Howl

Genre: Puzzle / Turn-Based Strategy-RPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Howl is a Puzzle game with some Turn-BasedStrategy-RPG elements released on PC and Nintendo Switch in 2023. This game is set in a dark medieval fantasy world where villagers have been plagued by an illness called the howl, an illness that turns the townsfolk into violent werewolf-like beasts, who then transform others with their own howl. Players take the role of a young deaf girl, immune to the howl, working her way through the beast-infested lands on a search for a cure, and to discover the fate that befell her brother.

Right from the start, Howl does a superb job establishing the game’s somber atmosphere, making use of some lovely 2D visuals with a beautiful watercolor look, backed by lonely acoustic guitar music, and accompanied by the quiet sympathetic voiceover of the game’s narrator. This all has the effect of giving the game a dark ethereal veneer, like a tragic fairytale.

The gameplay here starts out simple enough, almost like chess. Players begin with only a few action points, each of which can be used to move, or to perform one of multiple abilities. The player is vulnerable to the beasts, but has a limited number of arrows with which to kill them in each level, as well as other abilities like being able to shove nearby beasts into walls, obstacles, or other beasts. When in range, beasts will react to your movements in a predictable manner, and using this knowledge, players must carefully plan their route to reach each level’s exit without getting slaughtered.

However, before long, you’re introduced to additional elements and fun twists to the gameplay that can bring this a bit closer to a Strategy-RPG. Players even gain experience points that they can use to upgrade abilities, gain new ones, or even extend their number of moves in a turn. Players are encouraged to get as many skulls (beast kills) and as much confidence (gained by rescuing villagers and reaching each level’s exit quickly) as they can in order to upgrade these abilities, meaning that players are encouraged to revisit levels when they’re stronger and better able to complete these goals.

Overall, I think this makes for some pretty solid strategic gameplay, but I do think it takes some time to understand the way the game is showing you how your turn will progress and how beasts will respond, something that isn’t clear at first, despite the game giving players a tutorial of sorts at the start. Also, the different kinds of beasts often look far too similar to one another, and you’ll have to learn to observe them closely to spot the differences.

Once you get past this game’s learning curve, I think this is a clever twist on the character-based Puzzle game that adds in some Strategy-RPG elements to give players a great feeling of progression, resulting in a compelling and unique experience with a wonderfully gloomy atmosphere. Puzzle and Strategy-RPG fans will want to give this game a look!

tl;dr – Howl is a Puzzle game with some Strategy-RPG elements where players must plan their movements through areas stalked by dangerous beasts. The gameplay has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it there’s an excellent mix of elements here, and the game’s somber atmosphere is absolutely wonderful. Puzzle and Strategy-RPG fans will definitely want to give this a look.

Grade: B

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2023 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Best Strategy Game, Best Puzzle Game, Best Voice Acting (Unknown as Narrator)

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