![]() Players are thrown into an all-too familiar mystery story, but finds its footing by introducing some of Howard’s unique characters. Of course, the game is set in the titular town of Scarlet Hollow. Fans of these franchises will feel immediately welcome at the moment they wake up in a bus carrying them to Scarlet Hollow. Players can quickly become comfortable under a toned colour palette, blended with a campy but noir atmosphere to ooze Stranger Things or Gravity Falls. In the likes of Telltale‘s series of point-and-click games, much of Howard’s production is idea-driven through characters. If Scarlet Hollow sounds like a motion comic, that’s because it plays out like one with some welcome layers. For Scarlet Hollow, this thriller changes with characters and each panel springing to life at players with a constant motion of choices and text dialogue. It’s also a Kickstarter-based collaboration with indie studio Black Tabby Games and injects pure creativity for the sheer fun of it. Hand-drawn by artist Abby Howard, her range of neo-gothic horror and monster making are in full force. ![]() These are also well-executed, enough to pull players along for more episodes in the future. They each give players opportunities to navigate the town, which later rewards curiosity with unsettling moments. The first episode, free on Steam, does a great job in settling new visitors with a cast of likeable characters. ![]() Its chills come from an old-school suspense and discovering that not everything is as it seems when players sink further into a brief episodic tale. Its execution in a horror visual novel works well through old-school mysteries and slow buildup in its short time. Scarlet Hollow proves not all horror games need jump scares or hyper violent animations for them to work.
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