Whispering Willows Reviews

Whispering Willows is ranked in the 25th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Oct 16, 2018

"I don't need any night lights."

Review in Finnish | Read full review

6.5 / 10.0
Oct 10, 2018

Whispering Willows is a very different game from any other. It has a good story, fun mechanics (despite maybe too simple) and a terrifying atmosphere, all made with love by Night Light. It has a lot of issues in all of its aspects, unfortunately, but it's worth it to try and play.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

90 / 100
Oct 2, 2018

Whispering Willows is a cool little indie horror game that focuses on exploration and puzzle solving. The game isn't necessarily scary, but the parallel story and atmosphere are definitely eerie. The ghost form mechanic is fun, and the game allows you to collect some items early, which is nice as well.

Read full review

5.5 / 10.0
Sep 27, 2018

Elena, searching for some answers to the mystery surrounding the disappearance of her father, learns early on that an amulet in her possession will allow her to take on a ghostly spiritual form...

Read full review

9 / 10.0
Jun 13, 2018

If you're a fan of "Escape Room" type puzzle adventure games then Whispering Willows should be at the top of your list in 2018! The game is beautifully drawn on a foundation of puzzles that aren't a free ride, but certainly, don't hinder your progress or make you feel inadequate.

Read full review

B
Nov 16, 2015

The negatives never hurt Whispering Willows enough to outshine the positives. The title is a perfect match for gamers looking for the kind of survival horror title that the genre was founded on. The game might not offer the same kind of jump scares as titles like Resident Evil, but with a story inspired by the real-life cruelty of history, Whispering Willows might actually be scarier.

Read full review

6.5 / 10.0
Oct 28, 2015

Whispering Willows involves a lot of interesting concepts that unfortunately haven't been fully utilised. It's a pleasant experience that will keep players engaged for the few hours of gameplay it has, but the puzzles are very easy, while the tension and horror is lacking.

Read full review

6 / 10.0
Oct 23, 2015

Whispering Willows is by no means a masterpiece, but it is a beautiful world and an engaging atmosphere that unfortunately is wrapped in undeveloped gameplay and a not very compelling story. Still; it's an experience with a lot to offer for those with a love of eerie and beautiful games.

Read full review

5 / 10
Oct 15, 2015

Whispering Willows has the foundation laid for a great adventure game, but is held back by some shortcomings. Yes, there's some of the slowness in walking and loading, but this can be forgivable by players who enjoy taking their time and drinking everything in. The biggest problem lies in how it feels there could be so much more to fill this world. The game can be finished in about 3 hours, leaving a void that could have possibly been filled with deeper puzzles, deeper dialogues with the ghosts, and simply more to experience overall. What lies in this shallow grave may still be enjoyable, but let's hope a second effort comes that digs deeper.

Read full review

5 / 10.0
Sep 24, 2015

Kickstarter-funded adventure game grabs its audience with a Native American horror hook, then lets it wiggle free with monotonous play.

Read full review

Aug 30, 2015

With just two hours of content and gameplay that never challenges you, plenty of people will dismiss Whispering Willows and never think twice about it. That's maybe not such a bad thing as it definitely isn't for everybody. It acts as an example as to why the Ouya didn't last. This was one of the better received games in the console's short lifespan and it fails to stand up to a lot of games within its own genre on the major consoles and PC. I do genuinely love the game's message overall, however. It gives a voice to a people so rarely represented in video games and does so within a story that's worth seeing. Despite its dark tone and serious subject matter, one word keeps returning to me when I think back on Whispering Willows, and that's 'charming'. It's flawed, and brief, and unchallenging, but so too is it engaging, and mysterious, and charming. Among so many other lost souls in the Willows Mansion, the ghost of the Ouya lives on.

Read full review

Cubed3
Top Critic
4 / 10
Aug 19, 2015

The best aspect is that it does not hold the player's hand, and does grant a reasonable amount of agency the way a good adventure game does. Night Light had their heart in the right place, even if their intention exceeded their means.

Read full review

Unscored
Jul 21, 2015

Whispering Willows is a super-interesting story, bundled up with a gorgeously-rendered but tiresome adventure game.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Jul 12, 2015

Whispering Willows wants you to learn its story, connect with its characters, and become engrossed in its world.

Read full review

Jul 12, 2015

Whispering Willows is a supernatural puzzle-adventure game that sucks players in with its beautiful hand-drawn style and mystery, but doesn't bring anything too new to the genre.

Read full review

GameSpew
Top Critic
7 / 10
Jul 10, 2015

The emphasis on puzzle and exploration coupled with the 2D side-scrolling presentation is reminiscent of traditional adventure games of the 90s

Read full review

58 / 100
Jul 7, 2015

At the end of the day the question is: Would I recommend this game? I would have to say no. If you like puzzle or adventure games, Whispering Willows won't have anything new to offer you.

Read full review

6.8 / 10.0
Jul 7, 2015

If Loot Interactive and the developers at Night Light took away the hand-holding with puzzle solving and given us a speedier way to get around, Whispering Willows would've fared a lot better. As it stands, however, it's still a decent title for fans of the genre, mainly due to its effective presentation and unique abilities. It's not recommended to everyone, but if you're up for a ghost story, dig in.

Read full review

7 / 10
Jul 7, 2015

Whispering Willows is an enjoyable game with a good story, though much of it will rely on you reading all the letters scattered through the game. The puzzles aren't hard and while some of the atmosphere is creepy the game doesn't quite present the horror you expect. While Whispering Willows is an interesting experience it is a short one at three hours. There are also a couple of annoyances and the puzzles are incredibly simple to work out, but that keeps things moving at a steady pace. Overall Whispering Willows is for those who like adventure titles but also like to experience a story that unfolds without too much effort being put in, making it a solid debut from Night Light Interactive.

Read full review

Digitally Downloaded
Brad L.
Top Critic
Jul 7, 2015

Whispering Willows is a scary, scary game in a beautiful, beautiful world. The hand drawn, Legend of Korra style artwork is only a façade to the darkness that lies within, and is stripped down by the notes, diary entries and running commentary by Elena. Whispering Willows is a beautiful game, only marred by the short time it takes to finish, and when that is your only issue, I can still highly recommend it.

Read full review