Scarlet Hollow is a beautifully written and beautifully drawn episodic horror visual novel with artwork from award-winning graphic novelist Abby Howard, which takes you on a terrifying adventure in a rural mountain town where your choices really matter.
In Scarlet Hollow you find yourself travelling back to your estranged family home in the rural town of Scarlet Hollow, following the death of your Aunt. Aside from your rather unwelcoming cousin, Scarlet Hollow is quite a pleasant place with friendly locals and plenty of fresh mountain air. However, there’s something terrifying lurking in the surrounding mountainside and you might just be (un)lucky enough to stumble across it…
The current build of Scarlet Hollow features the first chapter of the story and takes around an hour and a half to play through (though it has plenty of replayability due to all the meaningful choices you make). You can also personalize the experience a little, choosing your name, gender, hometown and character traits that give you access to special dialogue options. It’s a slow burn horror story, which takes its time letting you get to know the characters before you come face to face with the horrors lurking in the mountainside.
As the artwork has been created by an award winning graphic novelist you’d expect Scarlet Hollow to look fantastic (and it does), but it also backs it up with some fantastic writing and an interesting branching story where your choices really matter. The dialogue between characters feels very natural and even small choices can have a big effect on the story. Also, when the shit hits the fan it’s genuinely horrifying, which is no mean feat for a visual novel. By the end you’ll be dying to know more about the mysterious town of Scarlet Hollow, but you’ll also be terrified to return. Highly recommended.
Controls: Mouse – Point & Click
Available On: Steam
Gameplay Video: Here