Scarlet Hollow Preview
Scarlet Hollow is an episodic horror game from Black Tabby Games, creators of the iconic Slay the Princess. Although it’s still in early access, four episodes have been released so far. And believe me, it’s a real treat.
This title is eerie, charming, and occasionally viscerally terrifying. And the developers recently launched a soft reboot of the earlier episodes. This hefty update adds to the visuals and opens up new paths to explore. The result is an enigmatic tale that encourages you to replay and see every outcome.
In this game, you take on the role of a descendent of the Scarlet family. After the death of your aunt, you travel to the town of Scarlet Hollow for her funeral. It soon becomes clear that this isn’t going to be a pleasant homecoming.
Your estranged cousin Tabitha isn’t exactly welcoming, the family estate is in ruins, and there’s something very wrong in this town. No matter what, you won’t be able to save everyone from what’s coming. You may not even be able to save yourself.
Welcome Home
Scarlet Hollow takes place in the titular small mining town. Like any small town, it has its share of dark secrets and skeletons in the closet. And you’re about to trip into plenty of them, beginning with a nighttime escapade that goes terribly wrong.
Each episode has its own plot, but there are many ways to go about engaging with it. And the choices you make in one episode will affect the game’s worlds in following episodes. Which characters you choose to bond with or alienate will have an impact on how the story develops.
Some actions you can take are small, while others will have a serious impact going forward. Befriend the cute YouTuber hunting for cryptids with her sassy pet pug. Attend a party. Steal your cousin’s ice cream. Be confronted with the horrifying ditchlings that lurk outside of town. Get stalked by a man who may or may not be alive. And get ready to be faced with many, many terrible choices.
And be warned: this game is dark. People and animals die messily. There are some very creepy entities wandering around, humanoid and otherwise. Themes of grief, apathy, and body horror abound.
Scarlet Hollow is a Truly Eerie Experience
Scarlet Hollow is a visual novel, but it’s also an adventure game. You choose two traits at the beginning of a playthrough. These determine your abilities and let you take trait-based options in certain circumstances.
A player with a Powerful Build will be able to solve problems through physical might. Meanwhile, a player with a Keen Eye or the ability to talk to animals will have access to more information. And a player who is Mystical might find themselves interacting with the game’s supernatural threats in unique ways.
The game’s writing is excellent. Each character starts out with their own charm and they only get more interesting with time. You can even romance a number of characters and play a key role in how their side of the story develops. And the narrative lovingly illustrates the good and bad parts about living in a small, rural town. The more you learn about what happened in Scarlet Hollow, the thicker the atmosphere of dread grows. At the same time, this is a place where people live, laugh, and go to work every day.
For better or worse, the town isn’t dead yet. But your actions may determine whether its residents live or die. As the game warns you in the opening, you can’t save everyone. But each of the 21 character builds has different options when things go wrong. And they will go very, very wrong.
Small Town Terror
Scarlet Hollow features an eerie soundscape and gorgeous hand-illustrated art. The result is a delightfully atmospheric horror game. Its small town, thick forests, and decaying buildings feel both wonderfully stylized and unsettlingly immersive. The sound design combines subtle and unsubtle sound effects with some very haunting tunes. It’s a great mix of diegetic and non-diegetic ambiance.
The game’s art direction is excellent, too. Most visual novels will have characters change expressions. This game has its illustrations change as characters move around and look each other. The same scene of eating in a small diner can go from cozy to isolating to exciting with just a few visual effects.
Character designs are simple, memorable, and convey a lot about the individual in question. Even the animal characters, which the player may or may not be able to understand, have clear body language. Small things vanish and appear in the background without warning. And the lack of jump scares means the game can linger on unsettling imagery for as long as you like.
The biggest issue I have with the game is that the text window is a bit small. The sheer number of choices you can get often don’t fit inside. As a result, I sometimes had to scroll down quite a ways when considering my options. Also, it doesn’t have any voice acting, which is a shame.
All in all, Scarlet Hollow is an excellent journey into rural horror and I’m looking forward to the full release. Anyone who likes horror and isn’t afraid of reading should check out the demo, which contains the first episode for free.
***Steam code provided by the publisher***
