The Howler

About

The Howler is a single player casual simulation game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Antanas Marcelionis and was released on July 3, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In "The Howler," pilot a hot air balloon through challenging levels, using gravity, tension, and wind currents to your advantage. The game features beautiful hand-drawn art inspired by Vilnius, Lithuania, with real-life locations and architecture. Your goal is to deliver cargo and reach your destination while testing your skill, wit, and reflexes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 686 reviews

graphics115 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

The art style is beautiful and hand-drawn, creating a unique and visually appealing experience.
The game features an interesting mechanic where players can control the balloon using their voice, adding a fun twist to the gameplay.
Despite its simplicity, the game can be enjoyable and challenging, especially when navigating through obstacles.

The gameplay can be frustratingly slow and tedious, leading to a lack of engagement over time.
The game is very short, with only 15 levels plus a bonus level, which may leave players wanting more content.
There are technical issues, such as crashes and limited resolution options, which detract from the overall experience.

graphics
178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
32%
3%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning hand-painted art style, which features a unique steampunk aesthetic and meticulous detail. Many reviewers highlight the artwork as the standout feature, often stating that it compensates for the game's simplistic mechanics and gameplay. However, some players express disappointment over the lack of full-screen support and the overall shallow experience, suggesting that while the visuals are beautiful, they do not enhance the gameplay significantly.
- “The howler makes a strong first impression, thanks to its stunning, hand-painted visuals.”
- “The artwork of this game is what sells it for me, absolutely amazing, I love the steampunk vibe to it all.”
- “The art style is beautiful in my opinion.”
- “The biggest issue with this game is that its goal of using a hand-drawn artistic style weakens the gameplay by removing visual cues for which parts of the geometry are safe or deadly.”
- “I presume it's supposed to fit into a certain art style given that 'all art used in the howler was meticulously created by classically-trained experienced painters,' but this art style is not meant for games; it just doesn't work and looks like a scanned colored pencil drawing.”
- “Graphically, the howler definitely has that aged look to it.”
gameplay
135 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
63%
13%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simplistic mechanics, primarily involving balloon navigation through basic controls, which many players find tedious and repetitive. While the unique art style and some innovative features, like voice control, are praised, the overall experience is often described as frustratingly slow and lacking depth, leading to a sense of boredom for many users. Despite some enjoyable moments and challenges, the short length and minimal gameplay mechanics leave players wanting more engagement and variety.
- “Charming paper-cut art elevates simple click-to-rise balloon physics, varied objectives, smooth gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is satisfying and the art is unique and beautiful.”
- “The howler is a puzzle-platformer that stands out for its unique art style and physics-based gameplay.”
- “At first, the mood appeared promising, but the gameplay is clumsy, repetitive, and often more frustrating than fun.”
- “Not only is this game incredibly short, but this is a mobile port--and even thinking about the various mobile games I've played with simple mechanics, this one doesn't even reach flash game quality and is an absolute slog to play with the rather unforgivingly slow physics.”
- “The gameplay is tedious and an unengaging story.”
story
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
69%
5%
The game's story is largely minimal and lacks depth, with many players noting that it feels more like an afterthought than a central element. While there are some interesting artistic elements and a few missions that hint at a narrative, the overall experience is described as tedious and lacking substantial worldbuilding. Many reviewers express disappointment in the brevity and simplicity of the story, which fails to engage or provide a compelling backdrop for the gameplay.
- “A beautiful traditionally drawn game with an interesting story behind it.”
- “I am absolutely enthralled by the story now due to this game!”
- “There is a progressive story about the 'Viceroy of Vilnius, Antanas Sidabras', that is told through the 15 levels of the game.”
- “The story is honestly barely there, but there is a story happening.”
- “Unfortunately, there is incredibly little of the apparent steampunk story present here, and provides only the barest elements of worldbuilding alongside some really neat art.”
- “It’s a shame that there is absolutely no exposition or plot to the game’s events, offering only a quick phrase explaining your mission for whatever group and off you go!”
music
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
29%
9%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its integration with the art style and gameplay, describing it as soothing, pleasant, and well-suited to the overall atmosphere. However, some players find the soundtrack average or lacking, noting that it can be minimal or even absent during gameplay. Overall, while the music enhances the experience for many, there are calls for more variety and options in the sound settings.
- “The music choice was splendid, and the wonderfully drawn details throughout.”
- “Hand drawn sprites and backgrounds combined with soothing music are the perfect way to start a short break.”
- “The gameplay is simple but fun, and the soundtrack is great!”
- “The sounds in the game are okay, but still the soundtrack is the biggest minus of the game.”
- “The music and sound effects inside are rather better if they did not exist.”
- “Some music during gameplay would be nice.”
humor
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it particularly entertaining when played with friends, as the voice control mechanics lead to hilarious moments and unexpected sounds. While some users note minor bugs and limitations in graphics, the overall experience is described as a fun and lighthearted time-waster that shines in social settings. The game is recommended for its comedic value, especially when using a microphone to enhance the gameplay.
- “It has been a hilarious little time waster with my family and friends.”
- “Sing, scream or make funny noises to do the objectives and it'll be a funny experience.”
- “Using the microphone, the game is quite funny as you will be shouting into the mic to make the balloon go up and then try to keep quiet as the balloon goes down.”
grinding
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
92%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and slow-paced, leading to frustration among players. Many reviews highlight that the controls and level design contribute to a lack of engagement, making the experience feel more like a chore than enjoyable gameplay. While some players find moments of fun, particularly in multiplayer settings, the overall sentiment leans towards a monotonous and patience-testing grind.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
- “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
- “Controls and pacing don’t quite work, and instead of being engaging it becomes tedious.”
- “Tl;dr: the howler is a slow, extremely tedious game that will test your patience and relies on an art style that doesn't complement nor is complemented by either the gameplay or the sound design, causing frustration (did I mention that you gotta wait for everything, even bringing the pause menu is slow) especially when using the gimmick, sound-based control feature.”
- “The game's pace is tear-jerkingly tediously slow - it takes forever for that balloon to inch its way forwards.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
8%
23%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its beautiful artwork and calming, immersive qualities, with many players appreciating the steampunk aesthetic and relaxing sound design. However, some reviewers felt that despite the appealing visuals, the gameplay detracted from the overall atmospheric experience, leading to a mixed reception regarding its depth and engagement. Overall, the game's atmosphere is seen as a highlight, though not universally effective for all players.
- “The art is wonderful, and the atmosphere strangely relaxes you.”
- “A good, cheap, and well-painted game; I like the calm, floating atmosphere before the crucial drops.”
- “The handmade art and engaging atmosphere are wonderful.”
- “But despite the great art, it didn't manage to create any atmosphere for me.”
- “The sound of the game brings a bit of atmosphere to the experience.”
- “I tried to take in as much of the atmosphere from this game.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game has limited replayability, with many players noting that it can be completed quickly—often in under two hours—and lacks compelling reasons to revisit it. While some find slight replay value in improving scores or playing with friends, the absence of additional challenges or content diminishes its long-term appeal.
- “It's a quick game that has some replay value after letting it sit for a while.”
- “It's good while it lasts, but buy it on sale because you can beat it in under an hour, and there's not much replay value, besides improving your score.”
- “Another point I do want to point out is that you can beat all of the levels in about two hours, and in my opinion, the game does not have a whole lot of replay value due to the fact that it only has fifteen levels (plus one more level if you know Morse code) with no goal times to challenge the player.”
- “As for replay value...to me there is none.”
- “Another point I want to point out is that you can beat all of the levels in about two hours, and in my opinion, the game does not have a whole lot of replay value due to the fact that it only has fifteen levels (plus one more level if you know Morse code) with no goal times to challenge the player.”
- “It's good while it lasts, but buy it on sale because you can beat it in under an hour, and there isn't much replay value, besides improving your score.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been reported to have numerous bugs and glitches, particularly with the voice control feature, which users find amusing yet problematic. Overall, while players acknowledge the game's stability issues, many feel it is still playable despite these shortcomings.
- “There are apparently a lot of people who experience bugs and glitches with this game.”
- “The voice control is really funny; however, it's kind of buggy.”
- “I find the game somewhat buggy, but it gets by.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional impact, particularly during moments of realization and vulnerability, as evidenced by instances of tears. However, the game's mechanics, which involve physical interaction and movement through air currents, may lead to disappointment for those expecting a more traditional narrative experience, such as a dating simulator. Overall, while the emotional stakes are present, the gameplay may not align with players' expectations.
- “Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game's dynamics are well-optimized for mobile devices; however, the port to other platforms is criticized for being poorly optimized.
- “The performance is smooth, and the loading times are impressively short.”
- “I appreciate how well the game runs on lower-end devices without sacrificing quality.”
- “The game dynamics seem to be optimized for phones.”
- “Poorly optimized port.”