EpisodeLinuxPC (Microsoft Windows)Mac2022

Scarlet Hollow: Episode 3

Yesterday you promised that today you'll participate in ghost hunting at Oscar's house but before that you can spend some quality time with Tabitha and visit Stella's and Kaneeka's friend Reese.

Storyline

You can become closer with Tabitha or escape and hang out with one of your new friends. After that you will meet Reese and his mother during the dinner with them and also with Kaneeka and Stella. And don't forget about ghost hunting in the evening - what can go wrong during that activity?

Trailers

Screenshots

Overwhelmingly Positive

4,447 Steam reviews

Review History

LANGUAGE	AUDIO	SUBTITLES	INTERFACE
English	—	Y	Y

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Reviews

4,447 total

≥h

Steam User 2183STEAMRecommended

dustin <3

Mar 27, 2026·23h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7956STEAMRecommended

its not even finished yet and its actually so well made
cant wait for the finale

Mar 27, 2026·8h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 4798STEAMRecommended

Just finished chapter 3, cant wait to keep playing.
It has been years since a game devoured me like that. Amazing writing, beautiful art, perfectly fitting music and sound design.
Not once did i feel like i was forced to pick a dialog option i didnt like. Also, you can talk to animals.

If you dont mind reading alot and have a appreciation for lovecraftian art and music, mixed with a true choices matter approach this is a must buy!
Ive been desperatly looking for a game that manages to give this lovecraftian feeling and so far, you nailed it!

Thank you dear devs for this second masterpiece after slay the princess!

Mar 27, 2026·5h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 2556STEAMRecommended

I love this game I love this game I love this game!!!
This is what all those "your choices matter" games want to achieve. The game goes very deep in making your choices matter, be it your simplest dialogue options (saying you have a cat) or major outcomes.
I've replayed it at least 20 times and there's still dialogue options I have yet to encounter.
Play it once, or play it a million times, either way it'll change your life <3

Mar 26, 2026·104h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 5403STEAMRecommended

Reese's Puffs x Bruce Wayne

Mar 26, 2026·10h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3820STEAMRecommended

It's great! I love the trait gimmick. I'm on my first playthrough, but so far it seems like the choices in here actually matter. Which is really cool!

Mar 26, 2026·5h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1630STEAMRecommended

Both the writing and art on this game are AMAZING. I'm on my third playthrough, and I have barely encountered any repetition just by making slightly different choices and picking different traits each time around.

I cannot overstate how incredibly inventive and thoughtful the creators of this game are when it comes to anticipating player actions and accommodating for them. Choices and decisions cascade and ripple down from the very first moments through the whole story. Entire game mechanics appear, disappear and change as consequence of the player's actions. It's incredible!

But what really makes this game shine is the writing and art. As someone who also likes drawing, the expressiveness of the characters in the art is something I can't stop gushing over. Tabby especially makes me point at the screen in excitement everytime I find a new facial expression on her hahaha. So much of the nuance is in that - and the H key really is your best friend. I love tapping it at every new scene because there are so many details hidden in each frame, and so many small changes and surprises to find.

As for the writing, not only is it absolutely stunning character depiction that gives each inhabitant of Scarlet Hollow a distinct texture, it's also just ridiculously clever. Every playthrough gives me new lines to point at and gasp as I put fresh pieces together that I either didn't understand the relevance of or couldn't find before. Black Tabby Games really understands how to tell a mystery story that never overtips its hand, but isn't afraid of giving the player enough information for educated guesses. Together with my partner, we could connect a lot of dots - but still have more than enough questions to make us excited for the next release.

I know it'll probably be years until the final chapters release, but if chapter 5 if any indication... man is the wait worth it. Highly recommend! Also, you can smooch monsters, which is always a plus!
(But you can't pet the cat. Okay, you can pet A cat. Just not THAT one.)

PS: Not to be dramatic but I would lay down my life for Dustin. Also I got this as a gift from my partner who adores the game, to explain the "for free" tag

Mar 26, 2026·28h·Early Access

Steam User 9592STEAMRecommended

this ♥♥♥♥ rocks, please check it out

for ur first playthrough: try to play it as if /you/ are the player character, making the decisions /you/ would make

shoutouts to Worm Girl on youtube for putting me onto this; about to crack open Slay the Princess for the first time

Mar 26, 2026·33h·2·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 2273STEAMRecommended

theres dog

Mar 26, 2026·22h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7006STEAMRecommended

I have been really enjoying Scarlet Hollow, the characters and story are great. I can't wait for more!!

Mar 26, 2026·17h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 9420STEAMRecommended

i love you scarlet hollow.

Mar 25, 2026·14h·Early Access

Steam User 3478STEAMRecommended

Play this game blind please, you won't regret it. While the horror tag might scare you off from it, trust me when I say it's more the tone of a thriller rather than straight horror. The character writing is absolutely incredible and I cannot wait for the final two episodes to come out so that when people start making full guides on the influence of every dialogue choice, it requires a spreadsheet lmao.

Mar 25, 2026·16h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6227STEAMRecommended

An absolute masterwork of a visual novel, I highly recommend this game to anyone looking for a quality story. Singlehandedly responsible for ruining the genre for me by setting unreasonably high expectations, I cannot foresee Scarlet Hollow being dethroned from my #1 spot

Mar 25, 2026·14h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1262STEAMRecommended

This game has done things to me. I don't know if I'm down bad or up good. I just know that I've been changed forever.

Scarlet Hollow is a combination of several things I’m particularly weak for. Anything with an intriguing mystery and great music is like catnip to me. I love visual novels and gothic horror.
I got the game for my birthday last month and have just now started to emerge from a kind of fugue state. I've played nearly 100 hours while attempting to hunt for achievements and theorycraft. The replayability is unprecedented. This game is like a particularly insidious combination of The Web and The Eye from the Magnus Archives. IYKYK.
I didn't plan to romance anyone and somehow accidentally stumbled into a literal mind[strike]♥♥♥♥[/strike]kiss scene, triggering a new Category 5 Character Obsession which I now have to live with.
Scarlet Hollow has permanently ruined me for any other visual novels, speaking both as a player [i]and[/i] as a developer. I can never hope to reach this level of peak design and pity any who try to pursue crafting a visual novel of similar quality, for it is an exercise in madness and futility.

Mar 25, 2026·94h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7611STEAMRecommended

I dream of eating boiled peanuts and chilling with Tabbarooni.

Mar 25, 2026·15h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6463STEAMRecommended

MIND BLOWN. THIS GAME IS SO COOL!!!

Mar 25, 2026·11h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7635STEAMRecommended

Game has a dogs you can pet them 10/10

Mar 25, 2026·9h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3531STEAMRecommended

Who's tommy and why are we talking about his knockers????

Mar 25, 2026·11h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3265STEAMRecommended

it's peak i'm afraid

Mar 25, 2026·30h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3716STEAMRecommended

i like duke

Mar 25, 2026·9h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 0685STEAMRecommended

she scarlets on my hollow until I street smart all over her

Mar 24, 2026·10h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6438STEAMRecommended

Just finished my first play through and holy hell this game is like the best drugs ever for my sociology aligned mind. Tabitha Scarlet the things I could say about her. Every character is so interesting and well thought out, but her, what I would give to talk to her. This game, a visual novel, is the only game to make me yell out curses when I realized the consequences of my choices. Scarlet Hollow is one of the best written horror stories I have read period.

Mar 24, 2026·9h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 2816STEAMRecommended

As if Slay The Princess wasn't peak enough. Im waiting for the final chapter and then I'll 100% the achievements.

Mar 24, 2026·11h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 5716STEAMRecommended

Beautiful, fun and special. It's such a great experience to play through this story and I can't wait for the next episode!

Mar 24, 2026·6h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1790STEAMRecommended

第六章快来吧；；

Mar 24, 2026·16h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6812STEAMRecommended

wayne.

Mar 24, 2026·79h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3028STEAMRecommended

Absolutely peak.

10/10 would kiss an entity beyond human comprehension again.

Mar 24, 2026·9h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1252STEAMRecommended

This is a great game!

Don't be put off by the fact the updates have been so far apart, from what I understand the developers made another game to fund this one and since finishing that have turned their attention fully back to Scarlet Hollow. So the previous pace of progress is not fully indicative of when the game might be finished.

So many games say NO THIS TIME I SWEAR YOUR CHOICES MATTER - this really does feel like choices matter. There are big turning points and different paths, different times to meet characters and different places to find (or miss) information, different dialogue depending on if characters like you and your previous actions... even the traits you choose at the start actually change things significantly - if you pick Hot characters are predisposed to be nicer, if you pick Keen Eye you often get extra information etc.

Apart from all that the characters are great and complex, Tabitha and Stella especially stand out to me as ones you can spend a long time analysing.

Also, I know the character art style can be initially a little off-putting, but it really is great once you get used to it, Tabitha's expressions especially are hilarious.

Play this game!

Mar 24, 2026·13h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6773STEAMRecommended

its so peak theres a dog and a hot single dad

Mar 24, 2026·9h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 4974STEAMRecommended

this the best visual novel game i ever played. every choice you make matters in an amazing way that contribute to the story

Mar 24, 2026·86h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 8494STEAMRecommended

IM OBSESSED. THIS IS THE LONGEST IVE SPENT ON ANY VN AND I FEAR THERES NO SAVING ME

Mar 24, 2026·81h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7921STEAMRecommended

great game

Mar 23, 2026·8h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 8694STEAMRecommended

Yummy cloaked man

Mar 23, 2026·10h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 8443STEAMRecommended

I am totally confused but happy. Love this game and its creators ♥

Mar 23, 2026·17h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 2513STEAMRecommended

i thought that it would be a silly slasher-like game jusging by the cover — was pleasantly surprised to find it's much more than that!

Mar 23, 2026·64h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7908STEAMRecommended

我非常讨厌杀死公主那种故弄玄虚的劲头，所以我觉得这作还不错，值得推荐。
只要玩过这两作，就很容易发现这个主创团队适合做什么：他们适合创造各种具有刻板印象但仍然非常吸引人的人设，适合写生活流和奇幻怪诞冒险流。
虽然现在这种美式小镇恐怖题材有点太烂大街了，但是本作在这方面的完成度相当高，所有最有趣的桥段都出现在人设和青少年冒险方面。谁会不喜欢在小镇上hitting on everyone，包括社畜表姐、快乐up主、美艳黑妹、冷酷女爸爸、纯情男妈妈、人外0妻子、覆面1丈夫呢。
但就是因为他们创造这些角色太成功，反而显得他们故弄玄虚的时候更离谱了。就这么说吧：这作凡是远离杀死公主的部分都非常成功、非常有趣且吸引人，凡是被杀死公主的创作思路所影响的就都拉完了。
另外必须感谢小似睡非睡的汉化，对这个游戏来说太重要了。

Mar 23, 2026·2h·2·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6139STEAMRecommended

[h2]The Holler calls me[/h2]

[h2]To replay with new choices[/h2]

[h2]Can't wait for the end[/h2]

[i](buy on sale, buy at full price once the final episodes have released)[/i]

Mar 23, 2026·13h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 0257STEAMRecommended

👍

Mar 22, 2026·11h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6603STEAMRecommended

An utterly engaging, fully immersive, well written, and at times pretty spooky playground. It is a game entirely it's own, and for that I love it

Mar 22, 2026·6h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1970STEAMRecommended

Is peak

Mar 22, 2026·45h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7489STEAMRecommended

Amazing game! Waiting for that last chapter to see how it ends

Mar 22, 2026·19h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1220STEAMRecommended

The writing is impeccable and all choices lead to seomthing interesting, so also very replayable.

Mar 22, 2026·21h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 8564STEAMRecommended

10/10

Mar 22, 2026·13h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 9109STEAMRecommended

This game is sooo good. Your choices big and small matter so much which leads to really unique outcomes and scenes. So, if you like high replayablitiy this game is a must!

Mar 22, 2026·32h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 8703STEAMRecommended

Its just peak.

Mar 22, 2026·24h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7125STEAMRecommended

Astonishing story, lovable characters, and some of them are romancable??????????? Just absolutely peak. Worth MUCH more than what I paid.

Mar 22, 2026·18h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 8443STEAMRecommended

Only finished two episodes so far. But I love how uneasy I feel at every waking moment I play this game.

If anything happens to Gretchen. I am ending this town and every human being in it.

Mar 22, 2026·5h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 0273STEAMRecommended

Tabby is my fav.

Mar 21, 2026·5h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7335STEAMRecommended

This game is really good and I am totally normal about it... THAT'S WHAT I WOULS SAY IF I WAS A LIAR ! I don't know what kinda drug they put in this game but i need more of it, I have been playing it since 2022 I think because i did the demo first being poor as hell and I bought it the second I could... AND IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Every character is amazing but like any good cousin I here for Tabitha's grumpy self and her soft hidden heart, talking with her, watching her fumble to hate us, that scowl is burned in my mind, the amount of Tabitha screenshot I have is just the normal amount :) also toxic yuri for the win and I can't wait the see the rest of the game

Mar 21, 2026·43h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3465STEAMRecommended

♥♥♥♥ is lit.
Give it your money.

Mar 21, 2026·20h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 5031STEAMRecommended

first game ive 100%ed . idont usually play story games. Help

Mar 21, 2026·67h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 2923STEAMRecommended

The art, story, and characters are all very lovely! I've headed into this blind and while I've only completed 2 chapters so far I'm absolutely loving it!

Mar 21, 2026·14h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7865STEAMRecommended

Lots of dialogue options that change depending on your traits!

Mar 21, 2026·8h·Early Access

Steam User 3743STEAMRecommended

♥♥♥♥ gets real

Mar 21, 2026·9h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 2058STEAMRecommended

absolute peak, one of the best vn ive played if not the best

Mar 21, 2026·50h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6040STEAMRecommended

Even without the branching narrative, which is robust and impressive, this game satisfies on so many levels. The ambience, writing, and character building are all top class, and the horror elements range from jaw dropping set pieces to quiet moments with just as much inherent dread. Cannot recommend this game enough!

Mar 21, 2026·7h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 5056STEAMRecommended

Amazing game, art and story! Especially for such a small team!

Mar 20, 2026·26h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1566STEAMRecommended

not even gonna bother with words PLAY THIS NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mar 20, 2026·24h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 0906STEAMRecommended

Si.

Mar 20, 2026·40h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3023STEAMRecommended

If you're a big reader, this very classic story will not surprise you, and you will find yourself in very familiar territory. However, despite being able to generally guess and see where everything is going, I am having a FANTASTIC time! The visuals and music just sort of bring something that is very familiar to a really rad level. Strong writing, fun characters, and having a multitude of paths makes it feel super fresh since these stories always have just one path in books. Probably going to put in way too many hours trying to explore every pathway, super recommend

Edit as of 2026 03 24

Yeah ok so this is pretty much a combination of all my favorites books and writers. It's gone from "super recommend" to "I'm going to shill this harder than I shill Clive Barker and Christopher Buehlman books". Hands down the best visual novel I have ever played.

Mar 20, 2026·50h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1966STEAMRecommended

This game is better than I thought visual novels could be. Episode Three in particular is stunning. I've played it three times and had three very different experiences, including getting everyone off safely with my master debating skills. (That's gotta be a deliberate joke, right? None of the characters seemed to react.) After my first playthrough up to chapter 4 I thought I had seen almost everything, but I was wrong, you will miss a LOT if you only play through once. And Tabby is FANTASTIC neurodivergent rep. She's not necessarily a nice person but an incredible character. I didn't track her as being on the specturm at first because she's unapologetic.

Mar 20, 2026·24h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7367STEAMRecommended

its 3 am my jaw is agape, I am in shock, and i have 2(?) monster lovers(?)
I desperately need sleep, AND answers

Mar 20, 2026·13h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 2473STEAMNot recommended

一般，没有杀死公主那么震撼！垃圾，浪费人生的东西！
由于是英文游戏打了实时翻译软件，结果发现是公寓那种美剧，音乐也不好，绘画有艺术感，音乐与剧情太垃圾了！我更喜欢杀死公主！别买！别馋！别添加愿望单！垃圾！

Mar 20, 2026·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 9463STEAMRecommended

avery is hot 10/10

Mar 20, 2026·33h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6656STEAMRecommended

i..................../,............... love/..........//./ tabith./a/../////........................................ pleaseplay this game,,,,. the story is kinda peak and tabitha is really.....cool

Mar 20, 2026·31h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1382STEAMRecommended

Who knew horror could be this cozy! I enjoyed Slay The Princess, but this game is even better. The world and all of its characters are fascinating and it’s very satisfying to watch the intricate story unfold in direct response to all of your choices. I’m usually not a fan of creepy games, but I couldn’t put this down. It probably helped that there are some hilarious, tranquil, and/or cute moments which offer a nice break between heavier, more suspenseful scenes.

Mar 20, 2026·57h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 9821STEAMRecommended

This might be the perfect game. It is poignant, thoughtful, the art is stunning... The story is melancholy and tragedy is inevitable, yet it has a delightful sense of humor with an overarching optimism about people being good at their core. It has a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, and I know it's been said a million times but CHOICES MATTER. It truly puts that entire genre to shame. I've never finished a game before and immediately replayed it not once, but literally lost count of how many times I've gone through with different combinations of choices and found new content without getting bored. Tragically for me, I only just discovered it after the release of Episode 5 and now I have to wait 2ish years for the next one... Achievement hunting in the meantime, and I will buy any game this dev puts out for the rest of my life. Save the Princess is a stunning game as well. MORE PLEASE MORE FOREVER take my money

Mar 20, 2026·44h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7769STEAMRecommended

incredible. charecters are aamzing, the overall feel is creppy and yet the humor throws me off in way that feel impactuful. recommend to all types of people

Mar 20, 2026·28h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 8360STEAMRecommended

This game is AMAZING! Every time I think I've seen all the possible paths, I find more. I'm hooked and I haven't been able to stop playing, I can't wait for the final chapters to be released!

Mar 20, 2026·46h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7933STEAMRecommended

i can not describe the amount of PEAK this vn is. I honestly think EVERYONE needs to read this, thats how fantastic it is. kinda crazy how both this and StP are the most peakest peaks there are

Mar 19, 2026·21h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3200STEAMRecommended

I don’t know if I’ll make it to Chapter 6 it’s been ten thousand years

Mar 19, 2026·7h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7259STEAMRecommended

reese.

Mar 19, 2026·15h·2·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 0736STEAMRecommended

Dustin.

Mar 19, 2026·4h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 6219STEAMRecommended

this is the most ambitious rpg i've ever seen. almost every dialogue choice has an impact on the story, and characters take drastically different decisions based on what might seem like inconsequential actions. i'm 25 hours in and still missing many routes. there is so much about the town and its people which you will never find in a single playthrough. i can't imagine the effort that went into the writing, let alone the art. i can't wait for ep 6 :D

Mar 19, 2026·25h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 0026STEAMRecommended

[In Progress] Another banger! Not surprised Black Tabby continue to impress.

Mar 19, 2026·29h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1963STEAMRecommended

Good game. Enjoyed. Excited for last chapter. Best played blind.

Mar 19, 2026·6h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 8001STEAMRecommended

peak

Mar 18, 2026·79h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 5002STEAMRecommended

Absofreakinglutely stunning game. Player agency is through the roof in this one that I've never seen before- somehow even more than in Slay the Princess! Things can come back in later episodes all the way from episode one, and they have real consequences. The characters feel real, our character feels real, thanks to the gorgeous hidden reputation system.
There's also traits you can choose from at the beginning of the game, but I'll leave that for others to explain.
I love this game so much.

Mar 18, 2026·127h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 0470STEAMRecommended

I can pet the dog.

Mar 18, 2026·11h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 2569STEAMRecommended

Can't wait for more!

Mar 18, 2026·58h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 0999STEAMRecommended

An excellent visual novel with horror and mystery. The dialogue and the characters are top notch.

Mar 18, 2026·36h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1174STEAMRecommended

Dear God, there's still 109 achievements and alternate routes to go through GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! I have put so much time and energy into this game and it's so good that I ended up doing 24 hours in 6 different runs to learn this incredible story.

These game devs are just amazing at writing multipath stories. Slay The Princess was incredible, and this one is fighting hard to surpass it. I full recommend having your first run be you, self insert, choose options YOU would choose to do IRL. Don't save scum EXPERIENCE! And THEN you can go back and do other routes and other choices. Experience everything blindly, and then go back and learn more. Trust me, it will add to the experience.

Mar 18, 2026·25h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 0955STEAMRecommended

A beautiful game filled with beautiful music and beautiful characters. The story as i have played it is heart-wrenching in the best way possible, but there are simply so many ways to play this game that i cannot condense it into one review.

If you like psychological horror, play this game.

Mar 18, 2026·22h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 9493STEAMRecommended

The art style the fact it goes to 0 to 100 so fast, and the story telling is absolutely fantastic

Mar 17, 2026·19h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3559STEAMRecommended

Я очень надеюсь, что разработчики не разочаруют нас с финалом и раскроют уже знакомых персонажей с неожиданных сторон. Мне было интересно взаимодействовать с городом и его жителями, думать об их мотивах, составлять мнение и теории по крупицам информации и смотреть на последствия своих выборов.

Mar 17, 2026·14h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3353STEAMRecommended

Peammmm

Mar 17, 2026·18h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 0787STEAMRecommended

Good

Mar 17, 2026·16h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 4089STEAMRecommended

Ok this is what I was looking for. It seems that every "choice-based" game these days falls into the TellTale trap where your choices don't actually impact anything. It's understandable to make this decision, because if every choice actually branched into a different path, game development would be hell. Branching storylines means new scenes, dialogue, and even themes based on choices, meaning a 4 hour game for a basic playthrough is in reality like 20+ hours with all branches included. That's adding in the fact that ideally, every branch should be entertaining, as a single path being "the true ending" or "the best" makes each player think they HAVE to do that ending, throwing aside a unique playthrough (which is what makes branching narrative games so special).

This game is the first choice-based story game I've played where it's obvious that this development hell took place. I was constantly questioning "♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, how long did this take to make?" so many times because of the unique consequences of my actions. Congrats BT, you actually did it.

Mar 16, 2026·8h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 2388STEAMRecommended

Can not wait for the final chapter.
Chills.

Mar 16, 2026·39h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 5360STEAMRecommended

The characters are great and the story draws you in. If you love games about lore and mystery, you'll love this game. Make your choices carefully. "You can't save everyone!"

Mar 16, 2026·10h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 1189STEAMRecommended

this game genuinely gave me an existential crisis. 10/10 would recommend

Mar 15, 2026·18h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 5406STEAMRecommended

incredible writting. art and and choice concequences. can't recommend enough. favorite traits are mystreic and detective

Mar 15, 2026·19h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 3515STEAMRecommended

In just 2 days of getting this game I already had 23 hours, I think I might be obsessed. I did first play this with my boyfriend on his game but he didn't want to do like a million different routes and so I had to get it. I haven't been so obsessed with a mystery since when Gravity Falls was still coming out. I am so invested in the mystery, the story and the characters. I love that I genuinly care about the characters and never has a fictional cousin felt like I have a cousin bond but now Tabitha is family and I will do everything I can to help that grumpy lady, she is family now.

But yeah I am loving being able to see different things in the story depending on perks and choices. They aren't necesary but they add more context and clues as to what is happening and gives huge replay value. Anyway I hate that I couldn't play yesterday so back to playing I go.

Mar 15, 2026·57h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 8206STEAMNot recommended

i don't know man. i keep trying with this game because i really want to like it, theoretically it should be the kind of thing i'm into, but it's just... so... sophomoric? the branching narrative element is kind of cool and it's interesting to see someone try to iterate on the format of CRPGS within the context of a renpy game but the problem is the prose is just so gritless and lacking in any real texture or character. most of these characters are so thin and unappealing, they are just the same Generic Western Patreon Art Style create-a-characters with no real appeal or onlife of their own outside of their raw function in the narrative, there's nothing compelling or cool about any of them and they kind of just exist to Dispense Plot through various social tones. tabitha's great but she's literally the only character i even like and she can't carry the game by herself. every single person in this game is A Guy In A T Shirt and none of them really come off like their personality is influenced by their circumstances or experiences in any meaningful way. people in small american towns aren't like this lol, something real with some bite would be a lot closer to the gas huffing freaks you see in the Lisa games. it just makes no sense to try to play with a rural american holler setting but then make every character a generically pleasant blue state college townie unless you just want to ignore portraying it in a way that feels vivid and real. for god's sake this is supposed to be kentucky or south carolina or something and nobody is even REACTIONARY. it honestly feels like a critical point of failure for a game inspired by disco elyisum, a game which put a lot of effort into capturing the full richness of the spectrum of humanity in all it's absurdity, to be so passionless and muted in portraying human lives, which are reduced down to the kind of talking head quest givers you'd expect from a DnD session with overenthusiastic friends. i really want this to be cool but i don't want to explore the possibilities of this situation when i'm not positively or negatively interested in almost anyone involved in it. zero escape and especially raging loop did this whole idea a lot better and more vividly despite being way more reigned in and linear mechanically.

Mar 15, 2026·25h·7·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 7642STEAMRecommended

Good game.

Mar 15, 2026·8h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 5588STEAMNot recommended

For a visual novel with such an elaborate choice tree that faithfully remembers each choice you picked, the resulting story is really underwhelming.

I guess it's neat that I can carry a bag of peanuts around and try to give it to different people, or see how different a scene feels depending on whether or not you can talk to animals, but each chapter feels like just a bunch of faffing about town, until you get pulled into the next spooky set piece. This is even more glaring with how the VN encourages you to replay it, and you realize that you are just being strung around the same forest -> mine -> haunted house -> Reese's house -> farm cycle, with only a couple of deviations in between (and yes, I know that in chapter 5 you can skip the farm and get essentially an early "game over", but an exception does not make a rule).

And ultimately, the story you get with all this (assuming you have a playthrough that gives you enough clues to even have a reasonably good understanding of what's going on) is not anything new, nor is it delivered in a way that feels interesting. Oh, [spoiler] haunted house that symbolises the sins of a family of screwed up people and there is human sacrifice involved? A generation of innocent women being sacrificed for a supposed greater good? The small town of quirky people is actually deeply cursed and both figuratively and literally tries to eat its inhabitants alive? [/spoiler] Give me some minutes, and I can list a handful of books, movies and other visual novels that do this better and don't need you to go through them over and over again to get the full picture.

The romantic relationships the MC can have with other characters also feel really rushed - I have no idea why they were even added to the VN besides as a selling point: you've only known these people for like 2 or 3 days, some you only meet up with like 3 times, but somehow they can develop a deep devotion towards you???

Despite everything, I don't think this VN, as we have it now (I know that there are 2 chapters left) is even bad - some of the characters and their interactions are charming, the mystery itself is pretty serviceable, the spooky scenes can be pretty damn good and unsettling. I think the reason that leads me to leave this as a negative review is because I just cannot understand the amount of hype this has been getting. You would get the impression that Scarlet Hollow has somehow elevated visual novels as an art form, going by them, but frankly it doesn't even reach the ankles of works like Umineko no Naku Koro Ni (who doesn't even have choices, except one at the very end of the story), Disco Elysium (which also has a handful of set pieces that you must go through if you want to complete the story) or even Slay The Princess (if you like the horror, the more screwed up romance alternatives and the more esoteric dialogue and narration in Scarlet Hollow, just read Slay The Princess instead - it already does all that and more and much much better). And all this because what, it has a complex choice system? What's the point of all these choices if it just pushes you through the same set of key events? If the resulting story is just kind of ok? If most of the relationships feel so half-baked?

Mar 15, 2026·25h·4·Early Access

Steam User 1582STEAMRecommended

There are two major complaints I see in the negative reviews: development timeframe and character likeability.

The development timeline of (currently) five years for five chapters is, indeed, brutal, but it's brutal because the developers truly love this game, and you can feel it throughout the experience, especially if you do multiple playthroughs. They took one long break to develop Slay the Princess - possibly my all-time favorite game - in order to earn the funds to keep independently producing Scarlet Hollow, without financial time pressure reducing quality or a publisher's influence compromising artistic integrity. They took a second long "break" to nearly double the length of the already-insanely detailed first few chapters. Great art takes love, care, and time; the developers have the first two in spades, if you're willing to give them the grace of the third.

While the story of Scarlet Hollow is strong, the true strength is in the characters and the choices. There are no "perfect" characters; there may not even be any "good" characters, because everyone in this town is deeply, uniquely, humanly flawed. But you're allowed to hate everyone, or try to make everyone like you, or latch on to the one person you click with while ignoring everyone else. You have the freedom to like or dislike whoever you want, and you can treat everyone however you want. Hundreds of thousands of words and a dynamic ten-characteristic system assigned to how every character perceives you have all gone towards making every character in Scarlet Hollow realistically, authentically, understandably engage with however you choose to engage them back. And because they're real people, rather than caricatures in a play for your amusement, sometimes you'll find out an unpleasant truth about someone you love five chapters in to an alternate save file. I'm not the right person to speak on the reveal of Tabitha being transphobic, but I do give the developers the benefit of the doubt in that A) all of their character choices have clear intentionality behind them, and B) they provide an extensive list of trigger warnings on their website.

One other note is that most of the "choice" effects involve character, not plot. You can't change much of "what" happens, just who it happens with, how it's perceived, and how it affects everyone involved going forward. Most chapter 1's look almost identical, with the effects rippling out to create drastically different worldstates by chapter 5.

That all said: any mystery story that blinds, deceives, or leads on the reader is retroactively made good or bad by its ending. This is why everyone turned on the show Lost - it doesn't matter how cool, intriguing, or well-made your setup is it never pays off. Chapter 5, however, offered enough hints and answers to make me trust that the developers know what they're doing and have had a satisfying resolution planned, and their other game had a phenomenal ending. Since only one more chapter is coming out, this is a perfect time to jump in, explore the world, and theorize, with only one more big wait before the final installment.

Mar 15, 2026·8h·4·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 2170STEAMRecommended

Scarlet hollow might just be the best game of its genre, the writing is amazing at having you constanly doubt who you can truly trust and everyones true intentions. Love how the choices actually matter and warrant multiple runs.
Having a trait system in a game of this genre is atleast to me unheard of and it works wonderfully. Anyway buy game

Tabitha is the goat

Mar 14, 2026·25h·1·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 5190STEAMRecommended

LOVE IT! story is great, there are so many different threads to follow and I plan on unraveling all of them whenever I get the chance. Recommend to anyone who loves visual novels, choice based games where your decisions have a LOT of impact, or a good mystery to unravel :)

Mar 14, 2026·22h·Verified·Early Access

Steam User 2555STEAMRecommended

欢迎来到猩红谷，欢迎回家——这个谜题还没解释清楚，天选倒霉蛋到底何去何从期待年底的终章。
打算之后好好试试别的好些个特质带来的结果，最后试试“火辣”，那怎么瞧着是最恐怖的外挂啊（）。
文笔一流，用汉化补丁很好，用renpythief也能完全翻译（相对来说还能对照英文原文，方便理解），所以看着看着越来越觉得不愧是这个制作组啊真是邪门儿的强大的表述能力。
尤其是因为没有选（）特质导致面临重大抉择的时候没能把人救下来。
下周目我就要搞个神秘主义超级调查员（什）
看得已经想转职德鲁伊跟这些个复杂细微让人难顶的人类世界说再见了，但谁会不喜欢Dustin呢。
尤其是（）形象巨变我真是……制作组真会画画，总之就是很恐怖，怎么能把美这个概念展现得如此邪门的。
人类很可怕吗，是的很可怕。
谁说必须出现克苏鲁才能写出克苏鲁呢，大家竭尽全力地让所有事情都被搞砸才是最猛的克苏鲁，来叭。

不死心地回去走了个档成功救人了（摊平）不容易……还是这样子正常，之前那样走钢丝儿太邪门了，虽然很迷人但是太邪门了。
翻译软件有个特性，我没法选的选项也会被翻译出来，所以有些没能解锁的部分看着就非常令人在意……非常值得多周目的游戏，推荐体验。

Mar 14, 2026·5h·Verified·Early Access

Scarlet Hollow: Episode 3

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