Scarlet Hollow

Getting Tabitha to not only like me but also reconcile with Stella might be the greatest achievement in my gaming life.

Thanks to a little nudge from a new online friend I’ve made who lives in North Carolina, I got to play this wonderful gem of a game (and we’re definitely going to go cryptic hunting whenever I make my way to the US like what Stella does. Long live cool cryptids). The characters are lovely. Stella, Kaneeka and Tabitha are stand-outs to me. I love the trait system, it makes every playthrough feel fresh and new. I love how choosing different traits will also largely change the outcomes of the story and situations depending on what you chose - some will really, really help you to get the “‘best outcomes’”, but some just make the game even more fun to play (talk to animals is funny just to see what the animals say. Frou-Frou is a sassy smug mf). The art is gorgeous. The town and countryside design is beautifully detailed, there’s so many new, fully drawn scenes instead of just different backgrounds with the same sprites. The art has been made with the utmost care. I also like this game as an outsider (I’m from Australia) because I’ve learnt a fair bit about American terms and folklore from this that I wouldn’t have known about. I like Scarlet Hollow even better than Slay the Princess. I was originally going to wait until all the episodes were out, but I’m so glad my friend gave me the push to play. Now I’m like a drug addict going through withdrawal waiting for the rest of the episodes to come out. I will be waiting very patiently, but also a bit like a rabid animal.

I enjoyed it, except for the [spoiler]psychedelic horror and very loud ambient noises[/spoiler] in Chapter 3. Apart from that, I feel like the game is quite enjoyable. It has respect for your choices and traits throughout the game.

Good shit. It draws you in, it keeps you on your toes, it makes you relate, it scares you and it might even be funny sometimes. Amazing sequences and set pieces. Permanent consequences of actions everywhere, some heavy hitters and some very subtle. It's just a really engaging visual novel, with those sweet role-playing elements to add spice to the experience. The story's not finished yet but even then I wanted to keep playing. You try different things and experience completely different paths depending on your choices and traits. I need more of this game. You'll need more too.

10/10 from me -- wonderful writing. Gorgeous blend of horror, drama, and humor. Your traits and choices can change so much about the game. I'm not an achievement hunter but as of eps 1-4 being out, i've 100% the achivement and still continue to find scenes i haven't come across yet Can't wait to see how the last 3 episodes ramp up and wrap up the story

Play it but go in as blind as possible. If you're still on the fence after playing the demo, just do yourself a favor and buy the game already. It only gets better.

I'm not even finished and I love this game. First, the artwork is amazing. Abby expertly manages to create between easily digestible art pieces, and the grotesque without leaning too far into straight up gore. It all blends so easily well together it is a feast for the eyes. The writing is phenomenal too, with great branching narratives. I am engrossed and can't wait to see what other paths I can take!

It's very fun and very spooky! My wife and I play and do the voices for each character.

Genuinely the best narrative video game I have ever played. God its so good, please more people play it.

Possum in my drawer. its taken me.. the black mold... its already too late it cant be stopped no matter what you try, you'll never get away from the black mold it'll keep taking and taking and taking and taking and taking, it will never stop. sometimes i wonder what i was like before the black mold, cause i forgot, the black mold consumes, it takes it does not give, it steals it does not barrow, it hogs it does not share, its too late for me, and its too late for everyone else, just offer yourself to the mold before it forces you too. in other words i wish there was a mode to use more traits than 2 without having to do hardmode as i don't want the dog or old man to die just because i wanted speak with animals along with hot and powerful build, and i know there is mods and stuff for that but still i think it would be cool, it does not have to be all 7 traits or something just 3 maybe like hardmode has but there is not any drawbacks, i'm not saying for it to be a "easy mode" as i probably would not play that i don't doubt it would be fun but i just would not play that, i just mean what i said, for there to be a mode where your allowed to choose three traits no drawbacks and its base game, i just feel like that would be cool, i wanna be able to speak to animals and have hot and powerful build too. btw sorry if i wrote this bad. and yeah good game i would say to buy it.

The story, art, and music is all amazing. This is a choice-based game so realizing just how many choices there are and how much art and story is written for each choice you make is awesome. I'm just a sucker for choice-based stories though.

If you wanted a game that's more in line with classic video game horror vibes ala Silent Hill or cosmic horror with Lovecraft level of cosmic, this game is for you. You choose 2 of 7 traits and your adventure has a lot of different ways you can learn more about a sleepy small town in North Carolina called Scarlet Hollow. Just in for the week, you're prepping for your aunt's funeral with your cousin Tabitha while you stay at the manor your family owned. Even for 4 chapters out right now, there is a massive amount of replay value as your traits will affect your ability to interact with the world. Animal Talk will let your talk with animals, the Mystic lets you sense when things are far more supernatural, Street Smarts lets you lie and fib a lot more, and there's more. Also, a lot of solid romance options and interesting storytelling. For less than $20 on the summer sale, it's a must buy. Even at $25, the full game is $5 per chapter. Do yourself a favor, pick this game up.

Besides being one one of the best games I have played, it is also one of the games that I wish I could experience for the first time all over again. Very glad I gave it a try after Slay the princess.

It was deeply unsettling and really strange. I absolutely loved it. 100/100. The characters are fantastic, the art is delightful, and the music always makes me jump whenever it comes up on my playlist. Also, it was really weird in the best way possible. You should play this game. This is an incredible game and it’s wormed its way deep into my story-loving heart.

The storyline in this game and the plot have been very interesting so far! While some of the relationships have been different than what I am used to, the story has been very compelling on the whole!

great game cant wait for the full release its so catchy andthe characters feel human like its just so good

Absolutely incredible. Its a relatively short vn which quite a few choices that seem to have lasting consequences. Its a fantastical story full of folklore and mysticism yet these characters are very human and have a fleshed out world view that makes sense for the setting. This game almost moves too fast. I've played quite a few vns where you go through the daily motions and there's a lot of down time for character development. I almost feel like this game is lacking that but that's just me wishing could spend more time with these characters. I hate that I have to wait to see the end of this story

This visual novel stands out with its remarkable abundance of choices, offering a truly unique experience. I eagerly anticipate the remaining episodes, as they promise to be just as extraordinary.

Slay the Princess was already in my top 10 games of all time. This has the potential to be even higher up when the full game releases. I desperately yearn for the remaining chapters with great want. Please.

Just finished the story currently released and will check back on it when it fully releases. But holy shit the story is so good so far, and the atmosphere of the world and the characters and writing absolute masterpiece. Love the soundtrack too. This game is absolutely worth it. Black Tabby games you guys absolutely nailed it just like slay the princess Good job.

The characters really draw you into the game. Half way through i had made up voices in my head for each of them, then i got confused as to why the voices got turned off and tried to figure out how to turn them back on. Ps. The game isn't voiced ;) 10/10 Can't wait for episode 5 to be released!!

Really underrated compared to STP, even though there's no voice acting i kinda prefer it that way. the writing is peak as usual from black tabby games, and although its story isn't fully out yet, there's still loads of content and different paths to go down. it's definitely in my top 3 visual novels.

This Is great just finished episode 4 today and was a little upset its not yet finished still three episodes to be made. very underrated I hope they use funds from slay the princess (which is also great) to speed up the development up on this.

If you like choice-based games and visual novels, then playing this is a must! The game isn't even finished yet but still has endless replay value with how many choices there are to make and how each one effects the dialogue and outcomes so far. I love making friends and family sit down to play it for the first time with me so that I can see what decisions they make and how it affects outcomes. No single playthrough experience is ever the same in this game and it's amazing how the team was able to pull that off. The story is so interesting I frequently play it for more than 5 hours at a time and the art is gorgeous enough I could stare at even the horror based shots for hours on end even though I'm usually terrible with handling anything horror related. Definitely give this game a try!

Another game where choices really do matter. NPCs feel alive, have genuine human personalities and the interactions feel realistic. Peak gaming

The story is captivating and perfect. No complaints.

It is virtually impossible to string together the appropriate words to describe how much I love this game. It's comedic, interesting, fun, entertaining, and a million more others things you could ever possibly hope to find in a good visual novel game. To say more people need to play it is an understatement.

As of writing this review eps 1-4 have been released. This amazing game. I love following the multiple paths available for exploration. Each character has plenty of depth. Can't wait for ep 5!

[h3] Solid little game. [/h3] It's not a scary game, the writing isn't breathtaking, the characters aren't iconic but it's just a truly well done tight narrative and I had a pleasant few hours playing it. There are no jumpscares either, which is awesome. Everything is established and slowly explored and has a pay-off. The characters all feel like people and the visuals are top tier for a visual novel. [h2]- NOT A HORROR GAME -[/h2] If you come here for a horror experience, something gripping and atmosphere rich. This is not it. It ain't silent hill, it ain't fear & hunger. It setups a gravity falls style town of random loosely related mysteries. [h2]- NOT A CONSEQUENCE HEAVY GAME -[/h2] This is a character driven story, exploring yourself and various other characters going through a few supernatural setpieces. There are no hard choices, I don't recall a hard choice or one that seemed to have any serious consequence. [h2]- THIS IS A CHOICES MATTER GAME -[/h2] This seems like a oxymoron, if there are no consequences why do choices matter? Well it feels like they do. You put in an input and what you expect your characters do, happens. With one major exception in my playthrough, complete cop-out that prevented someone accompanying me to the clinic even when I wanted them to, but its an area you are meant to enter alone! So game forces this outcome without trying to smooth it over or giving solid reasons for it. Let's talk about - well the major issue with the game. And that is the developer being pussies. This is the haunted house setpiece and the consequences of it. MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD You are presented with a choice - [spoiler] trade years of your life for the ghost to leave this place and allow this family to continue living there. This is a completely silly and dumb moral conundrum, why should I trade years of my life to make the ghost leave and allow this family to continue renting this house, they don't even own it! Its made explicitly clear prior to the choice. A character even comments during the choice how silly and stupid it is. [/spoiler] And after you obviously decide not to trade your soul for a house, obviously NOBODY blames you for it- nobody hates you because of it, because obviously you did something reasonable. [spoiler] Then Stella runs off and it feels weird. I liked her, I wanted her in my posie but she was like traumatised by the ghost while others were fine, it feels lame when the writers have all the elements to make it compelling. [/spoiler] Make the choice meaingful. Your life for someone else, make it have punch, make it have impact. If this was the choice, and whatever you decide Stella runs off - that makes it so much more meaningful. Something I DID caused this instead of magical ghost trauma that only affected the GHOST HUNTER girl. The intro screen literally says "you can't save everyone" when you CAN! I HAVE! Toothless when you should be showing your fangs in a scene like this.

like slay the princess but with more lasting consequence and PC focus from the start so like rpg instead of sandbox also u can get very freaky

as it is it is once of the best visual novels period. will be a long time before it is finished

Scarlet Hollow was a random pickup for me late one night when I was looking for something interesting to play. I am 16 hours in and have played the 4 released chapters nearly 3 times. The characters are amazing, the story is dark and spooky without relying on cheap jumpscares, and the artwork is beautiful, fitting into the entire vibe of it perfectly. Highly recommend if you like visual novels, and well worth waiting for the next chapters to come out. Also we stan Stella and Gretchen.

Deep, complex, and simply amazing

Typical early access scam. The devs don't even bother to answer when asked about development progression. I believe it will remain unfinished till at least 2030. If you think you are doing anything like "art", then don't sell it. Sell a proper product, thank you.

Amazing Visual Novel. There are many choices, branching paths and trait combinations which impact the narrative. Beautiful hand drawn artwork. The role-playing elements are well implemented. The hidden dynamic relationship system is cool, it adds even more depth to these characters. This system affects the perception a character has of the player, values such as trust and how open they are to the player are calculated based on your decisions. It's more complex than just them liking or disliking you. Multiple playthroughs are encouraged since you can only pick 2 or 3 out of the 7 traits available. If you want to uncover the mysteries of this narrative you'll have to play more than once. This factor of replayability is definitely a positive. The characters are great (especially Tabitha, Reese and Wayne), they're not just some surface level cardboard cutouts. If I had to nitpick, I'd like more major branching paths however I can understand how taxing this can be on an indie studio. I've heard that there are plans to add more choices in future updates or once the game is complete. I eagerly await episodes 5,6 and 7. I highly recommend playing what's currently available :)

the most impressive visual novel out there. the scope is massive, the writing is spectacular, the vibes are impeccable. just as good as slay the princess but in different ways. love this so much!

slay the princess was a great game. and this one sincerely also deserves just as much attention, if not more so. excellent characters, enjoyably engaging and AMAZING writing. i applaud the writing team in particular because i think its tabby game's biggest strength. GG fellas. i hope it gets more attention w time.

this game is so amazing and I cant wait for chapter 5!!!!!!! I love the vibe and the hand drawn art style. all the different outcomes make me want to play the game over and over. and I love [spoiler]Wayne[/spoiler] <3 I really hope the next chapter is coming soon. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Finished my first playthrough, now I'm attach to fictional characters again.

Scarlet Hollow is A+ horror for those who are sensitive: socially, emotionally, psychically, even physically. The sensations that hit you defy even the subgenre of Appalachian folk horror featured in the game. It's like... hurt/comfort poetry with a strong sense of player agency. Nothing like it.

all i need in a game is the secret ability to hit on your friend's mom and think about her in the shower on a wednesday. Peak shit right here (In all seriousness, the quality of this game is astounding. It's incredibly unique with what it tries to pull off and has some of the most effective horror panels I've ever seen. Not to mention the art is fantastic, and theres SO much of it. This is great shit right here.)

I love the complexity of the character choices and interactions. It really feels like the story could go in any direction depending on your decisions and who you're hanging out with!

One of the best narrative stories I have ever played. All the different paths it has *chefs kiss* and the fact that it's not even done yet?? This is a must play! Stella is best girl and Tabitha just needs a hug ;-;

oooh spooky love it. Great art style as well.

i lovr scarlet harlet emma stone. was so good in this movei first btw

can offer boiled peanuts 10/10

Reese's mum has got it going on.

Languishing in the Wayne romance waiting room

Eagerly awaiting episode 5.

cool game