An extremely well-written narrative with both mystery and horror, Scarlet Hollow is an episodic visual novel being developed by Black Tabby Games. Currently, in Early Access on Steam, Scarlet Hollow released its most recent fourth episode in December 2022. It follows the story of a player-made protagonist visiting their estranged cousin in the titular Scarlet hollow. Within hours of arriving, supernatural events twist what was meant to be a relaxing trip into traumatizing horror for the game’s characters.
To navigate the challenges posed by the hollow, players can select two of seven traits to shape their avatar. Between story choices and these traits, Scarlet Hollow has massive replayability. Some traits create narrative opportunities, while others affect how characters react to your protagonist.
7 Keen Eye
If you want your character to be an observant sleuth, Keen eye is the trait you should pick. Excellent for your first playthrough; giving your protagonist a keen eye will let them spot small details other characters miss. It also gives you the reasoning to make sense of what you’re seeing when it is more mundane in nature.
Another important benefit — it also raises your character’s situational awareness. The many creeps and critters scurrying around the Hollow will have a hard time sneaking past your keen senses. The only issue with Keen Eye is that many of its observations become apparent later in the story. It is useful for your character to see these clues at the moment, but as a player on subsequent playthroughs, you will already have that knowledge. It's not as useful for replaying.
6 Powerful Build
To your powerfully built characters, protein is power. Powerful Build gives you strength beyond your average person, allowing you to use muscle to defeat challenges impossible for others. It also improves your character’s constitution and gives them more confidence in what they can and can’t handle.
Despite all the benefits, you’re still human. Exemplary as your character’s physique is, there are some threats that can’t be brute-forced. When dealing with the hollow’s supernatural horrors, mundane expectations go out the window. Alas, you cannot punch ghosts.
5 Book Smart
Become a walking encyclopedia by picking Book Smart. This trait expands the knowledge you have off the top of your head at any given moment. When questions arise over the course of a mystery that would leave most characters scratching their heads, a Book Smart protagonist will usually have an answer. While a character without this trait is by no means stupid, having it will give you the sense of an intellectual protagonist.
Scarlet Hollow is a mystery. The nature of the supernatural events plaguing the town is yours to discover, and Book Smart improves your character’s methods and logic. However, the supernatural defies logic at times, and relying solely on the knowledge you knew prior to the existence of otherworldly horrors may be a bit outdated.
4 Hot
Physical appearance is the first thing a person notices when they see your character, and the Hot trait improves that first impression. In addition to physical appearance, the trait also improves your charisma in dialogue. You can more easily put people at ease or flirt with them if that’s your choice.
The trait makes you overall more persuasive. When you consider that Scarlet Hollow is just as horrible as it is a mystery, tensions tend to run high for all characters when crises occur. In these crucial moments, a hot character can provide a calming voice or presence for those in need.
3 Mystical
Sometimes the best way to understand the supernatural is to be supernatural yourself. The Mystical trait does this by giving you an uncanny sixth sense. In addition to being strange and unusual, mystical characters can better understand the mysterious events hitting the Hollow.
Mystics can see information bordering on meta-knowledge. It's possible you gain some degree of foresight when you pick this trait, as your character will sense doom before it happens. If you’re alright about human characters looking at you like an oddity, this trait will help level the odds when facing Scarlet Hollow’s supernatural elements.
2 Talk to Animals
Scarlet Hollow is a rural town with forests and hills all around. Wildlife is abundant as both domestic and wild animals. Picking talk to animals gives all the animals in the game something to say. It won’t always be useful, but when the animals face the same threats you do, their input can be eye-opening.
The trait does wonders to expand the cast of characters too. What are normally background elements in the game become interesting, funny additions that improve the experience. As for solving the mystery, having animals as your sources of information can be your clue to learning information others would keep hidden.
1 Street Smart
Few characters are willing to spill their secrets to a person they just met, especially if they have something to hide. Street Smart improves your ability to read a room and people. Most importantly: you will know when someone is lying to you. The trait also improves your own character’s ability to lie and lets you get past most locked barriers.
When trying to solve the hollow’s mystery, being able to tell if the story you just heard from someone is reliable is key. More than giving you a clue, it gives you insight into why a character would lie to you as well and if your allies are as helpful as they’d like you to believe.