The Howler

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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 688 reviews

graphics114 positive mentions

grinding11 negative mentions

The artwork is beautifully hand-drawn, creating a unique and visually appealing experience.
The game features an interesting concept of using voice control to navigate the hot air balloon, adding a fun twist to gameplay.
Despite its simplicity, the game can be enjoyable and provides a relaxing experience for short play sessions.

The gameplay can be frustrating due to the imprecise controls and the balloon's tendency to pop on contact with obstacles.
The game is very short, with only 16 levels, which may leave players wanting more content.
There are technical issues, such as crashes and lack of fullscreen support, which detract from the overall experience.

graphics
178 mentions
64 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn and watercolor art style, which many reviewers describe as beautiful and unique, often evoking a steampunk aesthetic. However, despite the impressive visuals, players frequently express disappointment with the gameplay, noting that it feels shallow and tedious, suggesting that the artwork may be the game's only strong point. Overall, while the graphics are a highlight, they are not enough to compensate for the lackluster gameplay experience.
- “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 piece of drawing.”
- “Graphically, the howler definitely has that aged look to it.”
gameplay
127 mentions
24 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simplicity and reliance on unique mechanics, such as voice control for navigation, which some players found interesting but ultimately tedious and slow-paced. While the art style received praise, many reviewers criticized the gameplay for being shallow, repetitive, and reminiscent of low-quality mobile or flash games, leading to a lack of engagement and enjoyment. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a mixed bag, with some appreciating the novelty while others found it frustrating and lacking depth.
- “The gameplay is satisfying and the art is unique and beautiful.”
- “The art is fantastic, and the gameplay is slightly challenging and interesting.”
- “The howler has a pretty unique physics-based game mechanic as you navigate your hot air balloon over Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.”
- “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 really nothing special, unless you use the control setting in which you shout into your mic to fly upwards.”
- “The howler punishes you mercilessly on level 3 and continues to kick you in the stomach with that mechanic until you've had enough and switch the game off.”
story
65 mentions
28 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The story in the game is minimal and often feels underdeveloped, with players noting that it lacks depth and substantial worldbuilding despite some interesting artistic elements. While there are snippets of narrative presented before missions, many reviewers found the overall plot to be simplistic and not engaging enough to enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, the game is seen more as a vehicle for its mechanics rather than a compelling storytelling experience.
- “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 minimalistic story which helps to add a bit of something to the game.”
- “Unfortunately, there is incredibly little of the apparent steampunk story present here, and it provides only the barest elements of worldbuilding alongside some really neat art.”
- “The world of The Howler feels very empty and lifeless, rather than tense and on the brink of destruction, like the so-called 'story' would imply.”
- “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
36 mentions
61 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its soothing and atmospheric qualities that complement the art style, while others find it average or lacking during gameplay. Some players appreciate the bass-heavy tracks and the overall pleasant soundtrack, though a few express a desire for more musical variety or presence during play. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a significant aspect of the game's aesthetic, enhancing the experience for many players.
- “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
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
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 funny time-waster, especially when using a microphone to engage with 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.”
atmosphere
13 mentions
69 % positive mentions
8 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
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 users feel that the gameplay detracts from the intended atmospheric experience, describing it as gimmicky and lacking substance. Overall, while the art and sound contribute positively to the atmosphere, opinions vary on how effectively it is realized within the gameplay.
- “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.”
grinding
12 mentions
17 % positive mentions
-8 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and slow-paced, leading to frustration among players. Many reviews highlight the lack of engaging gameplay and the drawn-out nature of tasks, making the experience feel laborious, especially for solo players. While some find enjoyment in cooperative play, the overall sentiment leans towards grinding being a significant detractor from the game's appeal.
- “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
- “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The game's pace is tear-jerkingly tediously slow - it takes forever for that balloon to inch its way forwards.”
- “Tedious gameplay and an unengaging story.”
replayability
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability, with many users noting that it can be completed quickly—often in under two hours—and lacks compelling reasons to revisit after finishing. While some players find slight replay value in improving scores, the absence of additional challenges or goals diminishes long-term engagement, especially when played solo.
- “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
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
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
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional impact, particularly during moments of realization and vulnerability, as evidenced by instances of tears. However, the game's mechanics, likened to a flappy bird experience with a unique noise-based control system, may not align with the emotional depth some players anticipated, leading to mixed feelings about its overall emotional engagement.
- “Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
optimization
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized for mobile devices, enhancing gameplay on phones; however, the port to other platforms is criticized for its lack of optimization.
- “The performance is smooth, and the loading times are impressively short.”
- “I appreciate how the controls are fine-tuned for a seamless experience on mobile devices.”
- “The game dynamics seem to be optimized for phones.”
- “Poorly optimized port.”