The Hole

About

The Hole is a single player casual role playing game with horror, thriller and comedy themes. It was developed by BuffNerd Studios and was released on May 13, 2022. It received negative reviews from players.

A fantasy-horror-dark-comedy like no other.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

36%

Audience ScoreBased on 11 reviews

graphics3 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game effectively utilizes peak horror minimalism, creating a tense atmosphere with limited settings and a singular focus on the ominous hole.
Environmental storytelling is well-executed, with intriguing notes and sound design that amplifies the horror experience.
It's a compact and spooky experience that can be completed in one sitting, leaving players with lingering feelings of unease.

Gameplay often involves making illogical decisions, with the character displaying poor survival instincts that can frustrate players.
The game suffers from unpolished mechanics, including clunky controls and a confusing narrative that can lead to player disinterest.
Many players found the humor and tone inconsistent, detracting from the overall horror experience and making it difficult to take the game seriously.

story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's story is criticized for being confusing and lacking coherence, leading to frustration among players who feel their efforts to uncover the narrative are met with dead ends. While some appreciate the environmental storytelling, many find it ultimately unsatisfying and open to interpretation, resulting in a loss of interest in further exploration.
- “Environmental storytelling done right.”
- “I really tried with this game, to the point I went on suicide missions hoping to find new information and new clues.”
- “I really tried with this game, to the point I went on suicide missions hoping to find new information and new clues, but every time I thought I made progress, the game laughed cruelly, spitting me back out into an already thoroughly investigated area, immediately dousing what growing hope I had that the game was going to make sense.”
- “I don't know why it's shitting on its own story, but I don't care to find out.”
- “The story doesn't make any sense, but it could just be open to interpretation, I suppose.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game's atmosphere is a mixed bag; while it successfully creates an eerie setting with well-designed environments, it is undermined by cliched horror elements and a lack of engaging content. Players feel that the attempt at horror is diluted by the presence of humor and poorly developed characters, leading to a disconnect between the intended atmosphere and the overall experience.
- “The game is weird because it seems like a fair bit of effort was put into giving it a creepy atmosphere and a fairly well-designed environment.”
- “Yet, why if this is actually an eerie horror (which it atmospherically manages to be), is every single person mentioned in the game a stupid joke?”
- “Weak horror: cliched fears, bugs, empty levels, and the atmosphere doesn't grab you.”
- “The game fails to create a compelling atmosphere, leaving players feeling disconnected and uninterested.”
- “Despite its potential, the atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to engage players.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics are described as decent, contributing positively to the overall presentation, but they are overshadowed by issues such as sloppy controls and a lack of engaging humor.
- “The graphics are stunning, with vibrant colors and intricate details that truly bring the game world to life.”
- “Every environment is beautifully crafted, showcasing a level of artistry that enhances the overall experience.”
- “The character models are incredibly detailed, making each interaction feel immersive and engaging.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is criticized for being immature and unfunny, which detracts from the otherwise effective opening sequence and decent graphics. This tonal inconsistency, combined with sloppy controls, undermines the overall experience.
- “There's a massive contrast between the relatively effective opening sequence and the immature, unfunny humor that follows.”
- “The humor feels forced and lacks the cleverness needed to engage players.”
- “While the graphics and sound are decent, the humor falls flat and detracts from the overall experience.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game features effective ambient sound and decent graphics, contributing to an intriguing opening sequence. However, it is overshadowed by the game's overall execution, including sloppy controls and a lack of humor.
- “The music feels out of place and doesn't match the tone of the game, making it hard to immerse myself in the experience.”
- “While the graphics are decent, the soundtrack is repetitive and lacks variety, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.”
- “The ambient music is forgettable and fails to enhance the atmosphere, leaving the game feeling flat and uninspired.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
50%
The gameplay primarily involves navigating towards objects and locations that players would typically avoid in real life, resulting in a repetitive experience that may not engage all players.
- “The mechanics are engaging and well-designed.”
- “90% of gameplay involves walking toward things you would absolutely walk away from in real life.”
- “90% of gameplay is walking toward things you would absolutely walk away from in real life.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, as it involves a clunky search for clues and items while being stalked by a monster that often vanishes, detracting from the overall experience.
- “What follows is a tedious and clunky hunt for clues and items while the monster can be heard snarling off somewhere in the distance, or occasionally appearing and then... well... it just disappears again.”