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 genuinely spooky atmosphere with stunning graphics and a compelling story that enhances the gameplay experience.
- The game features a variety of creative and challenging anomalies, making it engaging and replayable, especially with the addition of a nightmare mode.
- Set in a unique Victorian pub environment, Ten Bells successfully combines horror elements with a narrative that keeps players invested throughout their experience.
- Some anomalies can be very subtle, making them difficult to spot, which may frustrate players who prefer clearer indicators.
- The game suffers from visual distractions like lens flares and vignettes that some players found overwhelming and detracting from immersion.
- Progress is not saved during gameplay, requiring players to restart if they exit, which can be inconvenient and lead to a loss of progress.
- story59 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its engaging and disturbing elements, effectively woven into a gothic atmosphere with a mix of environmental storytelling and clever anomalies. Players appreciate the intriguing plot that unfolds as they progress, featuring unexpected twists and multiple endings, which enhances the overall experience. While some find the narrative somewhat minimal, it is generally regarded as a strong aspect that elevates the gameplay beyond typical anomaly-hunting titles.
“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.”
“It tells you the story as you progress through the game.”
“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.”
“This anomaly hunter is very unique compared to others, in the fact there is more than just the surface level content - there is story and scares that the others just can’t touch.”
- atmosphere27 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of *Ten Bells* is widely praised for its chilling Victorian setting, effectively blending eerie visuals and sound design to create a tense and immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a sense of dread through its environmental storytelling and well-crafted anomalies, making it a standout in the anomaly game genre. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as beautifully dark, unsettling, and integral to the unfolding narrative, enhancing both the horror and replay value.
“Perfect spooky atmosphere and a great example of the anomaly game genre.”
“The atmosphere is perfect... and the story being told within the game is beautifully dark and twisted.”
“Other games I just watched YouTube videos of seemed to all fall very light on story and atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere fit the story theme well, and the sound design was immersive to a pub.”
“Had a blast running it on stream with my community who said they could smell the atmosphere.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 15 % 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 that enhance the overall atmosphere and scare factor. Players noted that the game runs exceptionally well even at maximum settings, contributing to a captivating experience. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, elevating the game's horror elements and storytelling.
“Ten bells is easily one of the most unsettling and spooky; the atmosphere, graphics, and scares are all so good!”
“The visuals are stunning, and I was impressed by the pretty consistent, smooth frame rate.”
“Overall really good, great art style and graphics, ran super smooth.”
“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.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its innovative looping mechanic and engaging atmosphere, particularly in the later levels, which enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the smooth and enjoyable mechanics, noting that the combination of storytelling and gameplay elements adds depth to the seek-and-find format. Overall, the simplicity of the gameplay loop is highlighted as both effective and captivating.
“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).”
“Just finished playing this over on my YouTube channel, and absolutely enjoyed it.”
“I'm actually really blown away by the simple, yet very effective gameplay loop.”
“The experience is little helped on its way to becoming even a 'gameish' by some thug force feeding the aforementioned 'tech-demo' the novelty of WASD controls, while taking a 'yes, and...' policy approach on 'gameplay feature' or 'jarring nonsense made by mistake, 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.”
“Gameplay is simple.”
- 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 the intriguing 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!”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its eerie and suspenseful qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere without being intrusive. Reviewers appreciate how it complements the graphics and sound effects, contributing to an immersive experience.
“Oh, also - the music was good, and by that I mean it was non-intrusive.”
“The graphics are awesome, the anomalies are great, the sound effects and music are good.”
“The eerie music, the lighting, the suspense.”
“The soundtrack feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
“The music doesn't match the game's tone, making it feel disjointed.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features impressive graphics and improved performance, contributing to an engaging murder mystery narrative, while also incorporating intriguing anomalies.
“The graphics are stunning, and the performance is top-notch, making for an immersive experience.”
“I love how the game balances a compelling murder mystery with excellent optimization.”
“The attention to detail in the anomalies really enhances the gameplay experience.”
- 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 label it as unplayable.
“I bought this game with my own money, and I regret it because it's incredibly buggy and unplayable.”
“The game crashes constantly, making it impossible to enjoy any part of it.”
“I've experienced so many glitches that it feels like I'm playing a beta version rather than a finished product.”
