Through the Woods

59%
Game Brain Score Based on 514 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • atmosphere
Through the Woods Game Cover
Through the Woods is a sad, haunting tale that manages to scare without being cheap or easy, and one of this year’s best horror games.
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Through the Woods is a third-person Norse horror adventure where you play as a mother searching for her missing son in a forest inspired by Norwegian folklore. The game features reactive narration, high-quality sound design, and a setting influenced by Norse mythology. Your goal is to find your son while uncovering the mysteries of the forest, using sound as a core mechanic to navigate the dark and scary environment.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

59%
Audience ScoreBased on 514 reviews
story176 positive mentions
stability28 negative mentions
  • The game features a haunting atmosphere and beautiful visuals that effectively create a sense of dread.
  • The incorporation of Norse mythology adds depth to the story and provides an interesting backdrop for the gameplay.
  • The narrative is engaging, with a compelling story about a mother's search for her son that resonates emotionally.
  • The game is riddled with bugs and performance issues, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • Voice acting is often criticized as being flat and lacking emotion, detracting from the overall immersion.
  • The gameplay can feel repetitive and linear, with limited interaction and exploration opportunities.
  • story362 mentions

    The game's story revolves around a mother searching for her abducted son, intertwining elements of Norse mythology and folklore. While some players found the narrative engaging and atmospheric, others criticized it for being shallow, poorly executed, or lacking emotional depth. Overall, the story has potential and intriguing moments, but its execution and pacing left many players feeling disconnected or underwhelmed.

    • “The story is about a single mom who doesn't love her boy, then the boy is abducted and brought away by a boat, and this mom jumped into the river and swam across; then the walking sim began.”
    • “There's a genuinely compelling story here and some spooky moments, plus it's inspired by Norse mythology, so it's like Skyrim as a horror game but not really.”
    • “The story unfolds through narration as well as found notes you come across as you progress.”
    • “The story is not captivating.”
    • “The story was so promising.”
    • “The story had potential but the execution fell short.”
  • graphics163 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that while the environmental visuals can be beautiful and atmospheric, character models and animations often fall short, appearing outdated or poorly executed. Some users experienced significant graphical glitches and performance issues, detracting from the overall experience, while others appreciated the indie game's visual style given its budget constraints. Overall, the graphics are described as hit-or-miss, with some praising the scenery and others criticizing the technical execution.

    • “Surprisingly good graphics and a compelling story!”
    • “The graphics are good, pretty detailed with some nice colors; the levels in the game are quite nice with varied locations and there are some scenes and areas in the game that would make great PC wallpaper.”
    • “Great atmosphere, great graphics (except water. like, seriously, what happened to the water in 'through the woods').”
    • “Very bad graphics and performance; you'll get a hundred fps but constant stuttering.”
    • “It's unbelievable how poor the graphics are considering the fact that a couple of years ago the game was refusing to start on my at-the-time 32-bit Windows 7 system.”
    • “The game is incredibly short, buggy (broken water shader), sometimes feels pretty rough in terms of visuals, and is only really unique due to its setting.”
  • atmosphere102 mentions

    The atmosphere in "Through the Woods" is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, effectively capturing the essence of Norwegian folklore and creating a sense of dread and isolation. While some reviews note that the graphics and gameplay mechanics may not hold up, the game's sound design, music, and environmental storytelling contribute significantly to its atmospheric experience. Overall, players find the atmosphere to be the standout feature, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric horror and narrative-driven games.

    • “Through the woods absolutely nails the atmosphere that a Norwegian horror game should have, and provides a take on Norse mythology that is rich with dread and darkness.”
    • “The atmosphere is the best part about this game hands down.”
    • “The game builds atmosphere tremendously, and heavily layers on the Nordic folklore.”
    • “The game has a dense atmosphere, but for the most part, it's a walking simulator with very little to explore and a pace that is way too slow for this little content.”
    • “Yeah, that atmosphere is shattered by poor story, awful, almost comedic ending, and bugs.”
    • “Even the atmosphere was very, very far away from what I was expecting from it.”
  • gameplay96 mentions

    The gameplay is primarily a walking simulator with limited mechanics, focusing on exploration, reading diary entries, and avoiding enemies, which some players found simplistic and unengaging. Many reviews noted issues with clunky controls, bugs, and a lack of depth, leading to a generally short experience of around 3-5 hours. While the atmosphere and story elements drew some players in, the overall gameplay was often criticized for being repetitive and lacking challenge.

    • “The gameplay is good; it's mostly a walking simulator with some light stealth mechanics and one or two instances where you have to repel an enemy with your flashlight.”
    • “The gameplay is simple enough, and you can beat it in roughly 5 hours.”
    • “The gameplay can be choppy, laggy, etc. Try to mess with the settings while playing.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics were sloppy.”
    • “The gameplay is confusing and dull, and the story/dialogue is weak melodrama.”
    • “However, there's little gameplay to be had; the game is essentially a walking simulator and collect-a-thon, where the true depth of the story is brought to light via texts you find on your journey.”
  • music63 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and storytelling, with many reviewers highlighting the soundtrack's beauty and effectiveness in setting the mood, particularly during tense moments. While some found the music to be a standout feature, others felt it could have been more evocative in certain situations. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point of the game, contributing significantly to the immersive experience.

    • “The music in the game is very good, with plenty of soundtracks that do a great job of setting the mood.”
    • “The atmosphere, story, and music are the game's strong points.”
    • “The music is a blend of somewhat soft new age crossing over into traditional Norwegian folk inspired.”
    • “Perhaps if the music/sound effects were more evocative of a terrifying situation, it would have worked better, but the music and dark scenery didn't come together for me to give an effective horror mood while playing.”
    • “Oh, and the soundtrack is wholly forgettable.”
    • “But the OST was definitely not the strongest suit of the game at all.”
  • stability28 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with many players reporting numerous bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay, including crashes, graphical errors, and control issues. While some users found the experience playable despite these problems, others experienced game-breaking freezes and significant visual glitches that hindered their enjoyment. Overall, the game appears poorly optimized, leading to a frustrating experience for many players.

    • “Unfortunately, the game is poorly optimized, the voice acting is stiff, the controls feel clunky, and the game repeatedly crashes about 3 hours into it. My basic troubleshooting was not able to fix that.”
    • “The premise seemed really promising, but the number of graphical glitches I encountered was so bad that I couldn't see well enough to play the game.”
    • “I only played 0.4 hours of the game because, on top of the awful graphics and FPS, the game freezes at the same spot (when Espen has to use the bathroom) right at the beginning, and I can't actually play the rest of the game.”
  • optimization23 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting severe performance issues such as constant stuttering, crashes, and poor graphics quality. Many users noted that even high-end systems struggle to maintain a smooth frame rate, leading to a frustrating experience overall. While some appreciated the story and atmosphere, the consensus is that significant optimization work is needed to improve gameplay stability and visual fidelity.

    • “Just finished this... I did get this on sale; I would suggest that, to be honest. Also, there are a few rendering or optimization issues, but overall a great game/story.”
    • “Good game, not as optimized as I would have hoped.”
    • “The Unity engine certainly did its job here, with a mixture of Ethan Carter and Alan Wake as the result. Although there were some performance issues, 70% of the time the game was locked to 60fps at 1080p, but using the flashlight often saw dips, and more dense-looking areas also saw performance suffer.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game is poorly optimized; the voice acting is stiff, the controls feel clunky, and the game repeatedly crashes about 3 hours into it. My basic troubleshooting was not able to fix that.”
    • “It runs like crap, it looks like crap, the voice acting is complete garbage, it flickers constantly, and will destroy your eyeballs if you can't hit 60 fps minimum, which you probably won't since its optimization is total absolute garbage.”
    • “I love the mythology and what they tried to do, but the game is very poorly optimized (I have a 4K system).”
  • emotional17 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game elicits mixed responses from players; while some find the story of a mother searching for her son to be deeply moving and reminiscent of classic emotional narratives, others criticize the protagonist's lack of emotional depth and monotone delivery, which detracts from the intended impact. Despite high-quality visuals and sound, many players struggle to connect with the characters, leading to a disjointed emotional experience that fails to fully engage them. Overall, the game is seen as a heartfelt tale with potential, but its execution leaves some players feeling detached.

    • “I feel a strong emotional attachment to this game after experiencing it, and plan on replaying many times in the future.”
    • “Not since the Silent Hill series has a game moved me so emotionally.”
    • “The story is about a mother looking to save her son, within a contemporary setting that blends into another world of dark fantasy, that reminisces to me of the Guillermo del Toro film, 'Pan's Labyrinth', and is an emotional tale.”
  • replayability11 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the opportunity to discover all monsters and collectibles, many feel that once achievements are completed, there is little incentive to replay. A few users noted that the experience is enjoyable but short, leading to a consensus that replay value is limited, especially at full price.

    • “I surely didn't discover all the monsters, which makes me want to revisit it in the future to try to encounter them all; it adds a little bit of replay value to the game.”
    • “Well worth $20, with plenty of collectibles, story content, and replay value.”
    • “Replay value is there for anyone who wishes to retry multiple times to find all of the collectibles.”
    • “Besides finding all the collectibles, there is no replay value.”
    • “Despite its flaws, Through the Woods was an enjoyable experience and an interesting addition to the horror genre, but I am glad that I got it on sale as it was a little unpolished and has very little replayability.”
    • “The game has absolutely no replay value.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of unintentional hilarity and intentional comedic elements, with players finding the voice acting, animations, and certain character designs amusingly contrived. While the game attempts to blend horror and humor, many found the horror aspects to be more laughable than frightening, leading to a unique experience that balances between funny and eerie. Overall, the humor is seen as a highlight, contributing to the game's charm despite its flaws.

    • “It was funny at first, then it got scary and actually interesting, but every time they started talking I could not hold my laughter in.”
    • “It is so contrived and try-hard that it is hilarious.”
    • “The creatures don't look that terrifying and many of the 'horror elements' actually made me laugh.”
  • character development6 mentions

    Character development in the game is mixed, with some players appreciating the depth revealed through encounters and dialogue, while others criticize the lack of meaningful growth and emotional connection to the characters. Although the atmosphere and graphics are praised, the character design does not match the quality of the environments, leading to a disconnect in player engagement with the characters. Overall, the character development is seen as a weak point, with some instances of reverse growth detracting from the experience.

    • “The story, setting, character development, and atmosphere make this a great game.”
    • “Graphics and character design are high quality!”
    • “At first, she evokes sympathy, but this wanes as we discover more about her and her past through encounters and triggered dialogue in a kind of reverse character development.”
    • “There is no character development or reason to care about the characters.”
    • “Atmosphere is great, but the character design is so bad.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game can feel tedious, particularly during sections where players are confined to small areas with excessive explanations. However, some players appreciate the exploration elements, finding enough engaging content to make the journey worthwhile despite the slower pacing.

    • “At multiple points, you're trapped in a tiny area while the game tediously explains things you should have picked up from context clues already.”
    • “Promising first twenty minutes that eventually settles into a tedious jog simulator.”
    • “A bit of a walking sim at times, sure, but I felt this game gave enough to look at and explore that it didn't just feel tedious to get from one place to another.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

73% average critic score

Buy Through the Woods

Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
4-6hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

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