowed by its atmospheric storytelling.

    • “The game stands out from typical horror titles by using slow-building tension and atmosphere rather than action-heavy gameplay.”
    • “Kholat has made a successful job of giving intense tension to the players despite the short gameplay time.”
    • “The atmosphere and exploration mechanics are top notch, and several sequences were really scary using subtle elements of horror instead of cheap jump scares.”
    • “Gameplay, though, feels slow and lack of direction might feel limiting.”
    • “The gameplay consists of walking around a map until you find a scary location, get chased by orange gas or a monster, collect a note, and repeat.”
    • “It's horribly slow and horribly directionless - you are left alone to explore a huge mostly empty map with a compass and a map, supposedly trying to survive without any survival mechanics aside from hiding from shadow people.”
  • music
    697 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and haunting qualities, significantly enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to evoke tension and emotion, with many describing it as beautiful and fitting for the game's eerie setting. While some note that the music can occasionally be too loud or cut out abruptly, the consensus is that it plays a crucial role in immersing players in the chilling atmosphere of the game.

    • “The game masterfully combines eerie landscapes with a haunting soundtrack, creating a tense and unforgettable experience.”
    • “The atmosphere and scenery are great and the soundtrack plays into that in a big way.”
    • “The soundtrack is both chilling and beautiful, one of the best aspects of this game.”
    • “Though the musical score can sometimes get cut out of nowhere, it has a solid ambience of dread and as Geralt would say: 'wind's howling.'”
    • “But paired with the game, the soundtrack almost makes the game worse.”
    • “The game is not very scary, but the atmosphere combined with the music and sound does give it a sense of fear, which sets you up very well for those small jump scares.”
  • optimization
    167 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including frequent frame drops and stuttering, regardless of hardware specifications. Even on mid-range systems, players experience significant slowdowns, particularly in certain areas, leading to a consensus that the game is poorly optimized and requires urgent performance patches. While the visuals are praised, the overall experience is hampered by these optimization shortcomings, making it difficult for many to recommend the game in its current state.

    • “First and foremost, it is severely underoptimized, which means that some areas of the game will absolutely kill your performance/fps regardless of what setup you have.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the game runs smoothly, the soundtrack is excellent.”
    • “Fantastic game, awesome atmosphere and graphics... it needs optimization though some areas have abnormal framedrops.”
    • “This game has really bad optimization; every time you enter any part of the map, you are met with loading bugs.”
    • “First and foremost, it is severely under-optimized, which means that some areas of the game will absolutely kill your performance/fps regardless of what setup you have.”
    • “The optimization of the game is crap to say the least; I can run the game at 45 fps with an i7 and GTX 760, while there are certain parts where the fps drops down to even 15.”
  • grinding
    90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for its tedious and slow-paced gameplay, with many players expressing frustration over navigation challenges and the lack of meaningful direction. The reliance on a compass and map, combined with slow movement mechanics, contributes to a feeling of aimlessness that can make extended play sessions feel burdensome. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements, the overall consensus is that the game often becomes a tedious slog, detracting from the enjoyment of exploration and storytelling.

    • “I get that the map was made to convey a more 'realistic' feel to it, but having to painfully trudge from place to place, without a clear direction of where you actually are and where you need to go just made me want to quit and uninstall this tedious mess of a game.”
    • “The gameplay also quickly got tedious, too much walking around slowly and getting lost.”
    • “Unfortunately after discovering the first few locations, everything becomes too tedious to be very intriguing.”
  • stability
    62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game exhibits a range of stability issues, including frequent glitches such as falling through the ground, getting stuck on objects, and minor graphical and sound bugs. While these issues can be particularly frustrating for players aiming for 100% achievements, they are generally considered manageable in the context of the game's slow pace. Overall, the stability is marked by a mix of minor annoyances and more significant bugs that can disrupt gameplay.

    • “Running on Unreal Engine 4, the world runs great, but the key here is the design.”
    • “Genuinely one of the worst games I've ever played. At its best, it's a somewhat pretty game to look at, but at its worst, it's a buggy, boring slog not only to play but also to achieve 100%.”
    • “The game itself is a little buggy, and there were several (more than six) times that I died in the game by falling through the ground or by getting stuck on a rock and getting caught by an enemy.”
    • “There are occasional glitches that will result in your character becoming stuck in the environment or falling right through it into voids unknown.”
  • replayability
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that once the map is explored and encounters experienced, there is little incentive to return. The short playtime, typically around three hours, and the absence of new modes or significant content to discover further diminish its replay value. While some players may enjoy revisiting the environment or hunting for missed achievements, the consensus is that the game offers minimal replayability beyond the initial playthrough.

    • “But that only adds to the replayability, as I keep coming back to dive deeper into its mystery.”
    • “🔲 Infinitely replayable (or almost)”
    • “I don't know how much replay value it will hold, but I know that I wouldn't mind getting lost in those beautiful mountains for half an hour.”
    • “This game has no replay value whatsoever.”
    • “I'm not sure Kholat would have much replay value, however, as once the map has been explored and all of the encounters experienced, the game would lose its strongest asset - fear of the unknown.”
    • “Overall too short with no replayability.”
  • emotional
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed, with some players appreciating the sense of freedom and exploration it offers, while others find the atmosphere and story lacking in depth and engagement. The game evokes feelings of coldness and tension through its audio design, but many reviewers feel that the emotional impact is diminished by a boring narrative and a lack of meaningful stakes. Overall, it elicits a range of emotions, from eerie horror to a sense of emptiness.

    • “The story they 'tell' is really creepy and filled with emotional horror and unnamed supernatural threat.”
    • “Absolutely stellar audio made me feel the wind chill.”
    • “Great emotional feelings while playing.”
    • “Boring, empty, no ambiance, boring story reading... a beautiful walk in the snow...”
    • “Not the constant falling through the floor, boring atmosphere, and boring story but the price tag of $20.”
    • “-boring story”
  • humor
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is described as inconsistent and confusing, with some players finding it unintentionally funny while others feel it lacks genuine comedic value. There are references to absurd scenarios, but overall, opinions are divided on whether the game successfully delivers humor.

    • “Not to mention it's hilariously confusing.”
    • “For the sake of a funny review: I guess the people at Kholat Mountain left their tents and walked out and froze to death, so they wouldn't need to play this game.”
    • “The funny thing about this is that I really do think jumping was in the game at one point since there are some paths that are cut off by a high ledge.”
    • “Nope, it's not funny.”
    • “Nope, it's not funny.”
  • character development
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that "Kholat" falls short in character development, with players noting a lack of engaging story and character depth, which are typically crucial elements in walking simulators. The game's presentation, including graphics and art direction, does not compensate for this deficiency.

  • monetization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for being misleading, as players feel the advertisements accurately reflect the game's disappointing content, leading to frustration and a lack of trust in the studio's future releases.

    • “I tried to enjoy it because it looked like a Slenderman type of game because of the notes and exploration, but the advertisement is too accurate to what the game has in store for you.”
    • “Expect me to never buy another game from your studio, and I will make sure to share my experience with others!”

56%Critics’ scoreBased on 21 critic reviews

Buy Kholat

6h Median play time
7h Average play time
3-7h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 28 analyzed playthroughs

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