The Bellows

About The Bellows

The Bellows is a single player simulation game with a horror theme. It was developed by Evan Davis and was released on September 12, 2016. It received positive reviews from players.

The Bellows is a VR Horror experience designed to play like an interactive movie. Plunge yourself into a world of nightmares and fear, and discover just how frightening the past can really be.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip Games Like The Bellows

Looking for games like The Bellows? Here are top simulation recommendations with a horror focus, selected from player-similarity data — start with Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul, Shattered Lights or The Exorcist: Legion VR.

71%985reviews

Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul

2017

Survival Role Playing

88%325reviews

Shattered Lights

2019

Survival Simulation

75%209reviews

The Exorcist: Legion VR

2017

Casual Simulation

90%3kreviews

Summer of '58

2021

Survival Simulation

85%383reviews

Gnomes & Goblins

2016

Casual Simulation

89%439reviews

Rhome

2020

Casual Simulation

73%127reviews

Affected: The Manor

2017

Action

84%1kreviews

A Chair in a Room: Greenwater

2016

Simulation

80%430reviews

Vertigo

2016

Shooter

71%768reviews

The Survey

2016

Simulation

More games like The Bellows

Skip User Reviews

Reviews

86%Audience ScoreBased on 169 reviews

atmosphere7 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Immersive and creepy atmosphere with effective sound design and lighting that builds tension and fear.
Multiple locomotion options including innovative arm-swinging movement that reduces motion sickness and increases presence.
Great free introduction to VR horror games, suitable for newcomers and a fun experience to share with friends and family.

Movement controls can be awkward, janky, or cause motion sickness for some players, and lack teleport options.
Gameplay is very short and linear with limited interactivity, leading to low replayability and underdeveloped narrative.
Some technical issues such as occasional freezes, audio glitches, and poor hand animations reduce immersion.

atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50% positive mentions, 29% neutral mentions, 21% negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its eerie, immersive, and professionally crafted ambiance, effectively creating a sense of dread and tension without relying solely on jump scares. The combination of lighting, sound design, and visuals contributes to a chilling yet captivating experience that keeps players engaged and often unsettled. While not the scariest, its strong atmosphere is a key highlight that enhances the overall horror experience.
- “I don't know exactly what it is—the lighting, the sound, the atmosphere... In all the horror I've read, watched, and played, this is the first time telling myself 'it'll all be alright' didn't sound right.”
- “I just finished playing this and it was amazing; everything in it feels very professionally done and it is dripping with creepy atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere and sound design are top-notch. It took me three tries to leave the first room because I was so immersed and terrified; I kept turning it off.”
- “I don't know exactly what it is, the lighting, the sound, the atmosphere... in all the horror I've read, watched and played, this is the first time telling myself 'it'll all be alright' didn't sound right.”
- “It has a few jump scares, an eerie atmosphere, and can instill a feeling of dread, of not wanting to continue down the path.”
- “Very chilling atmosphere, wasn't too scary for me as other VR horror games; I got it when I had to pay for it and definitely recommend playing it for free.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30% positive mentions, 40% neutral mentions, 30% negative mentions
The game's story is generally viewed as weak or incoherent, relying heavily on horror clichés and cheap jump scares with little tension or meaningful narrative. However, some players found the storyline mildly interesting, particularly for those who enjoy light horror twists without intense scares, though overall it is brief and not well-developed.
- “Nice storyline; however, it is not a long game and finished it pretty quickly.”
- “I would recommend this to anyone who likes storylines with a sickish and a bit of horror twist to it, but does not like real jump scares.”
- “Incoherent collection of cheap jumpscares without any tension, buildup, or story.”
- “This game features a lot of horror clichés like a haunted mental hospital, levitating furniture, jump scares, and has essentially no story, but it still managed to entertain me thanks to the VR immersion aspect.”
- “Stupid controls, stupid attempts at jump scares, no storyline.”
- “Incoherent collection of cheap jump scares without any tension, buildup, or story.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30% positive mentions, 40% neutral mentions, 30% negative mentions
The gameplay is engaging and hooks players quickly, offering a short but compelling experience. However, some users find the fixed locomotion mechanics limiting and suggest combining walkabout and teleport options to enhance player freedom and reduce frustration. Overall, simplicity with thoughtful mechanics is key to maintaining enjoyment.
- “From the moment I started in the room where you choose your locomotion mechanic, I was hooked.”
- “With just under 15 minutes of gameplay (time may vary depending on nerves), The Bellows is a great demo that leaves you wanting more.”
- “I think the walkabout locomotion is best when it is combined with an optional teleport mechanic so that you can use whichever method is appropriate for the current task, like walkabout when spending time exploring every inch of a space and teleport when you need to make significant headway and don't care to stop and smell the roses, so to speak.”
- “I was not a huge fan of the moving mechanics.”
- “Ideally you don't want to lock a player into a specific locomotion mechanic at the start of the game since that can lead to frustration if the mechanic gets in the way of progressing through the experience.”
- “I think the walkabout locomotion is best when it is combined with an optional teleport mechanic so that you can use whichever method is appropriate for the current task, like walkabout when spending time exploring every inch of a space and teleport when you need to make significant headway and don't care to stop and smell the roses so to speak.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 43% negative mentions
The graphics receive mixed feedback, ranging from being praised as awesome and brutal to being criticized as atrocious. However, many users appreciate the atmospheric visuals, noting they complement the horror experience well despite some shortcomings. Overall, the graphics are seen as decent but not the sole factor in the game's effectiveness.
- “Pretty awesome and brutal, loved the graphics, definitely worth the play.”
- “Better graphics, better sound design.”
- “The atmosphere is great and the graphics are quite decent.”
- “The graphics are atrocious, really disappointing for a horror game.”
- “Better graphics and better sound design are needed.”
- “Graphics are poor and do not meet the expectations.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67% positive mentions, -67% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
The music is generally criticized for feeling cheap and unoriginal, with some users noting that the sound effects and ending music seem stolen. However, the ambient looping music and scary soundtrack in VR effectively contribute to a tense atmosphere.
- “Putting anyone in VR with scary music will definitely scare them.”
- “The ambient looping music with the male vocals is noteworthy.”
- “Other than that, everything was cheap including sound effects, and the ending music was stolen too.”
- “Next - your ambient looping music with the guy singing.”
- “Put anyone in VR and play scary music and they will be scared.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
The game experiences consistent freezes with a black screen during attacks in the catacombs, signaling the game's conclusion rather than a bug. Minor sound glitches are present but do not significantly impact the overall experience.
- “One thing to keep in mind is that the game consistently freezes up (screen gets stuck completely black) when you are attacked in the catacombs, which I initially thought was a game breaking bug, until I realized that's the end of the game (checked playthroughs online).”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The humor in the game is seen as unintentionally amusing outside of VR, but the immersive VR horror experience shifts the focus from laughs to genuine fear, making it more intense and less laughable.
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 100% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
Users mention that grinding requires a second life or additional resources to be effective, implying it can be time-consuming or challenging without extra effort.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability, though it remains enjoyable despite this drawback.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
Users emphasize that monetization in VR should reflect the unique and immersive experience accurately, as it often differs significantly from advertisements or traditional gameplay previews.