Out of all the games I’ve played this year, Horripilant definitely stands out for all the good reasons, even if the simple gameplay pales in comparison to most titles released this year. Being an idle game, it lacks in a few departments, but the many positive aspects make it so unique and such a brilliant experience that the hours of constant clicking will be worth it to witness the grotesque horrors lurking deep in the putrid dungeon.
Addictive, atmospheric, and eerie – this game will no doubt leave you with the shivers
What makes Horripilant a brilliant experience despite its straightforward and repetitive gameplay is the pleasing (yet eerie) aesthetic present throughout the whole game, amplifying the dark experience it aimed to achieve perfectly. It’s not just the pixel graphics and creepy things you encounter in and out of the dungeon that do this, but the effective sound design, which is always the unsung hero of successful titles. From the sound of metal slicing flesh to cutting wood, it maintains the eerie atmosphere constantly, which contributes significantly to the game’s extremely positive feedback.
Even though the content is certainly lacking, there are a few places to explore and secrets to uncover, meaning that you won’t always be stuck in the same place, which already puts it above most other idle games that fail to achieve that. There’s an area to mine materials and upgrade equipment, choose a companion to venture with you on your journey, and, of course, talk to God, which isn’t the experience you’d think it would be. Even when in the dungeon, there’s a timeline that shows how long you’ve spent on a floor, the experience you gained, and what you defeated. It’s something that doesn’t seem worth mentioning to most people, but those small details make your journey through the abyss much more engaging and overall enjoyable.
Aside from that, there isn’t much else to experience in Horriplant, but what will most likely pull you back in is its addictiveness, which never seems to fade despite how boring it can get at times. Quite a contradiction, I know, but it’s one of those games where you’ll be engaged for three hours, have a rest because you’re bored and your hands are tired, but then the next day it’s like you’re playing a completely new game. Naturally, as you progress, you’ll encounter new enemies, areas, and builds, so nothing out of the ordinary, but the biggest reason for its addictive nature is easy progression. No skill is required to progress only clicking, which most people can do- so knowing you can upgrade things easily just by doing that makes it such an addictive game. The same applies to most idle games, which is undoubtedly why the subgenre is so simple yet enjoyable.
Horripilant ultimately suffers from what all idle games are susceptible to
If you’ve played idle games before, then you know exactly what you’ll expect from the gameplay. Clicking – a lot of clicking, to the point where your hands might start to stiffen. With that said, you’re probably asking yourself, “Are games that make your hands and fingers sore worth playing?” and in Horripilant’s case, I’d say yes – it’s absolutely worth playing even if your hands have to suffer.
Despite 99% of the gameplay just consisting of clicking your mouse, it has a lot more charm to it than at first glance, which, compared to other titles of the genre, makes it stand out a lot. Horripilant reminded me of Dungeons & Dragons, but a lot darker and more twisted than the one you’re most likely familiar with – the pixel graphics, 80s vibe, and extremely effective eerie sound design clearly further its cause. There’s no doubt it’s a successful attempt to go down that path; though it ultimately suffers from one specific drawback you’ve likely guessed by now: repetitiveness.
Regardless of how unique Horripilant is, it still suffers from repetitive gameplay, and after hours of clicking and progressing, which at first is addictive, the boredom does start to take its toll quite strongly. In its defense, the more you progress through the dungeon, the more new enemies and bosses you’ll encounter – so you’ll never be constantly facing the same enemies, which does keep the game refreshing enough to want to continue playing. In order to progress through the dungeons, upgrade weapons, armor, and gain more power, you have to farm for wood, which is the primary material needed for upgrades, though you’ll unlock more materials in the latter stages of the game. Naturally, the more you click, the more you’ll be able to make upgrades, so the gameplay is essentially a mix of gaining materials and defeating enemies.
Whilst you might think the constant clicking is the only thing that you’ll get tired of, fighting the enemies also makes you zone out, not because of fighting the same ones, but purely due to how long it can take at times to progress through one floor. Descending the floors means encountering stronger enemies with more HP; therefore, it can take longer to take even a single enemy out, and before you know it you’re looking at the timeline on the sidebar and realize you spent ten minutes clicking just to clear one floor – which admittedly made me feel extremely demotivated to continue playing, though that wasn’t enough to make me quit.
However, like with all idle games, there is one simple solution to save your energy while “playing” the game at the same time, which is simply closing the game for a few hours to automatically accumulate upgrade materials in the background while you preoccupy yourself with whatever else requires your attention. Admittedly, this is a great way to progress in a sense without actually playing the game. Whilst I prefer avoiding this and actually experiencing the developer’s great work, it does help keep you playing the game – which ultimately is what they want the most.
