Skip to main content

Missing Hiker

Missing Hiker Game Cover
86%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
grinding, optimization
86% User Score Based on 2,208 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
Buy NowGet on Steam Buy NowGet on itch.io Store
Missing Hiker Game Cover

About

Missing Hiker is a single player action game with a horror theme. It was developed by Gemezl and was released on February 14, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

"Missing Hiker" is a narrative-driven, first-person exploration game. As a search and rescue team member, you must navigate through dense forests and rugged terrain to find a missing hiker. The game features a dynamic weather system and day/night cycles, adding to the sense of isolation and urgency. Uncover clues, make choices, and experience a gripping story of survival and mystery.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Missing Hiker screenshot
Missing Hiker screenshot
Missing Hiker screenshot
Missing Hiker screenshot
Missing Hiker screenshot
Skip User Reviews

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,208 reviews
story68 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • Great atmosphere and sound design that effectively builds tension.
  • Short but engaging gameplay with a couple of well-timed jump scares.
  • Free to play, making it an easy recommendation for a quick horror experience.
  • Extremely short, with a playtime of around 15-20 minutes.
  • The story feels underdeveloped and ends abruptly without resolution.
  • Relies heavily on loud jump scares, which can be jarring and detract from the overall experience.
  • story
    216 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally described as short, straightforward, and lacking depth, often leaving players wanting more. While some appreciate the eerie atmosphere and potential for a richer narrative, many criticize the execution, citing clichés, abrupt endings, and minimal character development. Overall, it serves as a brief horror experience rather than a fully fleshed-out story, making it suitable for those seeking quick thrills rather than a deep narrative.

    • “Overall, it’s a solid indie horror game perfect if you enjoy story-driven, eerie experiences that don’t overstay their welcome.”
    • “The story is quite simple, just you go out search your brother.”
    • “A very well crafted short story.”
    • “Good idea, poor execution, cheap jumpscares that didn't work, mid writing, story while short is a nothing burger, waste of 15 minutes.”
    • “Adding cheap jumpscares ruins the entire horror setup that it's going for, making it seem uninspired and generic. It's very lacking on story, not adding mystery to it nor proper and clear context as to what and why you're doing this, which makes the end very underwhelming and anticlimactic.”
    • “The story remains quite surface-level, with little background lore to deepen the mystery.”
  • graphics
    153 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a nostalgic PS1-era aesthetic, which many players find charming and fitting for the horror genre. While some reviews note that the visuals can appear dated or low-quality, others appreciate the retro style and atmospheric effects, such as snow and lighting, that enhance the eerie experience. Overall, the graphics evoke a sense of nostalgia and contribute to the game's immersive horror atmosphere, despite some criticisms regarding performance and detail.

    • “I loved the snow effects, the winter vibes, and I absolutely loved the retro graphics.”
    • “The vhs aesthetic and snowy mountain setting create a genuinely eerie vibe as you search for your missing brother.”
    • “The graphics are very good; it does a good job in capturing the feel of a retro-styled horror game with a nice use of color and designs.”
    • “The graphics can be off-putting as it looks old.”
    • “The graphics are crappy.”
    • “There is nothing special about the graphics, since it's a VHS-style game.”
  • atmosphere
    136 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating and creepy qualities, effectively immersing players in a tense and eerie environment. Many reviews highlight the successful use of sound design, visuals, and pacing to build tension, although some express disappointment with the reliance on predictable jump scares and abrupt endings. Overall, the game is recognized as a strong atmospheric experience, particularly for a short horror title.

    • “Played Missing Hiker on stream and really enjoyed its spooky atmosphere - the mood, environment, and well-timed jumpscares make it a solid free horror experience.”
    • “The atmosphere builds up really well & the pacing kept me locked in the whole time.”
    • “The atmosphere is very good, definitely keeps you on edge as you're wandering the forest looking for your brother.”
    • “I will admit the atmosphere was creepy, but the jumpscares were mid.”
    • “However, while the atmosphere is well-crafted, the game feels like it has untapped potential.”
    • “The atmosphere was done really well, and the tension was great... up until that sudden, unsatisfying conclusion.”
  • gameplay
    82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and brevity, often describing it as a walking simulator with minimal interaction and a lack of depth. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and occasional jump scares, others criticize the repetitive mechanics and short playtime, suggesting that the game could benefit from more diverse gameplay features and a longer duration. Overall, the gameplay is seen as basic and lacking in engagement, with potential for improvement.

    • “Good game about possible true crime with diverse gameplay mechanics, such as driving a car, hiking, and interacting.”
    • “The gameplay is as simple as walking from place to place, pressing a button here and there to interact with people or set up your tent, for example.”
    • “Really creepy atmosphere and smooth gameplay!”
    • “Boring storyline, and boring gameplay.”
    • “There's really not much to say about the gameplay in Missing Hiker as all you really do is walk down a straight path and then once in a while look at something that's of interest, then the game ends.”
    • “Incredibly poor experience marred by a lack of actual gameplay and overly loud audio jumpscares.”
  • music
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Missing Hiker" receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its ability to enhance the game's eerie atmosphere and build tension, while others find it ordinary or forgettable. Many appreciate the ambient sound design and specific tracks, particularly during key moments, but some feel the overall soundtrack lacks depth and variety. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's horror experience, though it may not leave a lasting impression for all players.

    • “The music and sounds really sold the story here.”
    • “The atmosphere is indeed very good, and while there isn't a lot of it, the music fits the scene without feeling too distracting.”
    • “The style and grit goes really well with the crunchy audio; the music adds greatly to the building of tension before the couple of jump scares.”
    • “I'd rather walk for two hours on a hot day with no music or podcast than play this.”
    • “The only other thing I could really say about the game is that, admittedly, there isn’t a soundtrack as much as ambient droning that probably came from a free sample CD; though truth be told, I don’t have a problem with that in the slightest.”
    • “The sound and music elements of the game can be considered ordinary or forgettable.”
  • humor
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding the story and character interactions amusing, particularly the absurdity of certain situations and achievements. Many reviews highlight the blend of humor with horror elements, noting that jump scares often have a comedic twist. Overall, while some aspects may feel repetitive, the game's lighthearted moments and funny scenarios contribute to an enjoyable experience.

    • “Very funny little story, I liked it haha.”
    • “The achievements of the game are easy to get, but most are not related to the story and are kind of funny.”
    • “Funny enough, the fake scare got me more than the real one, lol!”
  • grinding
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players consistently express that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of effort that can feel tedious rather than engaging. Many reviewers suggest that it may feel like players need "a second life" to manage the grinding effectively.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “More tedious than spooky.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
  • optimization
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization is widely criticized, with many users noting poor performance, high resource demands for subpar graphics, and a need for significant improvements. While some aspects of the game are appreciated, the consensus is that better optimization could enhance the overall experience.

    • “I like this game; maybe better optimization and more endings would improve it.”
    • “The car ride needs to be optimized, but overall it's a very good game.”
    • “GPU usage was acceptable for an indie game and barely optimized (70% at 2K 144Hz before capping).”
    • “Poorly optimized walking simulator with a cheap jumpscare at the end.”
    • “The game's image quality, optimization, and performance may need improvement.”
    • “The game isn't very optimized.”
  • replayability
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is considered low, with many reviewers noting its short length and linear structure as significant drawbacks. Suggestions for improvement include adding more exploration, dialogue options, or alternate endings to enhance replay value. Once achievements are completed, players feel there is little incentive to revisit the game.

    • “A bit more exploration, dialogue, or alternate endings would make it even better and more replayable.”
    • “Once you get all of the achievements, there is no replayability.”
    • “And while that might not be the worst way to tell your story, it certainly isn't the most satisfying way; not to mention the complete lack of replay value.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews on the emotional aspect of the game are mixed; while some players found it to be a heart-wrenching experience with a compelling narrative that intertwines significant religious themes, others criticized the storyline as boring and felt an abrupt conclusion left them feeling empty.

    • “Wow, this was an emotional rollercoaster!”
    • “Heart-wrenching story with an immaculate overarching plot that also ties the stories of the Bible and Quran together.”
    • “It was abrupt and made me feel kind of empty.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report a high level of stability, with no glitches or bugs encountered during gameplay. Overall, the game is considered bug-free, contributing to a smooth experience.

    • “I experienced no glitches.”
    • “Bug free?”
Skip Game Offers

Buy Missing Hiker

4h Median play time
4h Average play time
0h Main story
0h Completionist
4-4h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Missing Hiker

Games Like Missing Hiker

Mimic Search Image
90%518reviews

Mimic Search

2024Action
PCWindows
Fears to Fathom: Home Alone Image
88%5.2kreviews

Fears to Fathom: Home Alone

2021Survival Survival
PCWindows
[Nightmare Files] Clap Clap Image
96%2.6kreviews

[Nightmare Files] Clap Clap

2024Survival Simulation
PCWindowsPlayStation
Fears to Fathom: Norwood Hitchhike Image
87%2.3kreviews

Fears to Fathom: Norwood Hitchhike

2022Survival Survival
PCWindows
Reminiscence Image
84%880reviews

Reminiscence

2021Action
PCWindows
More games like Missing Hiker
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Missing Hiker is a action game with horror theme.

Missing Hiker is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Missing Hiker.

Missing Hiker was released on February 14, 2023.

Missing Hiker was developed by Gemezl.

Missing Hiker has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Missing Hiker is a single player game.

Similar games include Mimic Search, Fears to Fathom: Home Alone, [Nightmare Files] Clap Clap, Fears to Fathom: Norwood Hitchhike, Reminiscence and others.