Aurora Hills: Chapter 1
Our verdict
8.5/10
- Difficulty: Medium
- Players: 1
- Playtime: 2–4 h
Aurora Hills: Chapter 1 is a free first-person point-and-click escape-room adventure from the makers of Meridian 157. It is October 1981 in a fading West Virginia mining town, and as park ranger Ethan Hill you head into the national park to look into years of unexplained disappearances. It suits anyone curious about the series, or point-and-click fans who want a no-risk evening of puzzles.
Players say the difficulty sits in a sweet spot: puzzles are fair as long as you study the surroundings, and the in-game camera for snapping clues is singled out as a handy touch. Reviewers praise the realistic graphics, quick room-to-room movement and a mystery that hooks enough people into buying Chapter 2. A puzzle-skip option helps those short on time.
The common complaint is length: most finished in two to four hours, and it ends on a cliffhanger. A few found one flipchart puzzle overcomplicated, some hints blunt, and the overall design basic. Since it costs nothing, it is an easy recommendation; just expect a teaser for the paid chapters rather than a full story.
Pros
- Free, with fair environment-based puzzles
- Built-in camera for capturing clues is genuinely useful
- Moody 1981 Appalachian disappearance mystery
Cons
- Short, and ends on a cliffhanger leading to paid chapters
- One flipchart puzzle frustrates many players
- Some find the hints blunt and the design basic
About
Welcome to Aurora Hills!
Nestled deep within the Appalachian Mountains, Aurora Hills was known for its thriving industry and its picturesque landscape. Owing to the region's natural resources, Aurora Hills was looking to become one of the most prosperous towns in the state.
All is not how it seems, however. A series of disappearances of residents and tourists alike have plagued the region over the past few years, sparking a mass exodus from the small town. Now, in October 1981, the town is a shell of its former self. The prosperity that once blessed Aurora Hills has all but evaporated.
Working as a park ranger, you must investigate what's going on with these disappearances and answer questions that have tormented residents for years. Why has there been an increase in disappearances over the past 6 months? Why are there no traces of the people who went missing? Perhaps most importantly, who, or what, could be behind all of this? It's up to you to venture forth, deep into the national park, to uncover the mysteries of Aurora Hills...
Developed by the creators of Meridian 157, Aurora Hills: Chapter 1 is the first part in series of point and click, puzzle escape room style adventure games. Based in the year 1981 in a small West Virginian community, Aurora Hills follows the journey of Ethan Hill, a park ranger tasked with investigating strange disappearances from the region. Explore the rolling hills of West Virginia, find clues of the whereabouts of the missing people and solve intriguing puzzles to uncover the mystery of Aurora Hills!
Features:
• Custom soundtrack and sound effects designed for a creepy in-game atmosphere
• Challenging and clever puzzles
• A logical hint system for some of the most difficult riddles
• Available in 9 languages, including English, French, Russian, German, Chinese (Simplified), Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Japanese!
• New colour blind mode available for people who might have trouble with colour based puzzles
