Westwood Shadows

About

Westwood Shadows is a single player action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by RedSoup and was released on February 10, 2026. It received positive reviews from players.

A police detective gets involved into a case about a missing couple. Soon he finds out that the husband was working at a mental asylum and he was conducting a research over a mysterious disappearance of patients. Among the files there is something he would never thought he would find.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 47 reviews

story17 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

Strong atmosphere with well-made sound effects, music, and voice acting that create an immersive experience.
Clever and challenging puzzles that require thought and exploration, reminiscent of classic detective and puzzle games.
Interesting and engaging story with emotional moments and solid execution, especially praised in the prologue.

The combat and enemy design, especially involving shadows, are criticized as unengaging, repetitive, and sometimes frustrating.
The transition from the prologue's pure puzzle focus to action/shooter elements with health and ammo management decreases player enjoyment for some.
Several gameplay and UI issues such as inconvenient save systems, bugged bottle distraction mechanics, confusing chase sequences, and lack of quality-of-life features hurt the experience.

story
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
16%
13%
The game's story is widely praised for being interesting, atmospheric, and thought-provoking, often enhanced by well-made cutscenes and voice acting. While some find it a bit short or occasionally confusing, it effectively supports the engaging puzzles and mild horror elements, making it a compelling experience for fans of detective and survival-horror genres.
- “While this game is made by a small studio, it is evident it is an ambitious attempt, and they've really tried to add something interesting to every aspect of the game, including a few twists and turns on the story!”
- “It has a great story, the voice acting was impressive and the cut scenes were well made.”
- “For players who love good puzzles and first-person exploration of a good detective story, it is a game for you.”
- “Some of the story elements are unclear, and the combat feels repetitive with the same type of enemy and weapons.”
- “The story did not go as expected; the prologue makes you feel like you are uncovering the truth about what is happening in Westwood and your family, but it falls short.”
- “While the game is an ambitious attempt by a small studio with interesting twists, some story elements lack clarity and impact.”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
The gameplay offers a solid and immersive horror-puzzle experience with unique, fitting mechanics for a detective theme, including good shooting mechanics and an interesting psychological approach. However, some mechanics such as sanity effects, batteries, oxygen, and certain UI elements like tutorial interruptions and loading transitions are seen as annoying or outdated. Overall, the gameplay is smooth and engaging but could benefit from refinements in mechanics and user interface.
- “Solid horror puzzle experience game, with good mechanics and immersive qualities.”
- “Honestly overall great job on the puzzles, they all felt unique and were a fitting mechanic for a detective.”
- “Mechanics spot on and no bugs, smooth and great.”
- “The shadows themselves were included as a horror mechanic, but they did not seem overall scary and seemed more like a hindrance between you and the next puzzle. Once you learn that they stand there to attack, the horror factor is removed.”
- “Some mechanics feel a little pointless, like batteries and oxygen to reduce stress.”
- “The use of invisible walls is annoying; assets should be rearranged to actually block the space visually as well.”
atmosphere
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
84%
16%
The game is widely praised for its captivating and mysterious atmosphere, especially strong during the prologue, combining spooky elements with excellent sound design and graphics. Players appreciate the compelling blend of horror, puzzles, and exploration that creates a tense and immersive experience, though some note a tonal shift after the demo that impacts the overall atmosphere. Overall, the atmosphere is regarded as a standout aspect, significantly enhancing the game's appeal.
- “Great atmosphere, solid level design, and an interesting combination of puzzles, exploration, and tension.”
- “This has very mild horror but great atmosphere and very challenging puzzles.”
- “Very nice atmosphere, great sound effects and voice over acting and killer scenario!”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The game's graphics are generally praised for their quality and atmospheric visuals, especially notable for an indie title, with well-made animations and sound effects enhancing the experience. While some users note occasional choppiness or inconsistency in cinematics, likely due to early access development, overall the graphics are considered solid, optimized, and contribute positively to the game's immersive atmosphere.
- “On the plus side, the graphics and animations are fairly decent for an indie game.”
- “The visuals are considered a plus.”
- “The graphics are very cool and the game doesn't lag at all; it's very optimized and I am not used to not lag in indie games.”
- “The design of the shadows is tough to accept; they are not very scary and graphically lacking.”
- “Graphics can be improved but they work for me.”
- “Graphics can get choppy during cutscenes (early access, and they are working on it).”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music and sound effects are consistently praised for enhancing the game's atmosphere, with a spooky tone that perfectly complements the story and gameplay. Users find the audio well-placed and highly effective in setting the mood.
- “Good game, the story seems very interesting and the music/sound effects are great!”
- “Spooky atmosphere, very on point music and sound effects.”
- “Music was perfectly placed and sounded right in all the right places.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates impressive stability with minimal bugs or glitches, running smoothly even in early access. Users appreciate the solid performance and reliable gameplay from a small indie team.
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding is a minor element in the game but is often seen as tedious and repetitive by players.
- “It's a small part of the game, but I found this section extremely tedious.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers a decent amount of playtime with satisfactory replayability, providing enough content to keep players engaged beyond the initial experience.
- “The game has a decent amount of playtime and replayability.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the game emotionally impactful, particularly in the ending, with strong voice acting and a compelling scenario. The challenging puzzles also enhance the emotional engagement by requiring thoughtful problem-solving.
- “So emotional especially towards the end. I can admit my eyes got red. Very good voice acting, very nice scenario, very nice puzzles. First time I got so frustrated and forced to think, way better than the prologue.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is highly optimized, delivering smooth performance without any lag, which is impressive especially for an indie title with cool graphics.
- “The graphics are very cool and the game doesn't lag at all, it's very optimized and I am not used to no lag in indie games.”