Horror visual novels Psychological horror Horror Short horror

HIKEBACK

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A mountain road at night, a hitchhiker, and a ride that keeps repeating.

Platforms: Browser
Stores: itch.io
Price: Pay what you want
Rated: 336 ratings on itch.io, rated 4.9 of 5
Length: about an hour
Players: 1
Controls: Mouse or keyboard to advance text and choose
Made by: CLOWN

What frightens Driving a mountain road late at night, you stop for a wide-eyed hitchhiker, and one flinch could be all it takes for this stranger to slit your throat. How you treat each other decides your fates across a cycle of 18 endings drawn from campfire ghost stories and found footage films, with death, gore, self-harm and sudden loud sounds.
Content: death, violence, gore, self-harm, abuse, flashing images, loud sounds, strong language.

HIKEBACK is a free horror visual novel about a driver who picks up a hitchhiker on a mountain road late at night. Every choice changes the fate of you both, and the night loops through 18 endings.

About HIKEBACK

HIKEBACK is a short visual novel by CLOWN, with music and sound by Sam Tudor, first made in ten days for the SCREAMORTALITY game jam. The maker calls it a short visual novel about trust, self-sabotage and never-ending cycles, and draws on campfire ghost stories, found footage horror films and modern fables.

You are a driver passing through a mountain road late at night when a hitchhiker flags you down. The art is stark black with salmon-red lines: the stranger's face in the rearview mirror, a knife held low, a single wide eye in the dark. One flinch, one speed bump, could be all it takes. How you proceed decides your fate and the stranger's, and then the night starts again.

The horror is in the not knowing and in the loop itself. Each ending sends you back with more understanding and new choices, across 18 endings that lead toward a true ending. The maker warns of death, violence, unreality, self-harm, gore, physical and mental abuse, some flashing images and sudden loud sounds, disturbing visuals and audio, strong language and religious themes.

It runs to over 15,000 words and is free with optional donations. The web version remembers the endings you have found, even after you close the tab; the maker notes that it has slightly lower audio and visual quality than the download, and that saving happens when you return to the title screen.

How to play HIKEBACK

Open the itch.io page and press Run game in the browser.
Choose start, then click to read on through the night drive.
Pick from the choices when they appear; each path ends differently.
After an ending, start again and choose differently until the credits roll on the true ending.

Screenshots

HIKEBACK cover: the title with a clock face for the O, in red over scratched red lines on black

HIKEBACK screenshot: the curly-haired hitchhiker in a jumper wringing their hands, with the line You needed help. Badly.

HIKEBACK screenshot: a dark face with one wide staring eye framed by black hair, and the line I couldn't look away even if I tried

HIKEBACK screenshot: a choice menu offering a better ending, a way out, a fresh start or a chance for revenge

Tips

Progress is saved when you return to the title screen, so do not close the tab mid-run.
The web version keeps track of the endings you have reached.
The maker links a full endings guide if you are stuck, but it contains spoilers.

Questions

Is HIKEBACK free?

Yes. It is free to play in the browser, with optional donations.

How many endings does HIKEBACK have?

The maker lists 18 endings, not counting variants, and a true ending that ends with the credits.

How long is HIKEBACK?

About an hour for a first look; it is over 15,000 words, so finding every ending takes longer.

What content warnings does HIKEBACK have?

The maker lists death, violence, self-harm, gore, abuse, flashing images, sudden loud sounds, disturbing visuals, strong language and religious themes.