Harold Halibut

the game has a very slow burn and everyone is really rude to harold, but towards the end the game takes an amazing turn that shows how these unique characters can develop into a genuine and kind person.

if you enjoyed movies like coraline as a kid for its creative charm and artistic style, this game will give you the same feeling.

I won't base this review off of price at all, because I imagine it could have taken a lot of care to get the look and feel of this game.

Others might call it slow, but I would say it was just very relaxed and charming. The visuals have character to them, the voice acting is good, and I found myself wondering what the other characters were up to while doing the main quests. The world felt alive. Often the game is more about finding out what's going on as you're on your way to do something else.
People are always up to something but not in a way that's overwhelming. As the story moves on it also covers some topics you don't tend to expect, with some philosophy in it as well.

The only strange thing I found, that is inexplicable to me, is that the scientists would sometimes just get really snippy and aggro at you for no reason at all. There's a whole section of the game where it just seems like people become abusive towards Harold. It was really jarring compared to the vibe of the rest of the game.

That being said, if you want something relaxed with a comfy vibe check it out. It's not anything I will rave about, but I enjoyed it.

"Running away is easy, It's the living that's hard"

Absolutely Beautiful experience

Cozy little adventure! Full with lovable characters, accompanied by gorgeous art style and amazing music. Highly recommended!

If you can tolerate the pacing of this game, there is really something special. I seem to have beaten this game much slower than most, as I did pretty much EVERY side activity... but I do NOT regret it.

The amount of lessons and emotions experienced in this short, BEAUTIFUL game is impressive.
I laughed, I cried, I questioned, I learned.

Tidemo.

alright look, i have a complicated relationship with this game but i think it won me over in the end. it starts of strong but then starts this pattern of being bland, grabbing me, and being bland again. this weird dance of interest and disinterest, which i'm not opposed to (i love slice of life and more mundane stories), but this was testing me a bit for the first half/chapters 1-3.

howeverrr, i dropped it for almost a year, had a loss in the family, came back to it and immediately was hit with the Buddy... development as well as Zora's letter from his father and that hit different. Then it started getting into a few fairly philosophical or existential ideas and quandaries (ones i often struggle with), started hitting me with some really great sequences, and it really just came together in the end.

yeah, everybody being exasperated with Harold for some reason was tiring, the voice acting could be grating in a few ways, the pacing was kind of all over the place, there was awkward stuff all around. But at the same time, it has a really nice story, fantastic visuals through and through (save for some animation jankiness) some genuinely sweet moments and compelling writing, and i think it's a testament to the charm that i still came back so much later and finished it feeling satisfied.

this is like the definition of a 7/10 game for me, but i mean that in the best way i can.

Personally, I don’t understand art. Therefore, reviewing Harold Halibut by single sentence of: “You cannot explain the art, you need to experience itself” is a pretty confusing statement.

The visual aesthetic was the main hook that kept playing till the end. The “claylike” characters and their movements reminds me old Wallace & Gromit claymotion movies. Just thinking back then just the amount of time it must have taken to complete the movie, luckily, we still have people around us that will proceed with their projects even taken time with it.

If you ever have a time, to experience something

– main character is simpleminded, but still mysterious enigma
– old but still gold visual style
– familiar premise but still thought-provoking storyline

Then Harold Halibut is the perfect choice for a weekend playthrough.

Final score: 9/10

Small moments of brilliance, with too much strangeness in-between. Was hoping for something a bit more grounded, everyone felt too eccentric to me. Even just walking around felt janky, as if the game could implode at any moment. Gorgeous style, but technical side is a bit of a mess. Also, way too much depth of field with no option to turn it off. Why have powerful specs needed to then blur everything completely?

I think the loading screen flounder was the best part of the game, wish we had a .gif of it, could watch it for hours.

Loved every single minute of this piece of art. Ever since completing this game, I have a longing to go back into that world. Few games have had a lasting effect on me. This being one, Alan Wake 2 and Outer Wilds have all made me feel an uneasy yet beautiful feeling after completing them. Congratulations to Slow Bros. On their masterful debut.

Don't be fooled. This is NOT a videogame. There are no choices to be made, there is no gameplay besides walking left and right. Everything is pre-determined and you are basically train on a track who cannot do anything else than "go to the next station".

But the story is beautiful.

Get this on a sale.

Good game. Worth the money.

Beautiful game with a cute art style. Manages to capture a theatre production vibe in a video game, which I thought was both unique and refreshing. Took 10.5 hours to play through over a few evenings and thoroughly enjoyed it. Can be a bit slow at times, but I think that pacing is part of the charm and fits well. Definitely worth sticking in your library and giving it some time. Playing with controller felt much better than mouse+keyboard.

I'm liking it so far. The unique art style is very interesting and a love the personality of the characters. My only gripe is that the resolution seems a bit fuzzy? I'm not sure if its me, but some textures seem to become low resolution or get heavily pixelated. Perhaps that's just the depth of field though. Also, I'm not playing with the most powerful of set ups. Anyway, still a very good game.

It has potential and im sure there are people who really like it. For me it was too slow to get into and the conversations are long and boring and the main character seems really dumb.

Id definitely recommend this game, it has a really quirky atmosphere, some cool characters, a decent story and its just a cute little game i enjoyed playing through. You get sort of attached to the characters even though a lot of its kinda silly, theres some serious parts too, love, destiny, life and death, adventure. I dont know its a mishmash of things and the musics pretty great, actings really good. There is some bugs and jankiness but nothing that cant be fixed by restarting the game a few times.

It also has a lot of monotonous in it, the walking back and forth to reach the different areas gets kind of boring because youre walking so much. thats my only real issue with the game if you couldve skipped that in some way it wouldve been better, but i dont know how they couldve done it and made it better. Because if you just fast traveled to the areas i feel like that might have been missing something too. Just wish there was a way to get maybe a happy medium sort of compromise with that. But like i say i cant think of a better way they couldve done it either.

At the end of the day i really enjoyed this game. Itll take you around 14 to 15 hours to beat. Not sure how long the average adventure game like this is. But that seemed about right.

Really enjoyed the ending. Very endearing story and characters.

Best game with best storylines ever. I wonder if they can make halibut 2. Probably the prof found new planet to settle with and decide to discover something new such as teleportation straight to flumylym.

Harold Halibut is a perfect Covid game. No really, it is! I recently got Covid and didn't have the mental energy to play a game that required complex thought, but also wanted an element of story. For me, Harold Halibut was that perfect combination. So this game is what I would call a good "being sick" game.

As for my recommendation, I picked this game up back when it came out due to its unique visual aspect. It definitely didn't disappoint there. While the animations can feel pretty weird sometimes, knowing immense effort that went into creating the scenes of the entire game made those clunky moments easy to look past. It's a different way of making a game, and the style of art is awesome here. So this game does NOT disappoint there.

Storywise, I liked it a lot. It's different than most games though. I feel like most of the first half of the game felt like Harold going through the motions of his role on the station, and him trying to find himself in the world. But honestly, I think a game needed to do that. It was nice not having a huge single narrative to really follow (there was, and it grew stronger later on), but most of the time, you were Harold, working on the station, interacting with the people, making friends. Just... living a life in the deep sea questioning life, and the friends you meet along the way give excellent life advice, (even for IRL tbh. It's certainly made me think. This game DOES that.)

I feel like pacing can feel off sometimes. It's also nerve wracking when you think you might miss interactions (cause I want to see everything!), so I feel like they could have done better things here. I would check places almost every chance I got so I didn't miss stuff, (and I still missed stuff). I feel they could have provided more messages or warned the player that if they go back here they wouldn't be able to go back for the entire night. I do also think the game was a tad longer than it really needed to be. I think it could have been a few hours shorter with the same/similar experience, but I still love and recommend it.

Overall, if you are a person that doesn't mind mindlessly moving along a station and interacting with people to learn their stories, and try to put yourself in Harold's shoes, then I recommend picking this up. If you are someone that wants to make meaningful choices and see changes due to that, then this won't be for you.

This game is absolutely beautiful! I've never experienced anything quite like this game, where you truly feel like a puppet master in a puppet theater. The decorations, puppets, and everything else in this game are beautifully handcrafted. The story is captivating. I definitely recommend this game.

Harold Halibut is a comfy, incredibly heartfelt game with some of the most wholesome, well-written characters I've experienced in a video game. The visuals, score, dialogue, and story are incredibly unique and charming.

It's visuals are fantastic. Loved the whole Buddy subplot. Lots of walking, does not recommend to those who hates fetch quests.

Fantastic artwork, great soundtrack. Don't worry about searching all the doors unless you have a lot of patience, just enjoy the story on the main quests. it is a weird and wonderful game. it made me think. which was nice.

Fantastic game, visually stunning and perfectly somber and abstract. Def a must play for anyone who likes story driven games

Good narrative experience. Not much else to do. Most characters are oddly rude to the protagonist. Worth it when on sale.

Beautiful game

Claymation-like appearance looks nice but then everything has standard framerate animations which makes it NOT look like claymation. Also yes, the tag "Walking Simulator" really really really fits this game. You just walk, then get some pointless AI-like dialogue that barely makes any sense and wastes your time while not being fun or interesting and then you keep walking around. I kept my eye on the playtime just to be sure I can refund it because the experience I've had with it was stupidly unfun. I'm pretty sure it thinks it's fun though.

Harol halibut is a very chill "story and fetch" game. It is not for those who want an really fun and engaging game, nor is the story the greatest story ever. However this game is truly beautiful in graphics and story, it is though provoking and for lack of a better word very "human". It reminds me of looking at people on another platform at the station, so close yet so far. I had a wonderful experience!

This game doesn't work on ANY iGPU. So if you're using one, including steam deck, ally, legion etc.. don't bother.
The devs don't seem interested in fixing the bug either.

Harold Halibut" is a visually stunning and immersive experience that captivates players from the moment they dive into its unique world. The game combines a distinctive handcrafted aesthetic with a rich, atmospheric soundtrack that perfectly complements its quirky charm.

The character design and environments are meticulously crafted, giving the game a warm, inviting feel that draws you in. The use of stop-motion animation adds a layer of creativity that sets it apart from other titles, making every scene feel like a work of art.

Gameplay-wise, "Harold Halibut" offers a blend of exploration and puzzle-solving that keeps you engaged without feeling overwhelming. The interactions with various characters are delightful, filled with humor and heart, which adds depth to the overall experience.

The narrative unfolds in a way that encourages curiosity, allowing players to uncover the world at their own pace. The writing is clever and often whimsical, making for memorable dialogue that enhances the game's charm.

Overall, "Harold Halibut" is a delightful journey that showcases the beauty of indie game development. It's a must-play for those who appreciate artistic storytelling and a unique visual style. Whether you're a fan of adventure games or simply looking for something fresh and engaging, this title is sure to leave a lasting impression.
---{ Graphics }---
☑ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Gameplay }---
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☑ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☐ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ Audience }---
☑ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☑ Grandma

---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☑ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☐ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
☑ Big
☐ Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☑ Easy
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{ Grind }---
☐ Nothing to grind
☑ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☐ Lovely
☑ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☐ Average
☐ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☐ 9
☑ 10

---{ Author }---
☑ https://vojtastruhar.github.io/steam-review-template

I thoroughly enjoyed playing Harold Halibut, mainly because of the excellent story line and the wide variety of characters that you meet along the way. Even though the visual style of the human characters is based on real sculpted models that you might see in a stop motion action film, it somehow works really well and helps bring these otherwise unrealistic looking people to life. The developers did a really good job with making the game world look and feel like a believable place, and the 3D modellers/animators/visual artists should get a medal for how well it all looks.

The voice acting is superb (for the English version anyway that I played) and as for the voice of the main man Harold, it matched perfectly to his appearance and character.

Having to travel about the world can be a little tiresome sometimes, going back and forth to complete the tasks, but it does represent a realistic timescale for travelling between each area of the game world, and the wait isn't very long at all.

There's some brilliant philosophies on life that younger audiences could learn from whilst playing this game. The story in many ways tells how any individual from any background can accomplish great things with the right attitude on life.

The puzzles are minimal and quite varied and they shouldn't be too difficult to complete by most players of the game. There is quite a lot of dialogue to listen/read, but luckily most of this can be skipped/fast forwarded. If you're not a fan of listening to lots of talking then I would perhaps suggest this game might not be for you, but if you enjoy a rather quirky and comical science fiction story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, then you'll love this.

I loved Harold Halibut. If you look at the reviews you will see a lot of people criticizing it's slow pace, it's lengthy dialog cut scenes, and it's seemingly endless fetch quests. All of these things are there for certain, but I have to defend the game and say that all of those elements are what makes Harold Halibut so special. I have never seen a game that challenges it's players to fully immerse themselves in their world like Harold Halibut does, in order you enjoy the game you have to take it slow and embrace your place in the world. You have to enjoy walking around the space ship a million times, doing odd jobs, and helping the same people again and again, because that's what Harold has done for his entire life. There is even an achievement for taking 15+ hours to complete the game (an achievement I regrettably missed out on.) If that's not an indication of the type of player this game is for, then I don't know what else to tell you.

Harold Halibut is a reminder that there truly are no rules as to what can make a game great. For me, this felt like a once in a lifetime gaming experience and I will forever look back on it fondly. It's easily my game of the year for 2024 and has become one of my favorite games ever. Thank you, Slow Bros for making this.

What? No! This is an interactive story and not a game. I was sold by several reviewers who compared this to an old point and click adventure called "The Neverhood." I love puzzle adventures, but Harold Halibut is not that. With all this said, the "game" does have a great story, good voicework, and creative art style, but couldn't this just have been an animated limited series instead?

With all this said, I would still have given this a positive score, but my major gripe is that this game is not completely compatible with the Steam Deck as it is claimed to be. For the first half of the game, I kept getting an odd screen at times that showed color bars, but I could still hear sounds or conversations. I initially thought this was some odd art style, but after many of these odd sessions, I looked this up online and found that I had to download an unofficial version of Proton on the backend of the Deck. This game was released in April '24, so not having an official patch for this issue by Jan '25 is insanity. I also encountered many bugs during gameplay, both with verified Proton and GE. My main lock-ups usually occurred during loading screens, which became increasingly annoying.

I really want to like this game. The art style is unique and the story is intriguing, but the moment to moment game play is incredibly boring, repetitive, and dull. There's no real gameplay and your character doesn't seem to have any agency, so it's really just dragging out a graphic novel with load screens and running (slowly) through the same 7 hallways. I'm sure you could watch the story online and get all of the good with none of the tedium.

great easy going adventure

Harold Halibut nicely combines a nostalgic puppet look with a sci-fi story. It's definitely not an action game. On the contrary, it is one of the slowest games I've played. In the beginning I was frustrated by the slow pace. After a while, though, I got sucked into the story. I got to know the Fedora and the characters and enjoyed watching them. This slower pace allows the game to tell a very human story. It doesn't focus much on big spectacle, more on the small relationships, the feelings and the relationships between the characters, incorporating many philosophical questions. It's a wholesome experience. And no, not as spiritual as I make it sound, hahahaha.

I decided to write a review on the game only after 4 hours of playing (of potentially 12 hours). Before, I have never written reviews sooner than I have ended up playing the game. This game was in my wishlist for the past 4 years or so. Like always, I never buy games straight after the release. I wait until the players' reviews, potential bug fixes, and, most importantly, a discount. I must confess I was reluctant to buy the game after a number of reviews saying "it is just a walking simulator, fetch this or that across the map, there is nothing to do". Some people even said the game is full the "leftist garbage".

With reluctance, I bought the game at a 30% off sale. To my satisfaction, the story appeared to be tight, and I never felt bored. The main gameplay element was not solving the puzzles -- this would frustrate me and make me bored at some stage. The game was introducing some situation, and it kept me wondering what would happen next and who was the culprit.

Most importantly, the NPCs showed their characters, and all of them had problems which they tried to solve. This made me feel relatable to them. The game's world was made out of photographed carefully-crafted sculptures. This kept me looking with wonder at the world, and enjoying the art quality of the world. It seemed that developers were able to put their best creativity into the project. This put them apart from the soul-less creations of the big corporate publishers.

The "LGBTQI" stuff was subtle, after 11 hours of playing the game (as of writing the review at the moment). The inconspicuousness of it would not make Putin blink. The corporate world was depicted eerily correctly -- I could grossly relate to it, too.

I would be hesitant to pay the full price for it, but at a 30% discount, it was the right price for me.

Oh, Hawool (o´▽`o) Halibut. Where do I even begin? This game holds a special place in my heart. A handcrafted love letter to storytelling, community, and introspection. From the moment you begin you're introduced to the underwater world of the Fedora, you dive into a community that is very vibrant, quirky, and dare I say beautifully flawed in a world equal parts strange and relatable.

You step into the shoes of Harold, a middle aged man who works as a repairman aboard the Fedora. Harold is a helper in every sense of the word. He fixes everything that's broken and does everything in his power to support those around him, often at the cost of his own well being. It's heartbreakingly relatable. There's a purity in his interactions, a strength in his willingness to listen, and a vulnerability that makes him so easy to root for.

Harold shares a home with Professor Mareuax, a scientist whose tough no non-sense exterior masks a deeply caring almost motherly presence. Together, they navigate this world that often doesn't make sense, with Harold questioning his purpose and searching for meaning. His journey becomes as much about self discovery as it is about repairing the fragile lives of those around him and we get to follow along for the ride.

I love the claymation in this game. It's nothing short of stunning. It has a tactile handmade quality that feels alive. I can't get enough of the textures, expressions, and beautiful imperfections. Even the warm lighting creates an atmosphere that feels both intimate and magical. It's the kind of art that makes you stop and simply admire the beauty in front of you.

I'll admit, this game won't be for everyone. This gameplay is straightforward. It's point and click system where you complete tasks to progress the narrative. It's much easier (and I'd argue better) with a controller. Yes, the gameplay can feel repetitive and task heavy but it does not detract from the immersion. If anything, the rhythm mirrors the mundanity of Harold's life which I find adds a unique layer to the storytelling. Despite the simplicity, I found myself falling deeply in love with Harold's world.

The heart of this game I do find is in its characters. The ship is filled with personalities that feel so real, its impossible not to fall in love with them. Some more than others ;) … And then there's Buddy, my personal favorite. Buddy's endless optimism and ability to see the glass half full even when the cracks start to show brought such a light. Reading the letters with Buddy reminded me of something so universal: despite our differences, we're all craving the same things — community, love, and a sense of belonging. Rest easy Buddy(ಥ﹏ಥ)
If you're looking for game that speaks to the heart and not just the senses, Harold Halibut is an absolute gem. To me, it's a beautiful reflection on life and the people who make it worth living. It's wholesome, pure, and heartfelt. Every character, every moment, every detail sticks with you long after the credits roll, leaving with a grin you can't shake.

There's just something timeless about this game. The kind of story you return to when you need comfort or inspiration. I know I'll find myself playing it again in the years to come. Harold Halibut is a beautiful reminder that in life's quietest moments, there's magic to be found.

Harold's world isn't perfect but that's what makes it so human. It's a story about people, imperfections, and the small ways we make each other's lives better.

Soundtrack is also banger

With all that said,
Thanks Slow Bros (°▽°)/

Fun narrative based adventure game with not a lot of game play.

If you love stories and character development, this is for you.

Absolutely Stunning Game.
A change of pace in so many ways, not only in the literal sense.
I really enjoyed it. Not much more i can say.

And video games aren't art?

Incredible story, art and music

Charming, laid back game

Stunningly beautiful & unique style. Captivating story. Refreshingly relatable artistic skills from the main character. A fantastic experience overall.

This is a game about a bloke with ADHD and dyslexia getting yelled at and ignored by all his friends. It has little to no actual gameplay but makes for a fantastic interactive movie. I would strongly suggest buying this game if you value and want to encourage creativity within the video game industry.

Visuals - 10/10
Audio - 8/10
Game play - 4/10
Story 9/10

It's so, so, so, so incredibly BORING

great art and a compelling story

5 minutes into the game I was like meh, but then couldn't stop playing. Wonderful game.

a really unique and beautiful game, the art style is amazing, gotta appreciate that everything was handmade before rebuilding them as 3D models, thats some passion and dedication right there, storywise, overall its pretty wholesome, we follow our MC Harold who eventually finds a place of belonging, the story is a bit slow at first but really picks up at the last 2 to 3 chapters, and even though it was tedious constantly using the tube and walking from A to B to complete a task or to talk to a character, the goood voice acting and different mo caps for each dialogue scene made it worth it imo

love the art style and the way people converse. beautiful game

I am so glad I played this game.

Don’t expect challenging gameplay.

Expect really good story with excellent visual style.

15 hours with this game is just right. Thank you to everyone who made this game!

What a ride!
I like adventure games, found the graphics interesting and bought it - but what awaited me, I wouldn't have expected.
It's like reading a book! It's slow with a wonderful story.
Thank you for this experience - i enjoyed every minute!