Devil's Hideout Review: Scattershot Horror Through a Surreal Urban Nightmare

There's something deeply unsettling about wandering through an empty American city, its urban sprawl abandoned and decayed. It’s a feeling that’s hard to shake, especially when it’s tied to derelict shopping plazas, over-reliance on cars, and the cold, hollow planning of suburban America. Devil’s Hideout, the latest indie horror point-and-click from Cosmic Void, taps into that very dread, delivering a rough but atmospheric journey through a surreal urban hellscape.

You play as Lauren, a woman on a desperate mission to rescue her sister from the clutches of a sinister cult. The game begins in a hospital, but soon Lauren’s journey expands into the unnamed city, now revealed as the titular “Devil’s Hideout.” From skeletal arms reaching out of walls to bodies dangling from hooks, it’s a macabre environment that feels like it was ripped from a fever dream—or a horror movie marathon. There’s even a Pennywise lookalike who makes an unexpected cameo, delivering cryptic lines and popping up just when you least expect it.

The game’s story is a hodgepodge of horror tropes, borrowing from The Shining, Lovecraft, and other classic horror influences. There’s a creeping sense that Lauren might have a deeper connection to her sister’s disappearance and the cult’s dark rituals, but the plot isn’t particularly concerned with making those connections clear. Instead, it bombards you with one bizarre encounter after another, which can feel disjointed but also adds to the game’s surreal charm.

One of the most notable features of Devil’s Hideout is its unique presentation. The game uses a first-person perspective where you point and click your way through dark, unsettling environments. The flashlight mechanic adds a layer of tension as creepy figures and jump scares emerge from the shadows. NPCs are treated as “items” in your inventory, a clever twist that adds some humor to the otherwise grim setting.

Graphically, Devil’s Hideout is a mixed bag. There’s some great pixel art, but the perspective can feel off, especially during character interactions. Lauren’s portrait sometimes looks awkwardly small compared to the massive heads of important NPCs, which gives the game an odd visual rhythm. The art style brings to mind Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet (1993), where detailed faces took center stage in a similarly eerie adventure.

The puzzles in Devil’s Hideout are where the game stumbles the most. While nothing is as baffling as Gabriel Knight 3’s infamous mustache puzzle, some items are hidden in illogical places, and finding the right combinations can feel more like trial and error than clever problem-solving. Why is there a telescope in a corpse? Don’t ask. Just click around until something happens.

Despite its flaws, Devil’s Hideout nails the atmosphere. The abandoned city feels like a Stephen King nightmare come to life, capturing that eerie sense of a place once familiar, now twisted by evil. It’s not a polished experience, but it’s memorable in the way that only a game with this much weirdness can be.

Much like Kathy Rain—another point-and-click with random horror elements—it’s easy to see how Devil’s Hideout could benefit from a bit more focus. A director’s cut or an expanded version could do wonders to flesh out its intriguing world. As it stands, though, the game is a rough gem that left me wanting more, which is a rare feeling when exploring a deserted American city.