The Happy Hereafter

About

The Happy Hereafter is a single player casual strategy game with horror and kids themes. It was developed by Alawar and was released on June 5, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"The Happy Hereafter" is a casual hidden object game set in a whimsical afterlife. After a hot air balloon accident, help recently deceased Etta find her way to her heavenly destination while solving fun puzzles and making new afterlife friends. Explore European-inspired landscapes and enjoy charming, humorous narratives in this relaxing, stress-free adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 418 reviews

graphics53 positive mentions

replayability8 negative mentions

The game features cute graphics and charming characters that create an enjoyable atmosphere.
It's a relaxing and casual game, perfect for players looking for a light-hearted experience.
The gameplay is straightforward and easy to understand, making it accessible for younger audiences and those new to the genre.

The game is very short, with many players completing it in under 6 hours, leading to a lack of replayability.
There are several bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with worker assignments and quest completions.
The gameplay feels linear and lacks depth, as players are often guided through tasks without much freedom to explore or strategize.

story
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
84%
8%
The game's story is largely considered simplistic and linear, primarily serving as a tutorial through a series of missions focused on resource gathering and town building. Many players found the narrative lacking depth, with a bare-bones plot that ends abruptly and fails to utilize much of the game world or its quirky NPCs. While some quests are amusing, the overall storytelling is seen as mediocre, with several glitches and poorly worded objectives detracting from the experience.
- “There is a story, divided up in a lot of missions, which is mainly about developing your town and getting to know the characters you come across whilst playing.”
- “I think the characters are adorable, the missions straightforward, and the overall concept really entertaining.”
- “The story is bare-bones and ends quite suddenly, while half of the map is left unused and the quirky NPCs are mostly ignored.”
- “The story is basically a tutorial that lasts throughout the entirety of the game in the form of missions: gather this, build that, go there, and so forth.”
- “If they took the time to actually put some story, strategy, and variety into the game, then this could be something that I would endorse, but currently, it is a snoozefest!”
graphics
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
49%
3%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a simple, cartoonish, and low-poly 3D style, reminiscent of low-effort mobile apps, which has drawn criticism from some PC gamers expecting higher quality visuals. However, many players appreciate the cute and colorful art aesthetic, finding it appealing, especially for younger audiences and casual gamers. Overall, while the graphics may lack depth and customization options, they are generally described as charming and enjoyable within the context of the game's casual gameplay.
- “Lovely art and graphics.”
- “The graphics are colorful, and spot on.”
- “Hooked me right away with the straightforward gameplay and beautifully stylized graphics.”
- “There's no options to change the resolution for the game or customize the graphics settings.”
- “Considering this is being evaluated as a PC game, having the graphics phoned in like this isn't going to result in a high quality, visually impressive game that PC gamers are used to seeing.”
- “The game features simple, cartoony, low poly 3D graphics, of the type you normally expect to see in low effort mobile apps.”
gameplay
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
71%
8%
The gameplay is characterized as overly simplistic and repetitive, often described as just clicking with minimal engagement. While some players find it relaxing and suitable for casual play, many criticize it for lacking depth, polish, and variety, leading to a sense of boredom over time. Overall, it offers a straightforward experience that may appeal to younger audiences or those seeking a low-effort gaming session, but fails to deliver the richness and excitement found in similar titles.
- “This is a cute little game which kept me occupied for a couple of hours of gameplay.”
- “The gameplay itself is just as simple; you have your little spot in the afterlife where you start building homes and a livelihood for the newly dead as they arrive, with each new soul increasing your workforce by one.”
- “Hooked me right away with the straightforward gameplay and beautifully stylized graphics.”
- “There's no gameplay, just clicking.”
- “After slogging through all the gameplay that this game has to offer, I can safely say that this is a boredom fest... seriously watching grass grow or paint dry are slightly more entertaining activities.”
- “There is a distinct lack of polish here, in the copywriting, in the UI, and in the mechanics, to the extent where it feels like no one really playtested this game.”
music
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
55%
17%
The music in the game is generally praised for its calming and soothing qualities, effectively setting a relaxing atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. While some users note that the music can be repetitive and occasionally annoying, the whimsical soundtrack and ambient sounds are well-received, contributing positively to the game's charming aesthetic. Players appreciate the full volume control options, allowing for a customizable audio experience.
- “The game has very soothing background music that further increases the fun factor of the simulation.”
- “The art style and music track are good and will have some staying power over the years.”
- “The soundtrack fits well with the scenery, the characters are cute, and the little lore you have is interesting.”
- “The music can get a little annoying at times.”
- “The music is calm and fitting, a bit eerie.”
- “The good: it looks like a handpainted style game with a more cartoonish flair, and it's got a very cute whimsical soundtrack to go with it (the music that plays in the game, to clarify).”
replayability
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
66%
27%
Overall, the game is criticized for its low replayability, with many reviewers noting its linear gameplay and lack of meaningful content such as collections or achievements. While some players found it engaging, the consensus is that the game does not offer enough variety or depth to warrant multiple playthroughs.
- “While it is short compared to most games out there, it's got a lot of replayability. The game keeps you engaged and interested, and you can tell the devs put a lot of hard work into the game, so quality is on your side!”
- “I am glad I got this game on a deal; it is good but there are better games (longer and more replay value) in this genre.”
- “This game is a quirky resource management and item creation game that is fun, but unfortunately lacks in replay value.”
- “It's very linear; you can't even choose where to build your houses, which means the replay value is very low as every playthrough will be exactly the same.”
- “The story is short and replay value isn't that high as there are no collections or achievements.”
stability
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is frequently described as very buggy, with numerous glitches that can disrupt progress and lead to game-breaking issues. While some players managed to complete the game despite these problems, many recommend playing cautiously and suggest checking community resources for guidance. Overall, the stability issues detract significantly from the enjoyment of the game, making it advisable to purchase it on sale.
- “Very buggy to the point it messes up your progress. I had to restart the game to somehow play it and it was still buggy.”
- “Deviate from this path too much and you can run into game-breaking glitches.”
- “Sounded interesting and fun, but it's buggy and that takes a lot of the fun away.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is characterized by its lighthearted and whimsical humor, appealing particularly to younger audiences with its cute characters and cartoonish graphics. Players enjoy the funny animations and audio elements, although some feel that additional humor could enhance certain features, like the gallery. Overall, it is described as a simple, slow-paced city builder that combines fun and charm effectively.
- “There will be no rest for the wickedly funny as you put them to work building a village to rival paradise!”
- “Simple, humorous, city building game with cartoonish graphics and funny character designs.”
- “At first glance, this is a funny, slow-paced city builder game, fairly short and simple.”
grinding
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of "The Happy Hereafter" is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with players likening it to the grind found in mobile and Facebook games. Many reviewers found the resource gathering and city-building mechanics to be monotonous, lacking meaningful progression or engaging storylines, which detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game. While some appreciated the casual nature, the overwhelming sense of tedium ultimately led to frustration and disengagement.
- “I couldn't finish the game because it's really not worth playing in that condition; it's tedious, boring, and incredibly irritating.”
- “As much as that might seem like it adds some difficulty or complexity, for me it just seemed tedious and takes away from the fun of these types of games.”
- “It's like grinding through levels on a WoW character or playing a Facebook/mobile free-to-play game: build, upgrade, upgrade more, gather, build, rinse and repeat.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a relaxing and pleasant ambiance, enhanced by its music and visual style, which draws comparisons to "A Corpse Bride" and "The Book of Life." Many players appreciate the lack of urgency, likening it to the atmosphere found in "Costume Quest," contributing to an overall soothing experience.
- “The music definitely adds to the game, creating a nice relaxing atmosphere.”
- “The style and atmosphere are reminiscent of 'A Corpse Bride' and 'The Book of Life'.”
- “In some respects, the atmosphere of the game reminds me of Costume Quest.”
- “The style and atmosphere is somewhere between 'A Corpse Bride' and 'The Book of Life'.”
- “In some respects, the atmosphere of the game sort of reminds me of Costume Quest.”
- “The atmosphere and lack of urgency is relaxing.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
16%
67%
The monetization model of "The Happy Hereafter" is criticized for resembling a low-effort mobile app that lacks in-game purchases or artificial waiting mechanics, which some players find tedious rather than challenging. Overall, it is perceived as a cash grab that detracts from the enjoyment of the game.
- “Some kind of a solo offline village builder (with no artificial wait and no in-game purchases).”
- “The Happy Hereafter looks like a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as a cheap, nasty cash grab, but doesn't appear on the app stores.”
- “As much as that might seem like it adds some difficulty or complexity, for me it just seemed tedious and takes away from the fun of these types of games.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is characterized by unique and varied designs, ensuring that not every character feels the same, even among deceased characters. The humorous and cartoonish style contributes to a lighthearted atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience of the city-building gameplay.
- “Character designs were a bit wow; not every dead person looked the same.”
- “Simple, humorous city-building game with cartoonish graphics and funny character designs.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game features solid optimization, offering players multiple quality settings to tailor their experience according to their hardware capabilities.
- “The game is also optimized, giving us several quality levels to choose from.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is characterized as a casual experience that minimizes emotional investment in its narrative, offering a refreshing take on worker and resource management without demanding deep emotional engagement from players.