Adventure · June 11, 2021
Scarlet Hollow (2021)
From the developers of Slay the Princess , Scarlet Hollow is an immersive horror-mystery with sharp writing, impactful choices, and meticulously hand-drawn art. Coal mines sealed off after a deadly collapse. Strange creatures preying on livestock. Houses infested with vengeful spirits. The sleepy town of Scarlet Hollow has suddenly come alive with horrors, just in time for your arrival.
This was supposed to be a quiet getaway in the rural mountains of North Carolina. All you had to do was finally meet your long-lost cousin and comfort her through her mother’s funeral. But now, each new day welcomes new nightmares. You only have to survive a week. But can you get to the bottom of the horrifying mysteries haunting Scarlet Hollow before they claim your life? Scarlet Hollow is being released across seven episodes . The first FOUR are available now for you to play, with the remaining episodes to follow as free updates as we finish them. Features A heavily branching narrative where your decisions (actually) matter . The relationships you forge and the decisions you make will dramatically alter your journey. A complex paranormal mystery . Investigate haunted houses, strange sightings in the woods, a deteriorating mine, and more as you try and piece together what happened in Scarlet Hollow. Trait-based dialogue and role-playing. Scarlet Hollow's dialogue system is driven by role-playing elements that let you choose who you want to be. Are you quiet and observant? Hot and clueless? Can you talk to animals ? 21 different character builds change how you interact with the world and how your story unfolds. A dynamic relationship system that reacts to your every choice and changes how your story unfolds. People won't just like or dislike you. Become friendly rivals, bitter adversaries, best friends, or mild acquaintances with everyone in town based on how you approach the story. Original monster designs inspired by Appalachian myths and cryptids . No jumpscares. All of the horror in Scarlet Hollow comes from dread, tension, and a sprinkle of disturbing imagery. A touch of romance. Whether you're into goths, dads, moms, paranormal investigators, mysterious recluses, or actual monsters , you'll find something waiting for you here. And if you'd rather avoid that entirely, your story won't be any less for it. Hundreds of meticulously hand-drawn and traditionally inked backgrounds. Every background in the game is hand drawn and inked by Ignatz-winning graphic novelist Abby Howard. Fully immersive art. Each major character has dozens—and often hundreds—of hand-drawn sprites that interact with backgrounds and capture a full range of lighting, emotion, environment, and outfit changes.
Adventure releases from 2021
87 Adventure titles launched in 2021 — top 6 by review volume.
Community Tag Signals
Tag weights reflect how many Steam users voted each descriptor — larger pills = stronger consensus.
- Early Access · 332
- Choices Matter · 301
- Visual Novel · 293
- Psychological Horror · 283
- Story Rich · 279
- Horror · 275
- Dating Sim · 264
- Multiple Endings · 245
- Well-Written · 236
- Dark Fantasy · 229
- Interactive Fiction · 228
- Mystery · 217
- Supernatural · 215
- Lovecraftian · 209
- Narrative · 186
Peer Adventure titles
Comparable titles in the same genre and review-volume band — ranked by Steam positive percentage.
Position in Adventure
| Metric | This title | Genre position |
|---|---|---|
| Review volume | 3.1k Steam reviews | Top 70% in Adventure |
| Positive rating | 98% positive | Genre average: 87% — this title sits in top 8% |
| Metacritic | 90/100 | Genre average 77 — top 4% of Adventure titles |
| Engagement hours | 11 h average | Top 32% for session depth among Adventure |
Features & Capabilities
Community
- Steam Achievements
Accessibility
- Adjustable Text Size
- Color Alternatives
- Narrated Game Menus
- Playable without Timed Input
- Subtitle Options
Input & Comfort
- Full controller support
- Custom Volume Controls
Other
- Single-player
- Keyboard Only Option
- Mouse Only Option
- Save Anytime
Reception Metrics
Steam community
98%Overwhelmingly Positive · 3.1k reviews
3.0k positive · 61 negative
Metacritic
90/100 critic aggregate
Curator recommendations
3.3k
Press Quotes
“I obviously had to check out if other options really were as divergent as they appeared, or were bluffs that would steer back to the same course. They weren’t bluffs.” 93 – Buried Treasure “Black Tabby Games has created something special that all adventure game and VN fans should experience, even if they don’t love horror.” 92/100 – RPGFan “The very precise, sweet spot of horror and humor.” DreadXP
Release & Availability
| Release date | Jun 11, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Black Tabby Games |
| Base price | $18.74 -25% |
| DLC / Add-ons | 4 released |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Estimated owners | 100k–1M |
| External links | Official site · Metacritic page · [email protected] |
Engagement Profile
All-time avg
11h
short (5–15 hours)
Median
10h
Typical completion time
Achievements
152
Steam unlocks available
Content Notes
Scarlet Hollow is a horror game, and it is not intended for all audiences. Please visit our website (-warnings) if you need a full list of content warnings.
Editions & Packages
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