Is there anything that starts with ‘it was a small town’ that doesn’t involve eerie, creepy, mysterious hidden secrets – not to mention monsters? Well, the award-winning studio Black Tabby Games’ Scarlet Hollow has all this and more with its captivating art style, intriguing storyline, and humorous yet meaningful dialogue. Brace yourself for an engaging and complex mystery, as you try to navigate a family death in the not-so-normal small town of Scarlet Hollow.
Credit: Black Tabby GamesBackstory
Set in the eerie and desolate town of Scarlet Hollow. Players take on the role of a distant relative who’s arrived to attend a family funeral. Upon learning of your late aunt’s existence, you find yourself staying with your cousin, Tabitha, until the day of the event. However, boredom quickly turns into an exciting adventure, as you meet the town’s eccentric locals. Who quickly involve you in a mysterious adventure centered around the town’s secrets and your family’s mysterious past. What started as a simple funeral escalates into a web of dark revelations, supernatural occurrences, and maybe even a little chance at love.
Credit: Black Tabby GamesBranching Narrative and Dialogue
One of the most compelling aspects of Scarlet Hollow is its branching storyline, which is based on traits. Allowing players to make important decisions that significantly impact the game’s overall outcome. What’s more, the variety of traits can work together to provide players with more context about a situation. As well as help you get out of one. Similarly, the game’s trait-based dialogue is infused with witty humor. Making the gaming experience thoroughly enjoyable for lovers of the visual novel genre. Throughout the game, players find themselves spending a lot of time engaging with the locals and their cousin, Tabitha. This relationship-building aspect can either deepen or hinder the player’s connection to the locals. Making the characters feel more real and the stakes higher.
Additionally, players will always find themselves in outlandish and spooky situations. Where sometimes the best thing that comes to mind is joking your way out. There are various options in terms of dialogue, but it all comes down to how you want everyone to perceive you. A fun and interesting option is the romancing of a character. Although I was too focused on trying to make friends with my grouch of a cousin. I was able to romance a fellow local before I learned about their terrible secret!
Credit: Black Tabby GamesSpook Factor
The plot is not only fun and engaging but filled with twists and turns. Providing players with various opportunities to create a meaningful ending. This ensures that the replayability factor for each playthrough can offer a unique experience. Encouraging players to explore different traits and outcomes. In terms of the spook factor, the game gives players a wonderful experience with its captivating art style and choice of music. The characters are drawn in a way that can make the players feel a bit unsettled. But not too much that it takes away from the overall scene and story. However, be warned that some situations do look a bit grotesque since they are meant to give players an immersive experience. In addition, the music and sound choices also enhance the creepiness factor of the scenes, especially when you focus on the details of the environment.
Credit: Black Tabby GamesFinal Thoughts
Scarlet Hollow stands out as an exceptional game that excels in all aspects. The combination of a well-crafted narrative, engaging character interactions, and a hauntingly beautiful art style makes it a must-play for fans of visual novels and adventure games. As of today, Black Tabby Games has only released four chapters of the Scarlet Hollow series. However, the developers plan for an update upon releasing the fifth chapter in 2025. Overall, Scarlet Hollow demonstrates outstanding storytelling and game design, providing an immersive and memorable experience. We eagerly await the next chapter and can’t wait to see how the story unfolds!
Scarlet Hollow is currently available on Steam.
