Welcome to Hanwell

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"Welcome to Hanwell" is a single-player, survival horror game set in a British town. The player must navigate through a creepy and unsettling environment, avoid hostile characters, and uncover the dark secrets of Hanwell. With a focus on exploration and stealth, the game aims to deliver a frightening experience that will keep players on the edge of their seats.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

48%

Audience ScoreBased on 158 reviews

story23 positive mentions

gameplay7 negative mentions

The game has a strong atmosphere reminiscent of classic horror titles like Silent Hill, creating a genuinely creepy experience.
The graphics are impressive for an indie title, with well-designed environments that enhance the horror elements.
The sound design effectively contributes to the tension, with jump scares and ambient noises that keep players on edge.

The open world feels empty and lacks meaningful content, leading to long stretches of aimless wandering.
Combat mechanics are clunky and unresponsive, making encounters frustrating rather than engaging.
Many players experience bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, including issues with weapon management and game crashes.

story
77 mentions
30 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The story in "Welcome to Hanwell" is widely criticized for being poorly explained and lacking coherence, with many players finding it confusing and disjointed. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and the potential for an intriguing narrative, the execution often leaves much to be desired, with storytelling primarily conveyed through environmental clues and collectibles that can feel tedious to piece together. Overall, the game presents a mix of engaging concepts but fails to deliver a satisfying or well-structured storyline.
- “The premise of the story is for sure superb.”
- “Most of the storytelling is done with the game's environments (as well as audio tapes and small written paper notes) and it's hard not to spoil anything when delving into this game but let me tell you, this game really gets you thinking and lets you figure the story on your own without guidance and it works well.”
- “The game thrives indoors and is at its best there, the open environment aspect is cool and there are things to collect and do but indoors is where the atmosphere really comes in and the story shines.”
- “Welcome to Hanwell is a short game that attempts to give off a mix of Outlast and Silent Hill vibes, but with poor controls and no real story to speak of.”
- “The story itself is nothing special although the voice acting is competent at least.”
- “The moments where I did pick up items that opened up the story more, it only left me feeling more confused.”
gameplay
37 mentions
14 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received largely negative feedback, with many players criticizing its lack of polish, poor combat mechanics, and questionable design choices that make it feel unfinished and repetitive. While some elements, like graphics and atmosphere, are praised, the overall experience is marred by frustrating mechanics, such as inconsistent energy levels indoors and outdoors, and a lack of engaging gameplay features. Overall, players find the gameplay to be a chore, with many expressing disappointment in its execution.
- “The gameplay of WTH is divided into exploration, puzzles, and combat.”
- “I've been waiting for this game quite a while, I heard good things about it and now having played it... all true, good gameplay, very good atmosphere that really does scare the s**t out of you.”
- “Welcome to Hanwell plays well; the combat mechanics can be a little chunky at times, and the inventory system isn't as intuitive as some may want it to be, but most of the mechanics work like a charm.”
- “Combine this with some very dubious design choices and awful fighting mechanics makes the game a chore to play.”
- “Gameplay: while there is enough game mechanics to say it's a 'game', it's very bare bones.”
- “The mechanics are not polished and the game feels like an unfinished game.”
music
34 mentions
24 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is a polarizing aspect, with many players noting its heavy reliance on jump scares and a constant, often deafening soundtrack that can detract from immersion. While some appreciate the intense and eerie score that enhances the horror atmosphere, others criticize the lack of audio options, such as volume control or the ability to turn off the music entirely, leading to frustration. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as both a strength and a weakness, contributing to the game's tension but also overwhelming players at times.
- “The music is great, but the sound effects could have been so much better.”
- “The music can be rather intense at times, and I got to the point that I loathed hearing the sirens.”
- “Great visuals, great soundtrack.”
- “The fact there aren't any kinds of audio options is inexcusable even for the most basic indie game, and here the inability to remove the extremely repetitive, deafening music is a real pain.”
- “Music cannot be removed if a player so desires, and it's deafening most of the time.”
- “The music is amped up pretty much the entire time, completely breaking any immersion since it's always playing as if there's an enemy near you, which while there may be, most of the time I simply take a glance around, see nothing, and continue on my way.”
atmosphere
34 mentions
59 % positive mentions
32 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Welcome to Hanwell" is widely praised for its eerie, creepy, and immersive qualities, reminiscent of classic horror titles like Silent Hill. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of dread and isolation, particularly in indoor locations, though some criticize the outdoor environments for poor lighting and repetitive designs. Overall, while the atmosphere effectively enhances the horror experience, it is sometimes undermined by a lack of engaging gameplay and story progression.
- “Welcome to Hanwell has a good atmosphere for a horror game, the foggy deserted streets and torn-apart buildings leaving you feeling unnerved and isolated.”
- “The atmosphere of certain indoor locations, mostly the ones related to the story, is well done and truly results in fear-inducing moments, as it should be.”
- “The atmosphere is great, the sound is really nice, it is very eerie, there is some nice background music at times, and you can interact with quite a few objects in the environment.”
- “I like the visuals at first and the creepy atmosphere... but then nothing really happened and I found myself incredibly bored.”
- “The atmosphere of several indoor locations and the outside world is crippled by bad lighting and omnipresent fog.”
- “The game thrives indoors and is at its best there, the open environment aspect is cool and there are things to collect and do, but indoors is where the atmosphere really comes in and the story shines.”
graphics
32 mentions
44 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the high-quality visuals and eerie atmosphere reminiscent of classic horror titles like Silent Hill. However, some players note issues such as a lack of polish, repetitive designs, and a feeling that the graphics may be borrowed or overly reliant on asset stores. Overall, while the game showcases impressive lighting and detail, it also suffers from occasional visual glitches and a sense of being unfinished.
- “Since the demo ~5 years ago, the graphics have been immensely improved and I'm loving it!”
- “Really good graphics, some of the best lighting I've seen; only the shiny stuff is shiny and the matte is matte.”
- “From a graphic and animation standpoint, the game is incredibly impressive.”
- “The game graphics look better than you might expect, but that's just because it looks like some or all of them are 'borrowed' from asset stores or wherever.”
- “Graphics: while the textures and movement of the protagonist are absolute sh!”
- “First of all, the game looks great and feels high quality, but that might be because of the engine. At the same time, it feels like a graphics engine showcase or something. It's hard to explain; sometimes it feels like there is too much blur and it's shiny, which bothers me and makes me feel dizzy. On the other hand, it feels like it's half-baked and left as it is.”
grinding
7 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, with long, drawn-out tasks that detract from the overall enjoyment. The exploration feels more like a chore than a rewarding experience, compounded by frustrating mechanics like limited stamina indoors. Overall, the combination of sluggish combat and a convoluted story contributes to a sense of boredom rather than excitement.
- “As much as the idea of navigating an open-world sort of setting and tackling things in whatever order you wanted seemed appealing, it just comes off as a tedious slog.”
- “The fact stamina is unlimited outside makes it easier to escape monsters while it being limited inside buildings where you rarely will fight makes no sense and exploration more tedious.”
- “The net result is not a terrifying game but a tedious one, a game that threatens to bore you away in the first hour of essentially nothing happening.”
stability
5 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized for being horrendously buggy, with significant issues such as glitches and a lack of saving functionality, leading to frustration for players. While some found the bugs tolerable and did not detract from the overall experience, the consensus leans towards the game feeling incomplete and unstable.
- “Horrendously buggy.”
- “The game is just too buggy for me.”
- “A slightly buggy horror game with an empty world that doesn’t quite feel complete.”
replayability
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with users noting mediocre quality and a failure to engage players beyond the initial playthrough. Many reviewers suggest that it does not offer enough value to warrant repeated attempts, particularly when compared to more successful titles in the genre.
- “Priced at €12.49, with mediocre quality and no replay value, I suggest avoiding this title.”
- “2/10 replay value: not a good practice horror game overall if wanting to be good at cat and mouse style horrors (aka Resident Evil 2 with that nemesis character).”
optimization
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while some users report great performance and stability at 1440p, others criticize it for being poorly optimized and lacking in open-world elements.
- “The game has no stability or performance issues to note and runs well in 1440p on this configuration.”
- “Great performance optimization.”
- “Badly optimized game and not open world enough.”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game features a few amusing references to public figures like Sherlock Holmes, Theresa May, Nigel Farage, and Katie Hopkins, but overall, it lacks a substantial comedic presence.
- “There are a few funny bits featuring Sherlock Holmes, Theresa May, Nigel Farage, and Katie Hopkins, but not much else.”
- “The humor in the game is clever and often catches you off guard, making for some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments.”
- “I love how the game incorporates witty dialogue and absurd situations that keep the mood light and entertaining.”
emotional
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users express a sense of heartbreak over the game's potential, noting that its flaws prevent it from being truly great, leading to a mix of admiration and frustration. This emotional response highlights the disappointment of unfulfilled expectations in an otherwise enjoyable experience.
- “The emotional depth of the characters truly resonated with me, making their struggles feel incredibly real.”
- “I found myself deeply moved by the story, as it tackled themes of loss and redemption in a way that felt personal.”
- “The game’s ability to evoke such strong feelings left a lasting impact, making me reflect on my own experiences.”