Free horror visual novel
HOUSE HUNTED is a free-to-play simulation from indie developer Scopophobia Studios. This visual novel lets you experience the supposedly mundane task of moving into a new place. However, your decisions can lead you into a wrong turn, leaving you face to face with a literal monster. The nice, idyllic scenery offers good contrast with the darker premise.
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Its use of urban, photographic settings and a pop art-style approach for its characters make HOUSE HUNTED a good fright for indie game fans everywhere. Similarly, you might want to check out Don’t Toy With Me or The Man from the Window.
Home sweet home
In HOUSE HUNTED, you play as a prospective homeowner checking a suburban town. However, as soon as you get off the bus, a mysterious “agent” meets you and tells you things you don’t understand. This sets the mood for an increasingly creepy visual novel experience, keeping the tension fluctuating between moments of fear and false security. This changing dynamic makes for a fun gaming experience overall.
For its graphics, the character designs use a modern pop-art approach, making some characters reminiscent of The Amazing World of Gumball or Gorillaz. It gives the game an urban feel, making it more relatable to people who grew up in cities or suburbs. Additionally, meeting a wide variety of characters, each with their distinct designs, also adds to the uneasy feeling that the game brings to the player.
Like most indie games, it has a pretty short playthrough. In less than fifteen minutes, you can uncover one of its multiple endings. With that said, the distinct endings make the game largely replayable. There are added details you’d definitely miss during your first run, which offer another incentive for unlocking other endings. A small note, however, is that its dialogues can use additional work.
A memorable, relatable horror
For fans of indie games, it’s common to have short, one-shot experiences with a lot of games. HOUSE HUNTED is an exception, with its distinct art style and instantly relatable premise taken to Lovecraftian heights. Additionally, it has multiple endings that can be unlocked depending on the decisions you make. It has minor bumps regarding its English dialogue though. Still, this is easily forgivable. Overall, it’s highly recommended.
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