Horror visual novels Short horror Horror Anime horror

Stillwater

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A crimson-sealed letter, a promise forgotten, and a family curse coming due.

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, Android
Stores: Steam, itch.io
Price: Free
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (232 of 243 reviews positive); 4.7 of 5 from 1,023 ratings on itch.io; first place in Spooktober VN Jam 2021
Length: about 1 hour
Players: 1
Controls: Mouse: click to advance text, make choices and click around rooms in exploration scenes
Made by: Studio Clump
Released: 2022

Get it on Steam itch.io (Windows, Mac, Linux)Android APK on itch.io

What frightens A woman brings a private investigator a letter to her late grandfather with a warning written in crimson, and Hugo Laurent and his assistants have to solve the case before an old family curse falls on them all. The makers warn of a shaking screen, abrupt sounds, minor jump scares and mentions of suicide.
Content: jumpscares, loud sounds, shaking screen, mentions of suicide.

Stillwater is a free horror mystery visual novel by Studio Clump. A woman arrives at private investigator Hugo Laurent's office with a letter addressed to her grandfather, sealed with a warning, and Hugo and his assistants have to untangle the lies and secrets around an old family curse before it claims them. It takes about an hour and has four endings.

About Stillwater

Stillwater began as a game jam entry and won first place in the Spooktober VN Jam 2021. Its makers, the small team Studio Clump, then rebuilt it as Stillwater Remastered, with new animations, story, a gallery and author notes, and released it free on Steam in September 2022 and on itch.io for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android.

You follow Hugo Laurent, a tired private investigator in a trench coat, and his assistant Noah, along with Colby the bloodhound. A woman comes in with a letter meant for her grandfather; across it, in crimson, is a reminder of a promise made long ago. What looks like an odd family errand turns into a case of lies, secrets and a curse that has waited a long time to be paid.

Most of it is read, in the manner of a visual novel: dialogue over drawn characters and moody painted rooms. Between scenes you look around locations by clicking, and your choices along the way lead to one of four endings, with an epilogue beyond them. It is about 13,000 words, which the makers put at an hour of play.

The horror is slow and muted, a mystery with a creeping sense that something old is closing in, punctuated by shaking screens, sudden sounds and a few small jump scares. It suits readers who like a ghost story told as a detective case, and anyone wanting a short, free horror visual novel to finish in one evening.

How to play Stillwater

Download Stillwater free on Steam, or on itch.io for Windows, Mac, Linux or as an Android APK.
Click to advance the text and listen to the case as it is brought to Hugo's office.
When a room opens for exploration, click on the objects and people in it to learn more.
Make your choices when they appear; they decide which of the four endings you reach.
Play again to see the other endings and the epilogue.

Screenshots

Stillwater title art: the word Stillwater over a man's green-lit face in the dark

Stillwater screenshot: a sealed envelope over a blurred office with the words Remember our promise Henry in red

Stillwater screenshot: a bloodhound in a car's front seat between portraits of Hugo and Noah

Stillwater screenshot: Colby the bloodhound in the hallway of an old house with a rotary phone and sheet-covered paintings

Tips

Play with sound on but not too loud: some sounds are sudden.
Look at everything in the exploration scenes before moving on, as clues are easy to miss.
Pet Colby when you can.