Psychological horror Horror puzzle Horror

Burnhouse Lane

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A dying nurse takes on five impossible tasks to win her life back.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Stores: Steam, GOG
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (94% of 1,174 reviews)
Length: about 10 hours
Players: 1
Made by: Harvester Games
Released: 2022

On Xbox: one of the Xbox horror games.

Get it on Steam GOG PlayStation Store Xbox Nintendo eShop (Switch)

What frightens Angie Weather, an agency nurse with one foot in the grave, takes on five impossible tasks in another world to win her life back, solving puzzles and running, hiding and fighting with sparse ammunition; the store warns of disturbing scenes and fear throughout, violence and gore, and themes of addiction, abuse, depression and suicide.
Content: gore, violence, suicide, depression, drug and alcohol addiction, domestic abuse, animal cruelty, strong language.

A dark 2D horror adventure from Harvester Games, the makers of The Cat Lady. Angie Weather, an agency nurse with one foot in the grave, must complete five impossible tasks in another world to win her life back. You solve inventory puzzles, make choices that change the story, and run, hide and fight with very little ammunition.

About Burnhouse Lane

Burnhouse Lane is a horror adventure by Harvester Games, the Polish studio of The Cat Lady (2012), Downfall (2016) and Lorelai (2019). It came out on Steam on 2 December 2022, and Feardemic brought it to PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S and Nintendo Switch on 29 June 2023.

You play Angie Weather, an agency nurse who is ill and close to death. She is offered a way out: complete five impossible tasks and she wins her life back. Her trip takes her from a farmhouse in the English countryside to another world and back, through stark, painterly scenes lit in cold blue and blood red.

The store describes it as a mix of classic adventure games, choose-your-own-story games in the manner of Telltale's The Walking Dead, and light survival horror shooting inspired by Silent Hill and Resident Evil, where ammunition is sparse, enemies hit hard and every shot counts. Most of the time you explore, talk and solve inventory puzzles; branching dialogue and decisions shape how the story plays out and which ending you reach. There are also light platforming and combat sections, and full English voice acting.

The fear here is the slow kind. The store warns of disturbing scenes and fear throughout, strong violence and gore, and adult themes including addiction, domestic abuse, animal cruelty, depression and suicide. Like The Cat Lady, it pairs those with dark humour and a story its makers call one about death, friendship and hope. It suits players who want a story-led horror adventure for adults rather than a game of constant scares.

How to play Burnhouse Lane

Move Angie left and right through each 2D scene and examine whatever is highlighted.
Pick up items and use or combine them from the inventory to solve the puzzles in your way.
Talk to the people you meet and choose your answers; your choices change how the story goes.
When enemies appear, run, hide or shoot, making each bullet count because ammunition is sparse.
Complete each of the five tasks to move Angie closer to winning her life back.

Screenshots

Burnhouse Lane screenshot: Angie stands in a dim farmhouse kitchen lit by a single hanging lamp

Burnhouse Lane screenshot: two figures look on at a bloodied man laid out among candles before a pentagram

Burnhouse Lane screenshot: Angie holds a pistol at the foot of a ladder in a dark corridor washed in red light

Burnhouse Lane screenshot: Angie at the door of a ruined wooden shed with occult symbols painted on its wall at night

Burnhouse Lane screenshot: a woman stands on a bed in a red-lit room while another sits on the floor and a man watches from a chair

Tips

Examine everything in a scene before moving on; puzzle items are often small.
Avoid fights you do not need, and save ammunition for enemies that block your way.
Think about how you treat the people you meet; critics note that your bonds with them affect the ending.
Keep separate saves if you want to see other endings, since a replay is long.

Questions

Is Burnhouse Lane scary?

It is more disturbing than jump-scare heavy: the store warns of disturbing scenes and fear throughout, with violence, gore and heavy adult themes, alongside short combat sections.

Is Burnhouse Lane connected to The Cat Lady?

It is by the same studio, Harvester Games, and shares its style of dark 2D adventure for adults, but it tells a new story about a different woman, Angie Weather.

Does Burnhouse Lane have multiple endings?

Yes. Your dialogue choices and decisions shape how the story plays out, and reviews describe several different endings.

What platforms is Burnhouse Lane on?

Windows through Steam and GOG, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

How long is Burnhouse Lane?

Around ten hours for a first play, by critics' accounts.