The Happyhills Homicide

About

The Happyhills Homicide is a single player platformer game with horror, mystery, comedy and violence themes. It was developed by Copperbolt and was released on November 4, 2024. It received very positive reviews from players.

Welcome to Happyhills, the place where you can indulge your deepest desires, make your wildest dreams come true, and slaughter anyone in any way you want. In this case, all three of these are...

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95%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,097 reviews

story106 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Unique concept of playing as both the killer and the detective with creative and gruesome kills.
Strong 80s slasher film vibe with nostalgic pixel art, atmospheric soundtrack, and numerous horror references.
Engaging and well-paced story that adds depth to the game despite its short length and simple gameplay.

Game is short, can be completed in about an hour, which may leave players wanting more.
Some frustrating difficulty spikes and inconsistent hitboxes, especially in certain levels and the final fight.
Recurring bugs, including a major issue in the Madison level where prompts fail to appear, blocking progress.

story
205 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
47%
1%
The game offers a surprisingly engaging and well-crafted story for a short, free title, with a classic 80s slasher horror vibe and a double perspective narrative that enriches the plot. While the story is concise and sometimes predictable, it is praised for its intriguing twists, effective storytelling, and homage to horror tropes, keeping players invested throughout the gameplay. Some found it a bit brief or uninspired, but overall the narrative successfully complements the gameplay and atmosphere, encouraging anticipation for the sequel.
- “At its core, it’s a puzzle game layered with dark and intriguing undertones that unfold through a story full of twists.”
- “[b]The Happyhills Homicide[/b] may be short, but it’s packed with chilling moments and a gripping story that kept me hooked.”
- “For it to be a free game, it's really interesting and keeps you peaked at what the storyline is and what will happen next (also, the two perspective storyline is really interesting and well done).”
- “The story is boring and uninspired.”
- “The story is predictable and a bit bland.”
- “The whole story is only revealed at the end, which is a disappointment and as generic a bad guy as you can get.”
gameplay
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
54%
4%
The gameplay is praised for its creative blend of stealth, puzzle-solving, and horror elements, offering a well-crafted, engaging, and varied experience despite its relatively short duration. Players enjoy its simple yet thoughtful mechanics, atmospheric design, and role-switching between characters, though some note limited movement and occasional wonky or rushed moments. Overall, it is considered fun, accessible, and a fitting homage to classic slasher games with room for further expansion.
- “The gameplay overall is very well crafted, with puzzles that require thought but not obtuse and the few more action oriented segments being fun and engaging as well.”
- “Gameplay involves you going through levels murdering people, but also having to solve puzzles along the way such as breaking a bottle to distract someone, timing thunderstorms so you don't wake up a dog, having to set off bear traps with a rake, etc. It's not hard at all, but also not blatantly obvious especially towards the last few levels.”
- “The gameplay is sharp and intelligently designed, showing clear care and attention to detail from the developers.”
- “My one criticism is that the gameplay feels quite limited in terms of movement and usage of items.”
- “It doesn’t even work properly with night mode, and the gameplay is pretty boring.”
- “Some of the gameplay is wonky, there's a fair amount of wandering without direction and the conclusion is meh but it's a fun diversion for about an hour.”
graphics
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The game’s pixel art graphics are widely praised for their charming retro style, effectively capturing an 80s horror aesthetic with detailed environments and character designs. While the visuals are simple and nostalgic, they skillfully balance a cute yet creepy vibe, enhanced by graphic and diverse gore that may be intense for some players. Overall, the unique art style strongly supports the game’s dark, morbid tone and atmosphere, contributing to an engaging horror experience.
- “The pixel art is deceptively charming, contrasting perfectly with the graphic violence, and the soundtrack heightens the tension in all the right ways.”
- “The game nails the 80s horror aesthetic with eerie synth music, VHS-style visuals, and a sense of dark humor that perfectly balances the brutality.”
- “The pixel graphic art style is very good, has a very good retro styled look with its soft colors, designs and just the overall feel; it really helps each level and scenery to stand out.”
- “This features really godawful pixelcrap "art" instead of real graphics.”
- “Graphics: 4/10”
- “I wish it had graphical (and other) settings to make this look and run better.”
music
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
48%
6%
The game's music excellently captures the 80s horror slasher vibe with eerie synths and haunting piano tracks, greatly enhancing the atmosphere and tension. While some users note basic loops or occasional audio bugs, the soundtrack is widely praised for its catchy, fitting, and nostalgic qualities, making it a standout feature of the experience.
- “The sound design for the game itself definitely captures that eighties Michael Myers slasher flick, starting with the soundtrack which drops a haunting piano track with synth chords seemingly dancing around each other like the slasher’s about to go in for the kill.”
- “Amazing soundtrack, fits the theme of the game perfectly, giving that 80's horror movie vibes.”
- “The pixel art is deceptively charming, contrasting perfectly with the graphic violence, and the soundtrack heightens the tension in all the right ways.”
- “The music is just very basic loops of a couple of seconds.”
- “Game is buggy when it comes to audio, either playing the wrong music or going silent.”
- “Good story (which I wasn't expecting), great stage difficulty progression, mediocre song looping, songs keep the classic horror movie feel, and the graphics and animation for this style of game were great!”
humor
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "The Happyhills Homicide" is widely praised for its clever blend of dark, morbid, and absurd comedy that complements its 80s-90s horror aesthetic. Players appreciate the game's funny visual gags, over-the-top kill animations, and witty references, making it a memorable and entertaining horror experience with a lighthearted tone.
- “The happyhills homicide is a short, 90's-style gore-fest that's absolutely hilarious.”
- “Final note: in a lot of ways, the game is actually pretty funny with certain visual gags, so it doesn't take itself too seriously.”
- “The kill animation is very good; each kill is quite distinct and gruesome, probably my favorite kill was the hay bale kill not only is it over the top and gruesome it also has like a twisted sense of humor.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
79%
14%
7%
The game is widely praised for its spot-on, eerie 80s slasher atmosphere, enhanced by gorgeous pixel art, catchy music, and unsettling sound design. Its retro aesthetic and creative, morbid puzzles effectively evoke a nostalgic yet tense vibe, though the intense gore and dark themes may not suit all players. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout aspect that deeply enriches the horror experience.
- “The pixel art is gorgeous, the kills are incredibly creative, and the atmosphere is spot on.”
- “The core gameplay experience was a thoughtfully engaging delight trying to figure out how to actually get to the target. The story and atmosphere gave me the freaky 80s slasher and giallo vibes I needed, and I appreciate the pixelated look and music despite it being more budgeted.”
- “The retro aesthetic perfectly complements its eerie atmosphere, and the creative puzzles add a layer of fun.”
- “While the game nails its tense atmosphere with unsettling background sound design and grotesque pixel art, the excessive gore and morally unsettling premise might alienate many players.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
Users consistently note that the game requires extensive grinding, often feeling tedious and repetitive, which can make certain levels frustrating or stale over time. However, the overall experience is still considered worthwhile.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Some of the levels can feel extremely tedious or annoying at times, and it does get a little bit stale after a while.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Stability in the game is generally acceptable but marred by notable bugs, particularly with audio issues and certain levels like Madison, where frequent glitches significantly impact gameplay.
- “Game is buggy when it comes to audio, either playing the wrong music or going silent.”
- “The game was soo buggy for me.”
- “Happy Hills Homicide is a great game, except the Madison level, it is incredibly buggy and I got killed 1000 times over by her.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes strong emotional responses, from heartwarming moments of equal treatment to intense anxiety caused by challenging and unexpectedly difficult levels, creating a tense yet engaging experience without relying on jumpscares.
- “The way he treats everyone the same is so heartwarming.”
- “Made me feel extremely anxious the entire time, even though there were no jumpscares!”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's replayability is generally seen as low due to a lack of variety, resulting in limited incentive to play multiple times. However, some users appreciate its free availability despite the poor replay value.
- “This lack of variety also makes the game feel like it has less replay value.”
- “No replay value but it's free so thumbs up from me.”
- “Replayability: 2/10.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization is praised for its minimalist design, focusing solely on essential elements without any HUD or clutter, enhancing immersion and performance clarity.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect is viewed positively, serving effectively as an advertisement for the sequel without being intrusive or negative.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel that the character development, particularly for the detective protagonist, is lacking and would like to see more depth and background to better understand the hero.