The Story of Henry Bishop

About

"The Story of Henry Bishop" is a narrative-driven game where you play as Henry, a real estate agent in the 1970s. When a mysterious client, Mr. Johnson, shows interest in an old mansion in Maine with a dark history, Henry is drawn into a series of unsettling events that change his life forever. As Henry, you will uncover the terrifying truth behind the house and confront your deepest fears.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 138 reviews

story22 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game has a spooky atmosphere and decent graphics for an indie title, creating an engaging horror experience.
The story is interesting and features multiple endings, which adds to the replayability.
Despite some clunky mechanics, the game offers a variety of gameplay elements, including puzzles and combat, which keeps it entertaining.

The voice acting and dialogue are poorly executed, often detracting from the overall experience.
Combat mechanics are clunky and frustrating, making encounters with enemies more tedious than challenging.
The game is quite short, with many players feeling it could benefit from additional content and a more developed storyline.

story
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
73%
3%
The story of "The Story of Henry Bishop" is generally viewed as a mixed bag; while some players appreciate its intriguing twists and the atmosphere it creates, others criticize it for being predictable and lacking depth. The game features multiple endings and a brief narrative that, despite its flaws, offers a compelling horror experience, though many feel it could benefit from a more coherent plot and improved voice acting. Overall, it provides a decent, albeit familiar, horror story that may appeal to fans of the genre looking for a short, engaging experience.
- “The story of Henry Bishop is a great short story that throws you in for a loop!”
- “The story is captivating (although some things are hard to relate to).”
- “The story of Henry Bishop is a psychological thriller; you will find yourself in the shoes of the main character, exploring the old mansion and learning the horrible secret of the family that disappeared without a trace in the house.”
- “The biggest drawback to the game was actually the flow of the story.”
- “The story of Henry Bishop is not a story worth hearing.”
- “The storyline for this game veers from element to element like a drunk driver, and in the final analysis, almost none of the plot makes sense.”
atmosphere
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
46%
12%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its spooky and eerie qualities, effectively contributing to the horror experience with impressive graphics and sound design. While some users noted issues with audio effects and clunky mechanics that detracted from the overall immersion, the general consensus is that the game successfully creates a palpable sense of dread and tension, making it a standout feature. Overall, the combination of atmospheric visuals, creepy environments, and engaging puzzles enhances the horror adventure experience.
- “The graphics and atmosphere were both amazing, played in 4K max settings.”
- “I thought the horror was done very well, with few jump scares and mostly atmospheric horror.”
- “The atmosphere, the sounds, the lights... the fact that there's a variety of creepy enemies and you panic every time you come across one of them... and that you can actually fight them!”
- “4/10 it had the atmosphere of a horror but none of the other ingredients necessary for the spooks.”
- “And sometimes the audio effects were quite weedy and instead of building atmosphere it actively detracted from it.”
- “-voice acting/dialogue- clearly neither voiced by, nor written by English speakers (which is completely understandable given the game's developer) this really takes away from the atmosphere the game is trying to build.”
graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
48%
12%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting a janky and outdated appearance, while others praise the atmospheric environments and solid monster designs. Many agree that while the visuals may not be top-tier, they are generally acceptable for an indie title, with some standout elements like fog effects and decent animations. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's charm, despite some technical shortcomings.
- “The graphics and atmosphere were both amazing, played in 4K max settings.”
- “There are many other older games that are starting on the exact same, even with the whole Africa story which is repeating in many different titles; however, graphics and the whole atmosphere are really one huge positive surprise.”
- “Top notch graphics, story, and voice acting.”
- “The graphics are very janky and outdated.”
- “Graphics are pretty standard as far as most Unity games go, but there's an overall jankiness to the whole proceedings.”
- “I did not expect an indie game to ever require me to turn the graphics down on it; the game just ran pretty poorly most of the time, very choppy and not smooth at all.”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
59%
18%
The gameplay is a mixed bag, featuring a variety of elements such as puzzles, exploration, and combat, which keeps it engaging despite some clunky mechanics and a mediocre plot. While the horror aspects and smooth gameplay are praised, issues like poor level design, limited health pickups, and lackluster combat detract from the overall experience. Overall, players find it enjoyable but recognize the need for improvements in certain areas.
- “It's a pretty good horror game with just a small amount of wonky mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is smooth but it is not top-end, and the graphics are not bad. It has a scary element in it; this is not like other games where you can only run and hide; you can fight too.”
- “This game has everything but the kitchen sink: puzzles such as cryptic lock combinations, hiding from murderous characters, animating mannequins, exploration, finding notes/newspapers/journal entries, and even some gunplay in the final quarter of the game.”
- “This game has so much effort put into most of it for a real mediocre plot, real okay gameplay, real not great level design.”
- “It's priced well; it's just that you aren't going to find much original gameplay in this game to speak of.”
- “The story and gameplay is pretty basic for a horror game of its kind - exploring a creepy looking building, solving some riddles, gathering quest-relevant items while getting spooked by the undead residents of the house.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its voice acting, which many players find amusingly subpar, leading to a mix of hilariously bad performances and cheesy dialogue. While some appreciate the charm of the awkward delivery, others note that the humor often feels unintentional, contributing to an overall entertaining experience. The combination of spelling errors and awkward translations adds to the game's comedic appeal, making it a hit-or-miss but generally amusing endeavor.
- “Also, the voice acting is hilarious; it's so bad I was laughing constantly.”
- “Hilariously bad voice acting and spelling errors, which are top-notch entertaining.”
- “I love the voice acting; it's funny bad but in a good way!”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, often requiring significant time investment, likening it to needing a "second life." This grind is particularly frustrating as it precedes challenging boss fights that demand multiple attempts to overcome.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's a tedious section made worse because right after is a boss fight that I had to fight a few times.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is relatively solid, with only minor issues such as animation glitches and occasional invisible walls. Players noted that while there are some quirks, like doors not fully opening, the experience is generally free of significant bugs, making it more stable compared to other titles.
- “As far as bugs and glitches go, the only thing I found was that if you open a door and back off because it's going to slam you in the face, the door shuts again instead of fully opening.”
- “I've seen worse games full of glitches and bugs; this one doesn't seem to have many, besides some invisible walls I came across two times in an open room.”
- “This game is short, and I liked the story, even though it has some animation glitches.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is generally well-received, evoking strong Silent Hill vibes and enhancing the atmosphere, though it is described as decent rather than exceptional. While it effectively supports the gameplay, it may not stand out as award-winning.
- “The music in the beginning gave me some very solid Silent Hill vibes, and it was a very welcoming feeling.”
- “But, if you're looking for a relatively well-done Russian-made game that has pretty good scares and a fair soundtrack, look no further!”
- “The music is not bad, but it's not award-winning either; it does the trick, albeit by the skin of its teeth.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with users reporting poor performance and noticeable asset usage. Many players experience choppy gameplay even on high-end machines, often needing to disable effects to maintain playable frame rates.
- “The game has poor optimization, and the use of assets is too noticeable.”
- “My biggest problem with it is that it is poorly optimized. On my machine, I have to play with all the effects disabled, and although I have high FPS, the game gets choppy at times.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game appears to rely heavily on its derivative nature, drawing comparisons to popular titles like "Outlast" and "Resident Evil 7," which may influence players' perceptions of its value and originality.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively elicits strong emotional responses, particularly fear, aligning well with the expectations of the horror genre. Players feel a significant emotional impact, enhancing their overall experience.
- “The horror genre is designed to provoke trepidation in the viewer/player, after all, so if nothing else, the game succeeds in its emotional impact (at least in my view).”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game offers some replayability due to the presence of an alternative ending, although its overall short length of about two hours may limit the incentive for multiple playthroughs.
- “The game has a surprising amount of replayability, especially if you're interested in exploring the alternative endings that change the narrative experience.”
- “Despite its short length, the game encourages multiple playthroughs to uncover different story paths and endings.”
- “I found myself wanting to replay the game just to see how different choices would affect the outcome, which adds a lot of value to the experience.”