Ten Bells

About

Ten Bells is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Acrylic Pixel and was released on August 30, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Ten Bells" is a horror game set in a timeless English pub, where you must search for anomalies and uncover a hidden mystery. Progress through the game by backtracking when you find an anomaly and avoiding traps and inhabitants. With its unique concept and immersive atmosphere, "Ten Bells" promises to be a standout in the anomaly horror genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 367 reviews

story69 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features a beautifully crafted atmosphere set in a late-19th-century pub, enhancing the horror experience.
It offers a unique blend of engaging storytelling and gameplay, with a variety of creative and surprising anomalies that keep players on their toes.
The inclusion of a 'nightmare mode' adds replayability and challenge, making it a standout in the anomaly-hunting genre.

Some players found the game's reliance on jump scares to be excessive, detracting from the overall tension.
The subtlety of certain anomalies can lead to frustration, as some changes are difficult to spot, potentially breaking immersion.
A few technical issues, such as lens flare and camera effects, were reported to obscure gameplay and hinder the experience.

story
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
53%
2%
The story in "Ten Bells" is intricately woven into the gameplay, revealing itself through environmental storytelling, collectible items, and the unique anomalies players encounter. Reviewers praise its dark and engaging narrative, which combines horror elements with a mystery that unfolds gradually, rewarding players for their exploration and attention to detail. Overall, the game is noted for its effective storytelling, atmospheric design, and the way it ties the anomalies directly to the overarching plot, making it a standout in the anomaly genre.
- “This fragmented storytelling approach not only deepens the mystery but also aligns perfectly with the game’s emphasis on observation.”
- “The story is slowly revealed both through readable text and the anomalies themselves.”
- “A fantastic take on the anomaly loop genre, with a well-crafted environment, lots of crazy anomalies, and a great story too.”
- “The story is basically about a scary ghost lady; it was generic and it lacked something more unique to be truly frightening.”
- “The story is well presented, and definitely nothing that hasn't been seen before.”
- “The game has a story and keeps you on edge the whole time.”
atmosphere
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
31%
4%
The atmosphere in *Ten Bells* is widely praised for its eerie, immersive quality, effectively blending sound design, visuals, and storytelling to create a chilling experience. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke dread through minimalism and detail, with a setting reminiscent of a haunted British pub that enhances the overall tension and engagement. Many consider it a standout in the anomaly-hunting genre, offering a memorable and unsettling atmosphere that lingers long after gameplay.
- “Its confined setting, looping structure, and focus on detail combine to create an atmosphere that lingers long after the credits roll.”
- “The atmosphere is electric with suspense, and because you're paying so much attention looking for things, you rarely see the thing creeping up on you.”
- “The atmosphere it builds with the visuals and sound design puts it a step above many others in the genre, and there are a lot of anomalies on nightmare mode.”
- “The atmosphere is dark and dreary, carrying a very creepy tone from the start.”
- “The atmosphere, fear of the unknown and simple but focused gameplay meant I felt constantly uneasy playing Ten Bells.”
- “The atmosphere it builds with the visuals and sound design put it a step above many others in the genre, and there are a lot of anomalies on nightmare mode.”
graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
35%
7%
The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their solid art style, detailed visuals, and atmospheric design, contributing significantly to the overall experience. Many players noted the stunning visuals and smooth performance, although some expressed a desire for more customizable graphics settings. Overall, the game's graphics enhance the storytelling and immersion, making it a standout in its genre.
- “The visuals are stunning, and I was impressed by the pretty consistent, smooth frame rate.”
- “The atmosphere it builds with the visuals and sound design puts it a step above many others in the genre, and there are a lot of anomalies on nightmare mode.”
- “The graphics are awesome, the anomalies are great, the sound effects and music are good.”
- “If the game had custom graphics settings to turn all that crap off, it might be a thumbs up, but as it stands now I'd suggest Exit 8 and Platform 8 are the far superior titles that offer much the same experience, but with genuinely impressive and clear graphics that enhance rather than detract from the gameplay.”
- “Please add more options to adjust graphics!”
- “I've dialed back the settings to a lower resolution and graphical setting just to extend battery life; needless to say, it runs incredibly smooth.”
gameplay
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
59%
8%
The gameplay in "Ten Bells" is centered around an anomaly-detection mechanic that requires players to carefully observe their surroundings in a late-19th-century pub, blending horror elements with a narrative that enhances the experience. While the repetitive nature of the gameplay may initially seem limiting, it ultimately serves as a core component of the emotional journey, with a focus on spotting subtle changes that keeps players engaged. However, some players have noted that graphical effects can detract from the experience, suggesting that customization options could improve overall enjoyment.
- “At its heart, Ten Bells revolves around an anomaly-detection mechanic, a system that rewards careful observation and punishes inattentiveness.”
- “The gameplay's repetition might initially seem limiting, but it quickly becomes the cornerstone of the experience.”
- “Ten Bells delivers a brief yet haunting horror experience that blends spot-the-difference gameplay with a rich, eerie atmosphere.”
- “Lens flare and any camera distortion-type effects are a bane on modern gaming, but in Ten Bells, they're employed to an extent that actually negatively affects the gameplay.”
- “There is barely any gameplay involved, certainly no interactivity.”
- “Gameplay is 'spot the anomaly': you walk through a repeating area looking for (not so) subtle changes to the environment.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
Overall, the game is praised for its strong replayability, offering significant value for its price. Players appreciate the gradual reveal of the story and the introduction of new challenges, such as the nightmare difficulty, which enhance the experience. The combination of atmospheric horror and engaging gameplay makes it a standout choice for fans seeking replayable content.
- “For only a few bucks, this is a no-brainer and includes a pretty impressive amount of replay value for the cost.”
- “Such a refreshing horror with some fantastic jumpscares, strong atmosphere, and great replayability.”
- “Replayability is one of the game's biggest strengths.”
- “With the new addition of nightmare difficulty, this game's replay value has increased significantly.”
- “Probably the anomaly game that has the most replayability factor due to the very interesting story that slowly gets revealed the more you play!”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
The music in the game is praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, creating a somber and immersive experience that aligns well with the emotional tone intended by the developers. While some users appreciate the eerie and non-intrusive quality of the soundtrack, others criticize the reliance on clichéd musical stings for jump scares, suggesting a need for more originality in horror elements. Overall, the combination of music, sound effects, and visuals is regarded as well-executed, contributing positively to the gaming experience.
- “The music and color palette create a truly somber feeling to the gaming environment.”
- “I think the music and sound effects are timed perfectly to put you into the emotional state the developers want.”
- “The music and color palette create a truly somber feeling in the gaming environment.”
- “I like this new emerging anomaly hunt genre, but cheap jump scares with cliché musical stings are disappointing, and 'Ten Bells' relies too much on them to create horror.”
- “The eerie music, the lighting, the suspense.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is deeply intertwined with its gameplay and narrative, creating a powerful experience where each failure symbolizes a regression into confusion and despair. Players feel a profound connection to the story, as the game explores themes of mental and emotional entrapment, enhanced by perfectly timed music and sound effects that evoke strong feelings. Overall, it successfully transforms simple visuals into a compelling emotional journey.
- “This repetition also feeds into the game’s underlying metaphor: you are not simply stuck in a time loop, but in a mental and emotional one, trapped by memories you can’t escape until you truly see what has changed.”
- “It’s a rare instance where gameplay and narrative are inseparable, both feeding into a singular emotional experience.”
- “I think the music and sound effects are timed perfectly to put you into the emotional state the developers want.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its clever juxtaposition of horror and comedy, often presenting absurd scenarios like exaggerated gore alongside subtle, humorous details. Players appreciate the balance between genuine scares and comedic elements, making for a uniquely entertaining experience.
- “It's funny that sometimes the game will be like 'if you see here, there's a small blood stain on the ground' and other times it will literally yeet a corpse at your face.”
- “This game is less esoteric with its anomalies and less visceral with its horror; some of the anomalies are quite funny.”
- “It's funny, with horror games that are genuinely trying to scare you, the window of opportunity is kind of narrow, necessitating a short experience.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of effort akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it still feels like I'm nowhere.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with solid performance reported at high resolutions and frame rates. However, some users experienced bugs, such as a narrow field of view that required a restart to fix.
- “Performance was solid for me at 1440p - 75fps with an RTX 4070 and i9 9900k.”
- “Great graphics, better performance, good little story of a murder mystery, and some great anomalies.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the game's stability is a significant issue, with users reporting it as buggy and unplayable, leading to frustration among players.
- “I bought this game with my own money, but it's so buggy and unplayable that I feel like I'm just trolling them by talking about it.”
- “The game crashes constantly, making it impossible to enjoy any of the content.”
- “I've experienced numerous glitches that completely ruin the gameplay experience.”