Ten Bells
- August 30, 2024
- Hillfort Games
Get on Steam"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.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Ten Bells offers a unique and engaging story that unfolds as players progress, enhancing the overall experience.
- The game features a well-crafted atmosphere with impressive graphics and sound design, making it genuinely spooky and immersive.
- With a variety of anomalies that range from subtle to overt, the gameplay is both challenging and rewarding, encouraging replayability to discover all secrets.
- Some players experienced technical issues, such as crashes and bugs, which detracted from the overall enjoyment.
- The reliance on jump scares can feel excessive at times, potentially undermining the tension built through the game's atmosphere.
- A few anomalies are considered too obvious, leading to a lack of challenge for experienced players in the genre.
- story66 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in "Ten Bells" is praised for its engaging and well-crafted narrative that unfolds as players progress through the game, featuring a mix of suspense, twists, and emotional depth. While the plot is not overly complex, it effectively integrates environmental storytelling and character development, enhancing the overall atmosphere and player immersion. Many reviewers appreciate the balance of horror elements with a coherent storyline, making it a standout in the anomaly-hunting genre.
“The atmosphere is perfect... and the story being told within the game is beautifully dark and twisted.”
“Amazing game, every anomaly makes you intrigued to find, with a great story and unexpected twists.”
“The suspense builds nicely, and the story is played out well.”
“However, I can certainly see it having a story mod to be one someday.”
“Because I didn't see the entertainment value in a game where you're just doing a seek and find for what's different... but if it's also telling a story behind the mechanic... it's going to pique my interest even more.”
“Other games I just watched YouTube videos and they seemed to all fall into a very light on story and atmosphere.”
- atmosphere29 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of *Ten Bells* is consistently praised for its dark, creepy tone and immersive Victorian pub setting, which enhances the game's horror elements. Reviewers highlight the effective use of environmental storytelling and sound design, creating a tense and unsettling experience that captivates players. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as rich and engaging, making it a standout in the anomaly genre.
“Great tense chilling Victorian atmosphere; I absolutely loved the English pub setting.”
“The atmosphere is perfect... and the story being told within the game is beautifully dark and twisted.”
“The atmosphere is dark and dreary, carrying a very creepy tone from the start.”
“Other games I just watched on YouTube seemed to all fall into a very light story and atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere fit the story theme well, and the sound design was immersive to a pub.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received widespread acclaim, with many users praising the stunning visuals, smooth frame rates, and immersive art style. The combination of impressive graphics and effective sound design contributes significantly to the game's eerie atmosphere and overall experience. Players noted that the game runs exceptionally well even at maximum settings, enhancing the enjoyment of its horror elements.
“The visuals are stunning, and I was impressed by the pretty consistent, smooth frame rate.”
“A fun game with great graphics and it runs amazing at the maximum graphics setting.”
“This game nails the scare factor with eerie visuals, unsettling sound design, and the constant sense of being watched as you attempt to survive the pub's endless loop.”
“Compared to the other anomalies games that I've played, this one has better graphics, a story, and a mind-blowing end.”
“The game delivered in the atmosphere and graphics department.”
“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.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a straightforward loop of walking through a pub multiple times, enhanced by a unique twist in the later levels that adds depth to the experience. Players appreciate the smooth mechanics and engaging atmosphere, with some noting that the narrative elements elevate the otherwise simple seek-and-find gameplay. Overall, the combination of simplicity and effective storytelling contributes to a fun and enjoyable experience.
“I'm a fan of the surveillance camera style anomaly genre, but Exit 8 and onwards have really created a revolutionary twist with this looping mechanic, and Ten Bells has such a great atmosphere (and lore).”
“And overall just really smooth and fun gameplay.”
“I'm actually really blown away by the simple, yet very effective gameplay loop.”
“The gameplay is simple: walk through the pub 10 times.”
“The experience is little helped on its way to becoming even a 'gameish' experience, with some thug force feeding the aforementioned 'tech-demo' the novelty of WASD controls, while taking a 'yes, and...' policy approach to 'gameplay features' or 'jarring nonsense made by mistake, which we leave in the finished product for content.'”
“I didn't see the entertainment value in a game where you're just doing a seek and find for what's different... but if it's also telling a story behind the mechanic, it's going to pique my interest even more.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its quality, contributing to an eerie atmosphere without being intrusive. Reviewers highlight the effective use of sound to enhance suspense, alongside well-executed audio elements that complement the overall experience.
“And in terms of graphics, music, and general audio, they are very well done.”
“The eerie music, the lighting, the suspense.”
“Oh, also - the music was good, and by that I mean it was non-intrusive.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The addition of nightmare difficulty has significantly enhanced the replayability of *Ten Bell*, making it one of the game's strongest features. Players appreciate the atmospheric dread and engaging story that unfolds with each playthrough, contributing to its high replay value, especially for genre enthusiasts.
“With the new addition of nightmare difficulty, this game's replay value has increased significantly.”
“For fans of the genre, Ten Bell offers a great blend of atmospheric dread and replay value.”
“With the new addition of nightmare difficulty, this game's replay value went up as well.”
“Replayability is one of Ten Bell's biggest strengths.”
“Probably the anomaly game that has the most replayability factor due to the very interesting story that slowly gets revealed the more you play!”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features impressive graphics and improved performance, enhancing the overall experience, while also delivering an engaging murder mystery narrative complemented by intriguing anomalies.
“Great graphics, better performance, and a compelling murder mystery story with intriguing anomalies.”
“The optimization really enhances the gameplay experience, making everything run smoothly.”
“I appreciate how the developers focused on performance, allowing for a seamless experience even in complex scenarios.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its significant bugs and instability, leading some users to describe it as unplayable.
“I bought this game with my own money, and I regret it because it's so buggy and unplayable.”
“The game crashes constantly, making it impossible to enjoy any part of it.”
“I've experienced numerous glitches that completely ruin the gameplay experience.”
