The Letter

About

"The Letter" is a horror/drama visual novel inspired by Asian horror films like "The Grudge" and "The Ring." Players encounter mature and disturbing themes, offensive language, and violence through the perspective of seven characters, with branching narratives and multiple endings. The game contains strong trigger warnings, advising players to exercise discretion.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,620 reviews

story558 positive mentions

grinding36 negative mentions

The game features a compelling and emotional story that keeps players engaged.
The characters are well-developed, relatable, and their relationships evolve based on player choices.
The art style and voice acting are of high quality, enhancing the overall experience.

The pacing can be slow, with excessive inner monologues and dialogue that may feel repetitive.
Some horror elements rely on predictable jump scares rather than building tension.
There are minor grammatical errors and missing voice lines that detract from the immersion.

story
1,892 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
68%
3%
The story of "The Letter" is a complex and branching narrative that unfolds through the perspectives of seven characters, each revealing different facets of a shared horror experience tied to a cursed letter and an ancient mansion. While the game is praised for its engaging character development and the significant impact of player choices on the storyline, some reviewers noted issues with pacing, repetitive dialogue, and a lack of depth in certain plot points. Overall, the game offers a rich, immersive experience that encourages multiple playthroughs to fully appreciate its intricacies and variations.
- “The branching story and character arcs are substantial.”
- “The story goes between different characters who end up getting involved in this ancient mansion that holds a dark and deadly secret!”
- “The amount of choices that actually affect the story is incredibly impressive and gives the game so much replay value.”
- “You have to replay the same story seven different times through the POV of different characters (this is for a single playthrough, not multiple).”
- “The characters stopped being characters and just became ways to keep the plot moving... all for nothing, as I've said a million times.”
- “Moves at a snail's pace with entirely too much dialogue that's either in dire need of trimming down or not even necessary to move the story forward.”
music
408 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
46%
1%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and emotional depth of the narrative. Reviewers noted that the soundtrack is diverse, beautifully composed, and effectively complements various scenes, from tense moments to heartwarming interactions. While some tracks may be repetitive, the overall quality and impact of the music contribute significantly to the immersive experience of the visual novel.
- “The music is very diversified and even though you'll hear every track countless times throughout your playthroughs, they never really start to annoy you, which is quite nice.”
- “The soundtrack sets the mood for each scene perfectly, from nice cheerful music during a pleasant happy scene to haunting music when things are not quite right.”
- “The music really helps set the mood for the scenes, and the sprites are one of the most beautiful I've ever seen in a game.”
- “Some of the dialogues, music, and voice acting ended up getting on my nerves pretty fast.”
- “The editing of the audio also lacks polishing considering the fact that certain sounds, effects, and music drastically cut from time to time while switching scenes.”
- “Music; a bit dull if I'm being honest.”
graphics
390 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
43%
2%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning artwork and animation, effectively blending beautiful and grotesque elements that enhance the horror experience. Many reviewers praised the detailed character designs, vibrant backgrounds, and the seamless transitions between calm and terrifying visuals, although some noted inconsistencies in art styles across different scenes. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's immersive storytelling and emotional impact.
- “The voice acting and animations, the artwork in the backgrounds, CGs, etc., is so gorgeous yet gruesome at times—I love it.”
- “Incredible horror visual novel with amazing artwork and uniquely gory death scenes.”
- “The graphics are beautiful and the storyline was particularly detailed.”
- “Put simply, for a game that has advertised full English voice acting, I found the frequent grammatical and typographical errors to be very jarring.”
- “The artwork was definitely there and could have supported so much more trepidation in the reader, but in the end it was lacking.”
- “So why do I still hate the art style then?”
gameplay
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
87%
2%
The gameplay of "The Letter" primarily revolves around a visual novel format, featuring a branching narrative with meaningful choices that significantly impact the story and character relationships. While it includes quick-time events (QTEs) to enhance tension, many players find these optional and not essential to the experience. Overall, the game offers a rich narrative experience with a variety of character perspectives, though some reviewers noted that the gameplay can feel minimal and at times tedious.
- “The art style is pleasant, the branching narrative explores different character perspectives, and the interactive quick time events added some excitement to the gameplay.”
- “The gameplay also has quick-time events that can help ramp up the tension and horror, but be warned, I recommend starting on the easy level as normal difficulty can be tough if you don’t have good reflexes!”
- “I get that it is a novel, but in 3 hours of gameplay, barely anything happened.”
- “There is no real gameplay (only QTEs, and they can be skipped without any kind of story consequences - you just press tab, and the game considers it as a won QTE).”
- “Gameplay-wise, it's mostly just a visual novel with some optional QTE-style minigames, but the writers did a lot to make sure you were never bored because you have many opportunities to make meaningful choices and enjoy the cast of colorful but sympathetic characters doing their thing.”
replayability
124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
56%
2%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with numerous branching paths and choices that significantly impact the story and outcomes, encouraging players to explore different scenarios. Many reviewers highlight the impressive depth of the narrative and the variety of endings, making it a compelling experience that invites multiple playthroughs. Additionally, the inclusion of achievements and the ability to skip dialogue enhance the overall replay value, ensuring that players can revisit the game without feeling repetitive.
- “The amount of choices that actually affect the story is incredibly impressive and gives the game so much replay value.”
- “With so many different endings and scenes, there is a lot of replay value as there is so much to experience.”
- “The game has a high replayability factor; since my initial blind playthrough I've been going back and choosing different outcomes to see the alternate endings (including the 'true ending'), and it's good fun to try and unlock all the game's many achievements in the process.”
- “I've read dozens of visual novels before and never have I read one with as many choices and branches as this game, giving it immense replayability value.”
- “It was long and detailed enough to develop a story in full, but to fully grasp the story and the whys and whens, you really need three playthroughs, leaving some question marks along the way to facilitate the replayability of it.”
- “Without skips, a run takes about 15-20 hours, and given the many choices in the game and the various branches due to previous decisions, it has a lot of replay value.”
atmosphere
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
55%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its effective blend of sound design, music, and visual aesthetics, creating a chilling and immersive experience that enhances the horror elements. While some reviewers noted a lack of variety in sound effects and occasional pacing issues, the overall ambiance successfully evokes tension and emotional engagement, making players feel connected to the characters and story. The combination of creepy visuals, well-executed voice acting, and a haunting soundtrack contributes to a compelling atmosphere that keeps players on edge.
- “The atmosphere and sound also give chilling vibes that run up my spine and along my arms when playing this.”
- “A combination of the artwork, sound design, and music, along with your love of the characters, all blend perfectly together, creating an atmosphere that will leave your heart racing and emotions soaring.”
- “The music is great; it always fits the atmosphere of the scenes and sounds, whether it's frightening screams, gentle laughs, or background noises, making this game an incredibly immersive experience.”
- “The game isn't as 'scary' as you would think, but it does have a creepy, suspenseful atmosphere.”
- “This tense atmosphere persisted for many hours, but somewhere along the way, about halfway through the story, it began to loosen the tight grip in which it entangled me thus far.”
- “The mini-games are tedious and momentarily ruin the atmosphere.”
emotional
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is a significant highlight, with many players expressing deep connections to the characters and experiencing a range of feelings, from laughter to heartbreak. While some found the dialogue overly dramatic and the pacing uneven, the impactful storytelling, combined with a well-crafted soundtrack, effectively evokes strong emotions, making it a memorable experience. Overall, the game successfully balances horror and heartfelt moments, leaving players feeling invested in the characters' journeys.
- “I haven't even finished my first run, but I will say that this is the first game to make me want to cry.”
- “The story is beautiful, made me cry a few times.”
- “I ended up with such an emotional connection to some of the characters, primarily to Zach and Ashton (I'm a tomboy, what can I say).”
character development
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
53%
10%
Character development in the game is a standout feature, with many reviewers praising its depth and the impact of player choices on character relationships and story progression. While some found the text-heavy approach and occasional filler content to be a drawback, the overall consensus highlights the immersive storytelling and well-defined characters that enhance the gaming experience. The combination of strong writing, voice acting, and character designs further contributes to a compelling narrative that keeps players engaged.
- “Great character development, a good relationship system, and multiple branching paths and endings: if you are looking for a riveting story to dive into for about 20 hours, this is the game for you!”
- “What really makes this game immersive is the character development and how characters relate to each other as a whole.”
- “The visual novel focuses on character development, and the actions you take with one character will have huge impacts on the story as it goes on.”
- “Character development non-existent.”
- “Character development is one thing, but reading about instant noodles for what seemed like an eternity just felt out of place.”
- “As I said before, it can be a bit text heavy as the writers give you each character's inner thoughts about any given situation they are in, and even though I love an extreme amount of character development, this style may not be for everyone.”
grinding
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game can be tedious, with many players feeling overwhelmed by the need to achieve 100% completion or frustrated by repetitive dialogue and mini-games. While some appreciate the introspective narrative and the option to skip tedious scenes, others find the overall experience longwinded and lacking in payoff, leading to a mixed reception regarding the grind.
- “You don't need to get every achievement to enjoy the game, so if that overwhelms you, you should either go in knowing you won't get them all or accept it's gonna be a tedious grind.”
- “For me, it wasn't, and while I tried to 100% the game, I soon gave up as I found it to be tedious, and the payoff to not be worth it.”
- “The artwork is decent and the storyline wraps up nicely at the end, which is heavily influenced by your decisions - however the journey getting there is for the most part longwinded and tedious.”
humor
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of entertaining and tedious, with some dialogue eliciting genuine laughter while other parts feel overly drawn out. Characters vary widely in their comedic effectiveness, with some being hilariously entertaining and others falling flat. Overall, the game balances moments of humor with horror, creating a jarring yet engaging experience that can catch players off guard.
- “The story goes that there is a mansion, the (hilariously named…) Ermergard mansion… which is cursed and seems to have a bad habit of killing people associated with it.”
- “The letter is a horror visual novel with atmospheric music, amazing character art, a well-written script, and talented voice acting - Luke's voice actor had me laughing out loud numerous times during my plays of the game.”
- “The tense scenes were relieved with humor, and the calm scenes went on just long enough so that when it was interrupted with more horror scenes, it was jarring and caught you off guard after lulling you into a false sense of security.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance, with no significant bugs or glitches reported, allowing for an immersive experience. Players appreciate the seamless integration of animated character sprites and voice acting, which enhances the storytelling. While some dialogue may repeat, the overall execution is solid, contributing to a lengthy and engaging gameplay experience.
- “Multiple endings, no bugs, no glitches, no missing text (though some dialogues would repeat themselves), no major breaking game issues, good performance, and a long game length.”
- “I was absolutely blown away by how much emotion and authenticity was put into each performance, even those I was worried about being flat.”
- “Also, the voice cast is amazing and it's their performances that draw you into the story.”
- “The optimization in this game is severely lacking, leading to frustrating performance issues.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs and glitches that made the gameplay experience less enjoyable.”
- “The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, which detracts from the overall immersion.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized for frequent freezes, particularly after extended play, which disrupts the experience despite attempts to resolve the issues through reinstallation and restarts. Users have also reported minor bugs, such as text glitches and audio mismatches, though these are generally not seen as overly distracting. Overall, while the game has notable stability issues, many players hope that these will be addressed in future updates.
- “It works fine for ten minutes and then suddenly the screen just freezes and I can't do anything.”
- “I'm so disappointed as I was really getting into the game before the freezes. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling, restarting the game completely, but nothing works.”
- “- The game is pretty buggy in places, especially once the player hits Rebecca's chapter.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for being misleading, with users expressing concerns that the advertising does not accurately represent the game's content or value.
- “This game's advertising and many reviews are misleading.”