Witch Hunt

About

Witch Hunt is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Gua and was released on September 3, 2018. It received positive reviews from players.

Witch Hunt is a cooperative online survival horror game where players assume the roles of demonologists, attempting to rid the world of evil. Players must investigate supernatural phenomena, gather resources, and work together to banish the witches they encounter. With a focus on teamwork, puzzle-solving, and combat, Witch Hunt delivers a thrilling and immersive multiplayer experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,315 reviews

atmosphere334 positive mentions

grinding73 negative mentions

The game has a fantastic atmosphere that creates a sense of dread and immersion.
Gameplay is challenging and rewarding, requiring patience and strategy to hunt down monsters.
The unique setting and historical context of being a witch hunter in the 18th century adds depth to the experience.

The tracking mechanics can be tedious, often requiring long periods of wandering to find the target.
Some bosses have excessive health, making encounters feel drawn out and frustrating.
The save system, which requires mana to save progress, can lead to significant loss of progress upon death.

atmosphere
494 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
30%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and eerie qualities, effectively creating a sense of dread and tension throughout the gameplay. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke fear without relying on cheap jump scares, instead utilizing sound design and environmental details to enhance the chilling experience. Overall, the atmosphere is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, making it a standout title in the indie horror genre.
- “The atmosphere is amazing, the setting is perfect, and the chilling horror is super well done.”
- “Witch Hunt has one of the most potent and frightening atmospheres I have ever seen; the developer's ability is assuredly apparent and flourishing within this genre.”
- “The atmosphere is thick, the concept unique, and it creates a sense of dread that is hard to find in many modern games.”
- “The atmosphere of this game is downright creepy.”
- “The atmosphere is always tense, as anything could happen at any time that could result in player death.”
- “The atmosphere is genuinely terrifying and sends shivers down your spine before jumping out of your desk chair.”
gameplay
322 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
7%
The gameplay of "Witch Hunt" is characterized by a mix of solid mechanics and a captivating atmosphere, offering a unique blend of horror and survival elements. While many players appreciate the engaging combat and rewarding gameplay loop, some criticize the repetitive nature and occasional clunkiness of mechanics, particularly in tracking and boss encounters. Overall, the game provides a challenging experience that rewards patience and skill, though it may require some polishing to enhance the overall enjoyment.
- “It's a rare game that has classic indie game charm while also having well thought out mechanics and more than serviceable graphics and performance.”
- “Paired with really fun gunplay/combat, and a gameplay cycle that is fresh with every night, it never fails to keep me at the edge of my seat and loving every second of it.”
- “The gameplay is intuitive and lets you learn on your own, without the overbearing hand-holding you often see in other games.”
- “Unfortunately, however, the gameplay loop devolves into frustration.”
- “The gameplay mainly revolves around the player running in circles around a barren map over and over while you chip away at multiple tanky bosses' health and occasionally get jumped by a few ghouls, wolves, or spiders.”
- “With little to no story or solid gameplay, the game becomes dull way too quickly and playing further through just feels like a chore.”
story
188 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
76%
6%
The game's story is generally considered minimal and basic, often conveyed through text rather than engaging dialogue or cutscenes, which some players find lacking. While the atmospheric horror elements and environmental storytelling are praised, many reviewers express a desire for a more developed narrative, side quests, and character interactions to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as more focused on gameplay mechanics and horror elements than on delivering a rich story.
- “The story is short but it's great.”
- “The mystery of the overall story, as it unwinds, keeps it suspenseful and fun.”
- “The game is very scary but brilliantly done, especially with the background sounds and atmosphere surrounding the player which honestly sent a chill down my spine especially during the first mission, it is though as if I really am in the shoes of a true witch hunter and kinda reminds me a lot about the witch hunters of Warhammer Fantasy, this game can even qualify itself as a book worthy of a story to tell.”
- “There's not much to say about the story because there's barely a story to keep up with.”
- “The story being told is simply text on a blank screen.”
- “It just feels sort of lazy to have some white text on a black screen telling you what the story is.”
graphics
157 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
52%
14%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while they are not cutting-edge, they effectively contribute to the game's atmospheric and immersive experience. The visuals are often described as simple yet coherent, fitting the indie aesthetic, and enhancing the overall mood of tension and horror. Despite some limitations in detail and performance, especially on older PCs, the game's art direction and sound design are praised for creating a chilling environment that compensates for the graphical shortcomings.
- “The atmosphere is excellent, great sound design and graphics.”
- “The graphics and mood of the game are really good.”
- “The graphics are fine, you can tell what you are looking at.”
- “Sadly the graphical settings are limited to a single slider, and the only audio you can change is the music.”
- “The graphics are pretty dated, like a decade or more, the story is pretty non-existent, the skills and inventory aren't very interesting, there seems to be very little depth in general.”
- “The unintelligent AI and poor graphics take some of the immersion out of the game.”
grinding
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with many describing it as tedious and frustrating, particularly during boss fights and exploration. While some appreciate the unique boss designs and the rewarding nature of skill acquisition, the repetitive nature of tracking and defeating enemies, especially the final boss, detracts from the enjoyment. The game’s pacing and lack of difficulty settings contribute to a sense of aimlessness, making the grinding feel more like a chore than a rewarding challenge.
- “The final boss fight is the most tediously grinding and eventually unfun thing I have done in a first-person shooter.”
- “The combat in the game is extremely tedious and the broken melee mechanics are brushed off as 'I was never good with a sword.' though the guns used are quite fun and challenging.”
- “The grinding process is just not fun.”
music
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
54%
9%
The game's music is largely minimal, with many players noting the absence of a traditional soundtrack, relying instead on eerie sound effects and ambient noises to create a haunting atmosphere. While some appreciate the occasional atmospheric music that enhances gameplay, others find it forgettable or lacking, suggesting that the sound design effectively contributes to the game's tension but does not stand out on its own. Overall, the soundscape is described as effective in building a creepy environment, though it may not satisfy those looking for a more prominent musical experience.
- “The music is few and far between but covers you in a sort of warmth when you do various actions such as kill a monster, making you feel slightly better about the terrifying environment you find yourself in.”
- “Great atmosphere, great music and sound, easy and simple to play, lacks of content.”
- “The atmosphere is a 10/10, the forest itself is not bland and sloppily put together, it is easy to see the developers put in great effort into designing the terrain and the trees and grass etc. that combined with the good ambient music really sets a good atmosphere for a horror game like this.”
- “There is no music in the game, only creepy sound effects from the various creatures.”
- “There's hardly actual 'music', mostly just eerie rings and droning that's present enough for you to acknowledge it but never becomes intrusive.”
- “No music whatsoever during gameplay either, which makes the game all that much quieter, adding to the eerie feel of everything.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
66%
13%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while it offers enjoyable gameplay and some achievements that encourage multiple playthroughs, many players feel that the lack of varied content and modes limits its long-term appeal. Although some find value in the hardcore mode and completionist challenges, the consensus is that the game could benefit from additional features to enhance replayability.
- “High replay value, very fun alone or with friends, very smooth and intuitive gameplay, light but very engaging and rewarding RPG elements, just enough story to give players a clear view of what's going on without losing the atmosphere the game is going for, and a challenging, yet rewarding combat system that's a classic FPS shooter style with period-accurate weapons and reloading animations.”
- “Though the map never changes, there is still a lot of replay value here for only $10.”
- “Albeit it's a short game, it granted me a lot of fun and I really enjoyed my time playing it; sadly, after having completed it once, it doesn't have very much replay value.”
- “However, for the price, you may end up beating the game within hours with little to no replay value.”
- “The game doesn't have a large amount of replay value, but if you're a completionist, there are achievements that will ask you to see everything the woods have to offer and even playthrough-based achievements that will change the way you play.”
optimization
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly with stable performance and decent graphics, many users note that it lacks fine-tuning in various areas, such as enemy behavior and audio quality. Some players experienced issues with low-quality models and a color palette that hampers visibility, suggesting that further improvements are needed. Despite these flaws, the game retains a classic indie charm and is enjoyable, with hopes for future updates to enhance optimization.
- “It's a rare game that has classic indie game charm while also having well thought out mechanics and more than serviceable graphics and performance.”
- “Amazing game runs smoothly and every monster you fight is different with its own abilities.”
- “The optimization is good; when recording, I had a pretty steady 60 fps, and when not recording, I got 60-100.”
- “A lot of other little things could really be improved, even without talking about the obviously low quality graphics or performance. Little things like tweaking enemies, tweaking the audio; honestly, a lot of audio improvements would make a world of difference.”
- “It's almost like a game from 10-12 years ago that got a remaster and optimization for modern PCs.”
- “The difference in image quality between medium and high settings is really big, and since we cannot configure shadows or textures individually, it means that you can't get that sweet spot between image quality and performance.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
73%
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report no major bugs or crashes and commend its performance even on lower-end PCs, some users experience freezing issues, particularly when alt-tabbing or during specific in-game events. Despite these occasional problems, the game is generally considered to be well-optimized for an indie title, with a strong quality assurance presence noted by several players. However, texture glitches and minor pathing issues have been mentioned, indicating that while the game is largely stable, it is not without its flaws.
- “Best of all, it runs great on my potato of a PC.”
- “Despite being an indie one-developer title, the QA in the game is strong and it has no glitches or bugs (I've seen nothing after 10 hours of gameplay).”
- “This game, like many indie games, doesn't boast impressive optimization, but it is still very serviceable, functions well, and is completely bug-free with no glitches, a rarity in the indie scene.”
- “Freezes my computer if I alt-tab, freezes on the loading screen after a death.”
- “When I stepped foot in the gloomy town of Bellville, I was caught off guard and surprised at how trapped and atmospheric the town actually looked. However, I was met by awful texture glitches that saw the trees stretching out, ridiculously obscuring my vision.”
- “This is more something I am disappointed/frustrated with, and I am not sure if anyone else experiences this, but when I try to cross the bridge and the protagonist says 'I have angel blood' or something like that, my computer freezes and the sounds glitch.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of eerie and unexpected, with some players appreciating the restraint on 'lolrandom' jokes, while others find certain elements, like a devilish child or fast-moving enemies, unintentionally funny. Overall, the humor contrasts with the horror elements, creating a unique blend that some players enjoy, though opinions vary on its appropriateness in a horror context.
- “What a funny, scary little indie gem!”
- “I will make it simple for you; Witch Hunt takes things more seriously, giving you the creeps with its eerie atmosphere and general setting - and Witch: The Bloodlines is a bit more dynamic, more involved in action, and can be extremely funny.”
- “For instance, due to the hilarious speed of some of the enemies, it is impossible to shoot them if they are running in anything other than a direct line towards you.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the game's strong emotional impact, immersing them in historical settings like the Middle Ages and the Salem witch trials, evoking feelings of tension and fear. The narrative elements, while sometimes extraneous, enhance the overall emotional experience, making it a compelling journey for those seeking both atmospheric depth and thrilling encounters.
- “Love it, made me feel like I was in the real Middle Ages and hunting monsters from folklore.”
- “Instead, this is an atmospheric experience meant as much for the emotional side of gaming as it is for the pleasure side.”
- “This game literally made me feel like I was in the early American era during the Salem witch trials.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The monetization model of the game is praised for not being a cash grab, focusing instead on delivering a quality gameplay experience reminiscent of classic titles. Players appreciate the absence of intrusive microtransactions and in-game stores, highlighting the game's emphasis on atmosphere and combat.
- “Excellent game, reminds me of the good old times when games were all about gameplay, atmosphere, and an overall amazing experience rather than microtransactions and in-game store.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in this game is minimal, focusing instead on delivering a direct and immersive experience without lengthy narratives or complex storylines. The emphasis is on creating a tense atmosphere rather than deepening NPC interactions or backstories.
- “This game will not confront you with walls of text, complicated storylines, or a long game of NPC character development; no... this game will scare the living sh*t out of you.”
- “3D art and character design have always been a struggle for startup companies.”