Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood, developed by Devespresso Games and published by Headup, combines adventure, and interactive fiction through the layout of a visual novel in order to give players this wonderfully illustrated and constructed puzzle game that creates a modern-day fairytale-esque vibe. Originally set in Kentucky, playing a gig and offered a solo singing contract, Scarlet is dropped off on the side of the road by her band mates who feel hurt by her secret.
A tornado comes and further interrupts her life, and drops her in this mysterious realm of Glome, where she meets new creatures and is thrown into becoming the new Red Witch of the Wicked Wood.
She finds herself leading a Munchkin troupe to safety, while under a hex that has cursed her to relive the same day over and over again, while making decisions to lead her troupe to safety. Each decision leads to a different pathway with different outcomes, so there are several different conclusions to Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood.
You’ll also play many exciting puzzles to advance throughout Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood, but remember, each decision you make will permanently affect your story! This is a fun game for anyone who enjoys puzzle games, captivating narratives, and story-driven adventure games. The visuals alone are what initially captured my attention. Every scene is beautifully illustrated with vibrant colors and distinct details. The sound track is also quite fitting, as at the beginning of the storyline, the plot is rather “country,” and the sound track mirrors that, as well as the way that the characters’ dialogue is depicted. In the cave, and beyond, the sound track changes to mirror the suspense that’s meant to be felt in each scene.
Overall, Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood is a fantastic game, and I would recommend it without hesitation. It’s certainly addicting, and it’s even more exciting that there is the possibility that you will have a different outcome almost every time you play! My favorite part of this game was probably the puzzles sprinkled throughout.
Once I got the hang of it, it was easier to advance throughout the rest of the scenes. This game is challenging enough to make you think about your next moves, but not so challenging that it isn’t still fun. My only real negative remark about Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood is that the checkpoints to save the game are kind of far between each other. I had to exit a few times, but I wasn’t at the point where I’d reached the next checkpoint, so when I came back into the game, I had to start over basically from the start of the previous scene. I didn’t necessarily mind it, but having to go back over the same actions and dialogue was a bit tedious. Other than that, I had a great time playing this game, and I’m giving it a full 10 out of 10!
Check Out the Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood Trailer:
For more information, head over to Steam.
Steam Review
I am an army veteran and currently a sophomore at Portland State University majoring in English. I have always looked to gaming as an outlet outside of my everyday life and a way to experiment with playing different types of games and take on new and exciting characters with different backgrounds. It's kind of like getting to become a new person every time you play a game.
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