What Happened Here?

About

What Happened Here? is a single player role playing game with a horror theme. It was developed by Noel Tugy and was released on July 23, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

What Happened Here? is a short adventure horror game where you play as Elly, a young woman trapped in her mysteriously transformed home. Explore eerie rooms, solve challenging puzzles, and uncover secrets to find the truth and escape. With multiple endings and a haunting atmosphere, it offers a compact but engaging horror experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 28 reviews

story10 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features engaging characters, humorous dialogue, and a charming art style that enhances the overall experience.
It's a free game that offers multiple endings and enjoyable mini-games, making it a fun and entertaining short RPG.
The sound design and visuals are well-executed, contributing to a pleasant atmosphere and immersive gameplay.

The story feels rushed and lacks depth, leaving players wanting more context and development.
Some players found the writing awkward and the translation poor, which detracted from the overall narrative clarity.
The gameplay is relatively short and may not provide enough content for those seeking a more substantial experience.

story
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
48%
12%
The story is engaging with likable characters and a charming aesthetic, but many reviewers found it lacking depth and clarity, particularly for those unfamiliar with the source material. While the narrative has potential and offers a fun experience, it often feels rushed and shallow, leaving players wanting more backstory and development. Overall, it is considered a decent, bite-sized tale that could benefit from further exploration in future installments.
- “The dialogue and story are engaging, and the characters are awesome.”
- “It's such a good story with rather simple to understand puzzles that anyone can get, and there are quite a few endings, so you should go back and get them. The characters are very likable too.”
- “A short, sweet, and sassy RPG Maker horror game with decent puzzles, strong characters, and a story that unravels piece by piece.”
- “However, I'll say that the plot, on the other hand, didn’t really strike me much, and I feel that a particular reason for this is that the game is the follow-up to the aforementioned novel on Amazon.”
- “While the developer themselves stated that you didn’t need to understand the novel in order to play the game, I felt going in blind that there was a decent amount of characterization and story elements that I missed out on while playing through it that just didn’t really resonate with me as much as I would like it to.”
- “I'd say that the thing that could primarily be improved is the story itself — it was a rather shallow story.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
38%
The graphics of the game have received positive feedback, with many praising the cute character designs and vibrant pixel art that enhances the overall atmosphere. Reviewers appreciate the art style's charm, likening it to classic RPG Maker games, and express a desire for more depth in the visuals to complement the story. Overall, the game's aesthetic is considered a standout feature, contributing to its entertainment value.
- “The visuals of the game are amazing and the story was pretty interesting. The characters look super cute too; I absolutely loved their designs!”
- “Graphically, the pixel art commonly seen in this type of game has been spruced up with a very pretty color palette, which also works quite well to emphasize the setting and set the atmosphere.”
- “Personally, I think this game deserves more attention; the art style is cute and the game itself is entertaining.”
- “The graphics are outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
- “The character models look bland and uninspired, making it hard to connect with the game.”
- “The environments feel empty and lifeless, which detracts from the overall experience.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The gameplay is a brief yet engaging experience, lasting around 30-45 minutes, featuring exploration, puzzle-solving, and minigames within an RPG Maker-styled environment. While the gameplay loop is relatively simple, it impresses with a variety of mechanics and a well-paced story, complemented by a likeness mechanic that encourages player performance. Despite initial perceptions of dullness, the gameplay offers a satisfying and enjoyable experience.
- “I was really impressed with the variety of mechanics in such a short game, and the pacing of the story too.”
- “The likeness mechanic is a nice addition encouraging the player to do well in the puzzles.”
- “30 min of gameplay?!”
- “The actual gameplay of 'What Happened Here?' for the most part is as said in the intro: it’s an RPG Maker styled game where you can explore the manor, solve some puzzles, and partake in some minigames.”
- “That would probably be your hardest puzzle to be honest, but other than that it’s a rather simple gameplay loop for a small 30-45 minute experience.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is highly praised for its fitting alignment with classic horror RPG Maker soundtracks, enhancing the overall atmosphere. Users also appreciate the sound design, particularly the satisfying audio cues during menu navigation, which contribute to an immersive experience.
- “The sound design was probably my personal favorite, as there’s a series of satisfying pings when you scroll through the menus and the soundtrack.”
- “And the music and art style are incredible.”
- “The sound design was probably my personal favorite, as there are a series of satisfying pings when you scroll through the menus and the soundtrack.”
- “Fitting right in with classic horror RPG Maker soundtracks, the music is quite good!”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players found the humor in the game to be a delightful surprise, with many enjoying the abundance of witty remarks and interactions that added to their overall fun experience.
- “I had so much fun interacting with everything! I was not expecting the game to have as many humorous remarks as it did, but it was very welcome!”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch! Every character has a witty line that keeps you laughing throughout the adventure.”
- “I love how the game blends humor with gameplay; it makes even the most mundane tasks entertaining!”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers praise the character development for its strong and believable designs, enhanced by vibrant colorations in the character portraits and CGs, which contribute to a visually engaging experience.
- “The character portraits and CGs feature a vibrant color palette, complemented by strong and believable character designs.”
- “The depth of each character's backstory adds layers to their personality, making every interaction feel meaningful.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, with their choices and experiences shaping their development in a realistic way.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its visually appealing pixel art and a vibrant color palette, effectively emphasizing the setting and contributing to an immersive experience.
- “Graphically, the pixel art commonly seen in this type of game has been enhanced with a beautiful color palette, which effectively emphasizes the setting and creates a captivating atmosphere.”