Harthorn
Vincent Lade · 2020 · Horror, Casual, FPS, Survival Horror, Investigation
PC
Very Positive85% · 184
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Screenshots
About Harthorn
It's winter break 1994 and schools out at Harthorn High School, but not all is silent in its empty classrooms and dark hallways...
In a sudden change: Harthorn has upgraded its security, including new locks, alarmed windows, and you patrolling it's halls as the new part-time security guard. One night aided by your radio dispatcher, April, you investigate a broken window not into the school, but out of it, which leads to a story-driven dive into psychological horror.
Immersive Horror:
In a sudden change: Harthorn has upgraded its security, including new locks, alarmed windows, and you patrolling it's halls as the new part-time security guard. One night aided by your radio dispatcher, April, you investigate a broken window not into the school, but out of it, which leads to a story-driven dive into psychological horror.
- Explore the vast Harthorn, every room can be entered in a true-to-life high school.
- Talking to April, solving puzzles, reading notes, and checking your map are keys to survival.
- You're not alone: carelessness is repaid with lethal consequences.
The Gameplay:
Immersive Horror:
- Harthorn is story driven and fully narrated by talented voice actors.
- Detailed environments beckon exploration, from gymnasiums to frozen forests.
- Find clues that tell a bigger story, the more you investigate the more you'll learn.
- Discover the true terror of Harthorn and whose behind (or under) it.
Genre: Harthorn is a short story driven psychological horror game with dialog, puzzles, and exploration at its core.
From the creator of:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1320950
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1058560
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1185470
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
✦ AI summary
Players praise Harthorn's atmospheric setting, voice acting, and strong opening premise set in an abandoned school, but many feel the game deteriorates in its second half as it relies on clichéd horror tropes like an overpowering nemesis enemy and cheap jump scares rather than genuine tension. The stealth sections and puzzle design are criticized as poorly executed, and the ending fails to deliver a satisfying conclusion, making the roughly 2-hour experience feel rushed despite its initial promise as a solid short horror game worth a single sitting.
A nice little horror game for an evening. At the beginning I actually found it pretty atmospheric and I really liked the idea behind it. Unfortunately around the halfway point it slowly turns into a much more trashy horror game. Especially the Nemesis like enemy that constantly follows you felt more cliche than genuinely scary. The ending also didn’t really work for me and ended up dragging the whole experience down a bit. The voice acting on the other hand was surprisingly good and much better than I expected. Overall the game definitely isn’t bad but for me it ended up being pretty average. It’s worth checking out if you’re looking for a short horror game to play in one sitting but I also wouldn’t say you’re missing out on anything amazing if you decide to skip it.2 found this helpful
Great game. So fun. They knew not to give me a gun from the jump because I would've boomed him the first time I saw him. Killer = straight to dvd. Killer stole the cop's underwear btw.1 found this helpful
Developed and published by Vincent Lade, Harthorn is an independent psychological horror game that focuses on atmosphere, suspense, and environmental storytelling rather than fast-paced action. The story unfolds during the winter break of 1994, placing players in the role of a recently hired night security guard assigned to patrol the quiet halls of Harthorn High School. A seemingly ordinary report of vandalism soon transforms into a chilling investigation filled with disturbing discoveries, gradually revealing that something far more sinister has taken hold within the abandoned campus. The game's premise immediately captures attention by combining a familiar setting with an unsettling sense of isolation that grows stronger as the night progresses. The school's carefully designed environment is one of Harthorn's greatest strengths. Every classroom, office, hallway, storage room, and outdoor section feels like part of a believable educational facility instead of a collection of disconnected horror locations. Players are encouraged to thoroughly examine their surroundings, uncover hidden documents, and piece together clues that explain the school's dark history. The snow-covered ext…
6/10
Amazing Indie horror game well worth its price. The setting, amtopshere, sound, voice acting and story are great I really enjoyed my time with this title. I am going to try out more of this developer's games. Gave me some firewatch vibes as well and I really love the setting. Only wish there was a FOV meter but I understand it would eliminate some of the suspense and immersion.
Good spooky setting great voice acting Bad jump scares broken puzzles 'sneak' sections poorly designed just over 2 hours to complete overall just seemed rushed and thrown out. cant recommend
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