Developer: Hillfort Games, Acrylic Pixel
Steam Deck Compatibility?: Verified
Rrp: £8.50 (Steam)
This is now the third game in the anomaly hunting genre that I’ve played and I have to say its my favourite so far. Partially this is due to the setting but it’s also because this is the first game in this genre where I’ve seen a story (which some of the anomalies actually feed into).
The setting for this game is an English Pub in the 1880’s called The Ten Bells. I believe that this is a fictionalised version of The Ten Bells pub in Whitechapel that has some possible links to Jack the Ripper (though that actually has no relevance to this game, I just thought it interesting).
Gameplay wise this works just like Exit 8, you wander through the pub seeking an anomaly, if you see one you head back the way you came, if you see none you continue on. If you were correct a bell appears at the end of the hallway, but if you get it wrong all your progress is removed. Once you reach ten bells you get the basic ending. If you want the true ending though you have to keep playing and find all of the anomalies.
I have to say that some of the anomalies in this game were much harder to spot than those in either Exit 8 or Platform 8. A lot of this is due to the rather cluttered nature of the pub which is not a stark or sterile environment making some anomalies much harder to spot. Of course, some of them are as bold as brass, especially when they start to chase you.
Interestingly, this game has two difficulties to pick from; normal and nightmare. Nightmare essentially doubles the number of anomalies you have to find to get the base ending. Otherwise, it’s not really any different than the normal difficulty.
This is definitely a great game to play, but rather short. Then again I think if it were any longer than the hour or so it is the game would outstay its welcome.
