Have you ever met with someone and the way they acted was so off-putting that you didn’t want to hear anything that they had to say? Did you at least try to hear them out no matter how annoyed or mad you were at them? At PAX West 2023, we were invited by Smol Games to preview their upcoming game Hyde’s Haunt and Seek.
When we went to introduce ourselves to the team managing the booth for our meeting, the representative was more interested in flirting with two girls at the booth than showing us the game during our scheduled meeting. So rather than cause a scene, we just waited in line to play the game and then left. Here were my thoughts then:
Demo impressions
Fast forward a year and a half later and we decided to give Hyde’s Haunt and Seek a second chance, primarily because Daedalic Entertainment was showing it at their booth. If you know anything about me or the site, you know that we have enjoyed our fair share of Daedalic Entertainment games.
At PAX East 2024, we previewed Yield: Fall of Rome, Wild Woods, and Woodo. Each game had its own unique and special feeling, that made it stand out. With Daedalic managing Hyde’s Haunt and Seek at PAX East, we were willing to give it another try.
Guests at PAX East could either play as the one seeker or the three ghosts. At PAX West, we played as the ghosts tormenting the seeker by moving objects in their way, knocking objects over, and even causing things to jump out at them.
If we could stop the seeker from escaping and escaping with the relics, we won; however, being the ghost doesn’t make you invincible. The seeker can use his flashlight to eliminate/bust the ghosts. The seeker in that game didn’t know what he was doing so the game ended quickly.
During our meeting at East, I got to play as the seeker. I was asked if I wanted a rundown on how to play and I said no, I’d rather try it out and learn as things went. Playing the Seeker may look easy at first but when the shoe is on the other foot, it is a whole different beast.
While the ghost’s view may be 2D and easy to navigate; the player’s view is that of a first-person shooter. You must look for the relics located in the house while the ghosts try to stop or block you. As the ghosts block your path, you can cast them out of their hiding places and attempt to exercise them.
Once your time has run out, the house will start to kick you out. This gives the ghosts a chance to eliminate the seeker. If you can escape then you win. When trying to escape, we were able to eliminate the ghosts that were haunting us after only finding one relic. The relics help you survive but skill can beat upgrades.
The mindset I had went into the demo drastically impacted how I perceived the game. What went from a game that I could care less about to become a game that I could enjoy spending hours playing with my friends, a community, or against random players.
The first-person gameplay is fairly smooth but does take a bit to get used to. The ghosts have an easier time early on, but playing against a skilled player could make their lives a living hell. It will be interesting to see how the player base adapts to the game. The controls are fairly easy to use and players should be able to figure out the controls easily.
Hyde’s Haunt and Seek is in development for Windows PC (via Steam), though a release date wasn’t announced.
