Scarlet Hollow is an insanely gripping virtual novel set in a rural North Carolina town chock-full of mysteries. Seriously, there’s a lot to uncover in this little place in the middle of nowhere, and you’ll have to go through multiple playthroughs to learn every tiny (or substantial) secret in the game.
It’s made by Black Tabby Games, who also worked on Slay the Princess, which is another great VN that I recently finished. I wasn’t familiar with the development journey of Scarlet Hollow, but I’ve heard that Slay the Princess‘ success helped this game get back on its feet, and that’s actually how I learned about its existence!
It’s a highly ambitious project that immediately got me hooked from the first episode, so let’s quickly go through my thoughts on the game. I’ll try my best to avoid spoilers, so don’t worry about that if you’re planning on hopping into it blind!
NOTE: The game is currently in early access as an episodic story-based game, with episode 5 out of 7 already out as of this latest edit. It’s kinda like how Dispatch released its stories, though this one packs much more content and self-contained arcs that make the game worth playing now, despite the overarching mystery not concluding yet. (Theorizing with the community adds to the fun!)
What is Scarlet Hollow’s Story About?
On the surface, Scarlet Hollow‘s story is fairly straightforward. You’re just some person visiting the eponymous town for your estranged aunt’s funeral. Sounds simple, right? Just in and out for a couple of days, what could go wrong?
As soon as you arrive, you immediately get the feeling that something’s terribly off. For starters, your cousin, Tabitha, is immediately very dismissive of you. You could try to mend this one-sided grudge, or you could play along and act like you don’t want to be here either. That’s all up to you.
You see, you actually came from a powerful family of coal barons who have been running the entire town for generations now. Hell, the place is pretty much named after your kin. But wait, if we’re so wealthy and powerful, why doesn’t the main character (you) know about any of this? Why is the mansion your cousin lives in so old and dilapidated? Why is there a ghostly figure in the game’s key art?
Well, I won’t tell. You’ll just have to investigate on your own. 😉
On that note, I really should talk about the other mechanics in play aside from the whole choose-your-own-adventure aspect that you expect from any VN.
Traits and Saves – What Are They?
Scarlet Hollow features a branching narrative that has vastly different outcomes depending on your choices throughout the story. Even short exchanges with certain characters can have a lasting impact on your relationship with them, which could then affect how situations play out in the future.
But before I get ahead of myself, you should know about traits. Before you start the game, you must pick two of the several traits that define your character. You’ve got:
- Powerful Build – You work out a lot, basically. It’s like inserting an action hero into a horror thriller. (For the knowers: “Protein is protein“)
- Street Smart – You’re good at weaseling your way through social situations. Oh, and you can pick locks.
- Talk to Animals – Literally what the trait says. This is a personal favorite of mine, and trust me, it’s not just a silly gimmick.
- Mystical – You’re a bit of a paranormal expert, which is both a blessing and a curse in this godforsaken town.
- Book Smart – You’re smart, and you’ll be surprised at the ridiculous situations you can save yourself from with your brainpower.
- Hot – You’re insanely charismatic. People are nicer to you (even your cousin… sometimes) and are much more willing to open up.
- Keen Eye – You’re very observant. Works so well alongside any of the other traits.
These give you special dialogue/action choices, some helpful clues every now and then, and “trait saves” that can swing major decisions heavily in your favor. If it’s your first time playing, don’t think too hard about it. No matter what, you won’t be able to succeed at everything, so just pick whichever combo you think sounds cool.
They don’t just add extra flavor text to the game, and these traits play a major role in why the game has a crazy number of branching paths. It’s probably why they ran out of funding before Slay the Princess‘ sudden success.
It’s hard to name all the possible archetypes, as the combinations vary wildly from “himbo with a third eye” to “actual genius but talks to animals”. Just know that each playthrough, which will already deviate quite a lot without the traits, will look very different across the different combos.
It should be emphasized that you really cannot save everybody. There are a lot of harrowing themes at play that you may or may not notice throughout your playthrough/s. No matter what traits you choose, unless you literally cheat (which the game seemingly has a failsafe for now), you can’t guarantee a happy ending for everybody, probably not even yourself.
Overarching Story, Self-Contained Myseries
I said this in my note at the intro, but I should emphasize that the game has self-contained arcs despite (currently) not having an ending for the overarching story yet. Each episode feels like a “monster of the day” type of deal, as there’s a new major issue to face every day while you’re working towards solving the main mystery surrounding the titular town.
Each of the major entities you have to contend with is related to the main story, so it’s not like you’re just running off solving random tangential issues. At the end of each episode is a major decision that will have lasting consequences.
This is probably the best time to tell you that your choices truly matter in this game. Characters can and will die, relationships will be tested, and the various threats you can face throughout the story can get so much worse depending on how you approach the game.
Are There a Lot of Branching Paths?
There are plenty of branching paths in Scarlet Hollow, and it’s impossible to know every secret and possible outcomes with just a single playthrough or two. I’ve clocked in 29 hours with several playthroughs under my belt, and that includes skipping text that I’ve already seen.
Even with that much time spent playing the game, there are still scenes I haven’t seen, and I only uncovered some serious secrets on the tail end of those hours. Mind you, this is only up to episode 4. Depending on when you read this, episode 5 may already be out (it’s coming in a few days from when I started writing this), and that’s reportedly their most ambitious chapter yet.
The developers themselves noted in their latest dev blog that the 5th chapter is going to be over 300,000 words worth of content, and the ultimate conclusion is almost within reach.
Join the Fun
It’s a great time to jump into the game and enjoy all of the branching paths, as you get to cook up theories with the rest of the community before the ending drops, whenever that may be.
With how the first four were built up, I’d imagine episode 5 is where a lot of major reveals will happen, and I’m already itching to see how it plays out. I’ve got some suspicions of my own that I’d like to see vindicated (or completely confirmed, lol).
If you haven’t tried it yet, there’s really no harm in doing so despite the full story not being completed yet. Each episode wraps up nicely, and if you’re worried about forgetting what happened by the time the ending drops, the start of each chapter has an optional recap that does a great job of reminding you of your choices and their outcomes.
Scarlet Hollow is a fantastic VN with a very ambitious story, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all ends. It’s fairly inexpensive, and the developers do occasionally interact with the community through social media, so send them your love if you ever try it out and enjoy the experience!
EDIT (02/21/26) – Having played through the entirety of episode 5 several times now, I’m very excited for the final chapters. The story really does take some wild, macabre turns that you’re going to love if you’ve been enjoying watching it all unravel up to the latest release!