Howling Village: Echoes (2021)

Developer: FLAME Hearts Co.,Ltd.
Publisher: Churapps Co.,Ltd., Chorus Worldwide Games
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Adventure, Indie
Rating: 2.5 of 5, 6 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 5.5 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A slow, atmospheric interactive story where you piece together clues through exploration and puzzles in a dark, eerie setting.

atmosphericmoodytenseslow-pacedpuzzlingnarrative-drivencreepyinteractive

What players say

Players say this is a lazy mobile port that keeps touch screen prompts and has clunky controls. The slow, repetitive story with 50-plus endings (actually chapter ends) makes it feel padded. Horror moments are undercut by occasional comedy or dismissed as hallucinations, and bugs appear frequently. Completionists find a wall around 50 percent progress without a guide.

Screenshots

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.