Wolf Escape Games – Hallows Hill: The Virtual Escape Room Experience [Hivemind Review]

Hallows Hill: The Virtual Escape Room Experience is included in our recommendation guides for 2-Player Online Escape Games and Play On-Demand Online Escape Games . For more of the best online escape games in these styles, check out the recommendation guides.

Hallows Hill: The Virtual Escape Room Experience is a point-and-click game created by Wolf Escape Games.

Format

Style of Play:

• Online native experience (can NOT be played IRL)
• Play on-demand
• Web-based inventory system
• Includes video segments
• Point-and-click

Who is it For?

• Story seekers
• Scenery snobs
• Any experience level

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection and a mobile device for remote players who are not in front of the main screen

Recommended Team Size: 1-4

Play Time: 60 to 90 minutes

Price: £20.00 per team

Booking: purchase and play at your leisure

Description

Hallows Hill is a well-executed narrative-driven point-and-click adventure, with unusually cinematic presentation and support for remote players to view items on their devices.

Andrew Reynolds’ Reaction

Ten seconds.

That was all it took for me and my team to be hooked once the game started. We were immediately immersed in Wolf Escape Games’ Hallows Hill. Once we were past the unusually detailed onboarding instructions (how to share video and sound if playing with remote partners), our screen shifted to a text conversation. It sounds like something prosaic, but the pacing, music, and tone were perfect. We were instantly intrigued. Even as a remote player watching my teammate do all the clicking, I was able to interact with important elements through the digital backpack, a web page I was able to open on my phone, and explore the clues from the game at my own pace.

Hallows Hill was played as an exploration of an eerie abandoned house, locally infamous for being haunted. Once inside, we resolved a decades-old mystery through investigation and solid puzzling. Almost every puzzle felt like it really belonged in the space and helped not just to move the story along but also to help tell the story. The narrative was enhanced by amazingly well-planned and executed cinematography. I was dazzled by how carefully crafted and polished Hallows Hill was, and I look forward to this company’s next offering.

Brett Kuehner’s Reaction

• + Excellent music
• + Terrific art and animation
• + Narrative is revealed naturally as you play the game
• + Pacing is deliberate but never drags – it feels like a well-directed movie
• + Clear and engaging story
• ? Story is dark and involves the occult, so may not be for everyone
• + Some “choose your own adventure” story decisions
• – No option to replay and explore other decision branches (but it is unclear how much the story varies)
• + The game is fairly linear, but seems more open, giving players a sense of control without being overwhelmed or confused
• + Some of the best onboarding that I’ve seen for a play-on-demand online experience
• + Puzzles are on the easier side, but are integral to the narrative and fit the game well
• + Doesn’t have built-in screen sharing, but gives good instructions
• + Has a synchronized “digital backpack” option for remote players to use their remote devices for viewing in-game items
• + One of the best play-on-demand games I’ve played

Cara Mandel’s Reaction

Hallows Hill completely exceeded my expectations. I went into this game pretty blindly and was expecting a typical point-and-click experience. Instead, we were met with a highly cinematic, polished, and thoroughly enjoyable game. We played over Zoom, which could have made for a fairly passive experience for those not controlling the gameplay but this game thoughtfully provided tools for all players to engage in meaningful ways. Each of us had access to inventory items as they were discovered so we could individually hunt through documents, images, and other clues to try to solve things collaboratively. The puzzles were not a high difficulty level but they provided an adequate amount of challenge and left us feeling very satisfied with each solve. This was an excellent game and, especially considering the very reasonable price point, I give it a hearty recommendation.