There have been a plethora of iconic neighbors over the years. Kramer. Wilson. Flanders. The absolutely divine Mr. Fred Rogers. There’s no shortage of neighbors willing to lend someone a hand in their time of need.
There is, however, a darker side to the neighbor relationship. A darker side that manifests itself in strange noises and disturbing, fleeting images. A situation that causes untold amounts of anxiety and paranoia as you try to get to the bottom of whatever sinister plot – if there even is one – your neighbor is conducting behind their innocent, friendly guise.
It’s day 11 of the Epic Games Store’s 12 Days of Christmas promotion and, as of the time of this writing, you have roughly 12 hours left to grab a free copy of 2017’s Hello Neighbor.
Hello Neighbor is a survival horror game that doesn’t rely on blood, guts, monsters, and darkness. Well, the jury is still out on whether or not a monster is involved, a mustached monster wearing a plaid sweater vest. The player will simply have to see for themselves. The game does, however, hit hard with anxiety-stricken gameplay as the player explores the shovel-wielding neighbor’s house and hope he’s not around the corner, lying in wait.
Don’t let the “horror” classification fool you, however. Hello Neighbor is rated E for everyone thanks to its cartoonish nature and, most importantly, lack of killing. If caught, the player is simply kicked out of the house, where they have to start the whole thing over again.
Worried about repetition? Don’t be. The neighbor’s behavior will change based on the player’s actions. Fool him once, shame on him, but if the player tries to fool him twice, they might walk right into a trap that wasn’t there before. The neighbor learns from the player’s behavior, such as remembering what paths they previously took. Players will need to shake up their strategy to pull one over on him.
The game has seen a staggered release on multiple platforms and once the dust had all settled, it was looking at generally unfavorable reviews, despite praise for the story and art style. That just means that it’s the perfect game to pick up for free. Gamers have nothing to lose by taking it for a spin and the fact that it’s free will probably cause some to look upon it favorably.
Hello Neighbor is probably one of the weakest offerings in the promotion, but free is free, and it’s better than a lump of coal.
