Horror-Mystery Scarlet Hollow Relaunches With Extra Content
Originally released in September 2020, the visual novel horror series Scarlet Hollow has recently been relaunched by Black Tabby Games with an extra 70,000+ words of content across its first four episodes. Explore the spooky town of Scarlet Hollow, befriend its residents, or meet a grisly end. RPG-style traits and regular dialogue options offer multiple paths through the story.
Episode one of Scarlet Hollow was released on Sept. 28, 2020, and soon garnered rave reviews from critics for its hand-drawn art and story paths that went way beyond what visual novels typically offer. The subsequent episodes were made available over the next few years, with episode four released on Dec. 6, 2023. This relaunch is ahead of the upcoming fifth episode.
“We’re still hard at work on chapter five and beyond, but we didn’t want to wait to make significant changes and improvements to the Scarlet Hollow experience,” said Tony Howard-Arias, co-founder of Black Tabby Games, in a press release.
“Try the first chapter for free – and see what dangers await.”
Multiple Choices, Multiple Ends
The first episode introduces players to the titular town deep in the North Carolina mountains. Players can choose from a variety of weird and wonderful perks, such as being unnaturally attractive or able to talk to animals, and are then set loose to follow the central story.
Players get to make decisions based on their character build, as well as what and how events play out from previous choices. In doing so they can explore creepy coal mines, encounter monsters based on Appalachian folklore, and even find haunted houses.
“The sleepy town of Scarlet Hollow has suddenly come alive with horrors, just in time for your arrival,” said the press release. “You only have to survive a week. But you may not make it to the end in one piece.”
An Award-Winning Studio
Black Tabby Games was founded by Ignatz-winning graphic novelist Abby Howard and her partner, Tony Howard-Arias, in 2019. The studio comprises just five people altogether, but this hasn’t stopped it from making a splash.
Episode one of Scarlet Hollow received multiple accolades, and made various top 10 lists. The studio’s other visual horror novel, Slay The Princess, was released in 2023 to 10 out of 10s across the board from critics and players alike.