Survive and find your way home

HEAVENSCAPE is a free-to-play 3D horror game developed by HangingRabbit. This roguelike puzzle demo recreates the aesthetic found in games from older consoles back in the early 2000s. Here, you play as an angel finding his or her way home after coming from a party. Find your way, avoid trouble, and complete your quest before your phone battery runs out.

In terms of its graphics and gameplay, HEAVENSCAPE shares a few similarities with Giraffe Town and First Land. All games feature some seemingly simple story that turns to be creepier and more complex as you uncover more in-game.

The fear after the party

What looks like the usual faceless people party soon turns into something out of this world with HEAVENSCAPE. It’s set in a city where you explore and interact with creatures, not people. Character designs do not follow a single aesthetic, with characters ranging from looking anthropomorphic animals to floating geometric shapes. This creates a fun yet unexpected feel, adding enjoyment as you play.

Graphics-wise, it uses low poly designs that really bring to life old video games from the turn of the millennium. This app masterfully shows that you don’t need complex and realistic visuals to evoke fear and suspense in a game. Surprisingly, some of its bosses are the most human-like in terms of design, creating a weird feel especially since normal folks are anything but humans.

Lastly, there are bugs in the game. This is totally understandable since the game is a demo and the developer is open to users reporting the issues they encounter. As a roguelike game, be warned of its game difficulty. When your phone dies, your game ends and you start all over again. This is easy to overlook, which makes it frustrating. Also, there are no save game features.

A demo worth trying

With its crazy story, retro low poly graphics, and outlandish character designs, HEAVENSCAPE is a work of art deserving of your attention–despite the game being a demo. Its aesthetics and character design create an unnerving experience, making you focus on the environment and everything in it. If you’re not careful, your phone battery will blindside you, run empty, and make you lose the game. It’s a challenging yet worthwhile experience.