Info about Hello Neighbor Alpha 4:

Official game description:
Hello Neighbor is a stealth horror game about sneaking into your neighbor's house to figure out what horrible secrets he's hiding in the basement. You play against an advanced AI that learns from your every move. Really enjoying climbing through that backyard window? Expect a bear trap there. Sneaking through the front door? There'll be cameras there soon. Trying to escape? The Neighbor will find a shortcut and catch you.  
*   Suspenseful horror gameplay that focuses on sneaking around your neighbor's house  
*   Constantly evolving experience where the Neighbor's AI counters your moves, and learns from what you do  
*   Sandbox-style gameplay with plenty of environmental interaction and physics

Release date: Oct 19, 2019

Categories: Stealth Gameplay, Survival Horror, Puzzle Solving, Atmospheric Horror, Sandbox Creation, Exploration, AI Companion System

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 90; verdict: Broken; summary: The game receives mixed reviews with significant technical issues. Many users experience frequent crashes and bugs, which severely impact the gameplay experience. However, some users appreciate the game's core content and find it enjoyable when it works.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: Performance on systems with less than 8GB VRAM is predominantly negative, with frequent reports of crashes and instability.
  - Sample size: 26 (2% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM (negative, 25 reports): Frequent crashes and instability reported.
  - Caveats: 26 of 1242 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 3.0h
  - Story completion: 1.0h
  - Session length: 3.4h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides some insight into the playtime metrics for 'Hello Neighbor Alpha 4'. The quotes 'i beat it pretty short amount of time' and 'This took me over an hour just to beat' suggest that the game can be completed in a relatively short period, likely under a few hours. The quote 'Took me 3.4 hours of my friend yelling' indicates a session length that could be considered typical for a single playthrough. However, there is limited specific evidence for the exact playtime metrics such as game completion, story completion, and endgame hours. The evidence mainly points towards a short completion time and a session length of around 3-4 hours.
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes:
  - Budget-Conscious Gamer (sale)
    - Motivation: Cost-effectiveness and accessibility.
    - Playstyle: Casual, often looking for quick or speedrun playthroughs.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Budget gamer; Casual player
    - Reference games: Hello Neighbor
  - Nostalgic Fun-Seeker (buy)
    - Motivation: Fun and nostalgia.
    - Playstyle: Casual, enjoying the game for its storyline and fun factor.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Nostalgic gamer; Fun-seeker
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Artistic Connoisseur (sale)
    - Motivation: Artistic appreciation and game development history.
    - Playstyle: Analytical, focusing on the game's artistic style and development.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Art enthusiast; Game development follower
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Game is fun and enjoyable (weight 0.4): Many players find the game fun, enjoyable, and rewarding. The gameplay is interesting and challenging, with a good overall design.
- Alpha 4 is highly praised (weight 0.19): Alpha 4 is considered the best among all Alphas, with significant improvements over Alpha 3. Players find it very satisfying and a good preview of the final release.
- Engaging and varied puzzles (weight 0.17): The game features a variety of puzzles that are challenging and engaging. Players enjoy the different types of puzzles available.
- Inclusion of Act 3 (weight 0.09): The game includes Act 3, which is well-received by players. The Act 3 Classic version is mentioned positively.
- Immersive atmosphere (weight 0.09): The game's atmosphere is immersive and loved by players. The overall atmosphere contributes to the game's appeal.
- Free to play (weight 0.08): The game is free to play, which is a significant positive point for many players.
- Cartoonish visual style (weight 0.07): The game features a cartoonish visual style with updated textures and objects, which is well-received by players.
- Lots of content to explore (weight 0.05): The game offers a lot of things to do and explore, providing players with plenty of content.
- Full of secrets and Easter eggs (weight 0.05): The game is filled with secrets and Easter eggs, adding to the exploration and enjoyment.
- Funny neighbor behavior (weight 0.05): The neighbor's behavior is noted as funny and interesting, adding to the game's charm.
- Expanded neighbor's house (weight 0.05): The neighbor's house is expanded and detailed, providing more areas to explore.
- Improved neighbor AI (weight 0.05): The neighbor's AI is simplified but smart, reacting intelligently to player actions.
- Represents full third act (weight 0.05): The game represents the full third act of the release, providing a comprehensive experience.
- Challenging gameplay (weight 0.05): The game is interesting and challenging, offering a good level of difficulty.
- Overall positive feedback (weight 0.05): The game is overall pretty good, with many players finding it still good despite any issues.
- Improved night visibility (weight 0.05): The game has improved night visibility, enhancing the gameplay experience.
- Beautifully crafted textures (weight 0.05): The game features beautifully crafted textures, adding to the visual appeal.
- Funny and cool gameplay (weight 0.05): The game is described as funny and cool, with a very hard but enjoyable experience.
- Brilliant game mechanics (weight 0.05): The game features brilliant mechanics, contributing to a brilliant overall experience.
- Day/night cycle (weight 0.05): The game includes a day/night cycle, adding to the gameplay variety.
- Detailed house (weight 0.05): The house in the game is detailed and has been extended, providing more areas to explore.
- Better than prior alphas (weight 0.05): The game is considered better than the prior Alpha versions, offering more enjoyment.
- Good for brain training (weight 0.05): The game is good for brain training, making players feel smart.
- High character development freedom (weight 0.05): The game offers high character development freedom, allowing players to develop characters to their liking.
- Variety of equipment and activities (weight 0.05): The game features a variety of equipment and activities, providing diverse gameplay options.
- Development of mechanics (weight 0.05): The game includes the development of mechanics, enhancing the gameplay experience.
- Long-lasting gameplay (weight 0.05): The game offers long-lasting gameplay, providing extended playtime.
- Great features and concept (weight 0.05): The game features great features and a great concept, contributing to its appeal.
- Puzzles are not frustrating (weight 0.05): The puzzles in the game are not too frustrating and make more sense, providing a better experience.
- Exploring a big house (weight 0.05): The game features a big house that players can explore, adding to the gameplay experience.
- Trolling the neighbor (weight 0.05): Players can troll the neighbor, adding a fun and interactive element to the game.

Common complaints:
- Frequent game crashes (weight 0.5): The game experiences frequent crashes across various scenarios, including during startup, after cutscenes, and during gameplay on different operating systems like Windows 11.
- Buggy gameplay mechanics (weight 0.31): Players report numerous bugs, including issues with physics, gravity, and general gameplay mechanics. These bugs significantly affect the gaming experience.
- Neighbor AI problems (weight 0.17): The neighbor's AI is reported to be flawed, with issues such as getting stuck and not behaving as expected.
- Game kicks player out (weight 0.15): The game frequently kicks players out shortly after starting, sometimes within just a few seconds.
- Performance and optimization issues (weight 0.15): The game suffers from poor performance and optimization, leading to a subpar gaming experience.
- Difficult and confusing puzzles (weight 0.13): Many players find the puzzles in the game to be overly difficult and confusing, often requiring hints to solve.
- Issues with picking up items (weight 0.09): Players encounter problems with picking up items, which can hinder progression and gameplay.
- Camera and stealth issues (weight 0.09): There are problems with the camera mechanics and stealth gameplay, affecting the overall experience.
- Gameplay and design flaws (weight 0.08): The game has various design and functionality flaws, including issues with stairs and general gameplay mechanics.
- Negative feedback on game version (weight 0.06): Players express dissatisfaction with the current version of the game, comparing it unfavorably to previous versions.
- Game feels unfinished (weight 0.05): Players feel that the game is unfinished, with various elements needing further development and polishing.
- Progress loss (weight 0.05): Players report losing their progress, which can be frustrating and demotivating.
- Internet dependency issues (weight 0.05): The game has issues related to internet connectivity, such as crashing when the internet is not turned off.
- Unnecessary keys (weight 0.04): Some keys in the game are deemed unnecessary or useless by players.
- Limited jump mechanics (weight 0.04): Players find the jump height to be too small, making it difficult to navigate certain parts of the game.
- Act structure issues (weight 0.04): There are reported flaws in Act 3, and players note that the game only has three acts.

Gameplay feedback:
- Mini-games and puzzles (weight 0.19): The game features various mini-games and complex puzzles that players need to solve. These elements are integrated into the gameplay to enhance the overall experience.
- Alpha version feedback (weight 0.15): Being an alpha version, the game has some expected bugs and performance issues. Players acknowledge these issues as part of the development process.
- Stealth-horror gameplay (weight 0.14): The game combines stealth and horror elements, creating a unique and thrilling experience. Players need to avoid or interact with the neighbor, adding to the tension.
- Exploration mechanics (weight 0.13): Players can explore a multi-room house, which is a central part of the gameplay. This exploration is tied to various mechanics and objectives.
- Special abilities and mechanics (weight 0.13): The game features special abilities and unique mechanics, such as using a magical umbrella or flying with a broom, which add variety to the gameplay.
- Comparisons to 'Hello Neighbor' (weight 0.13): Players often compare the game to 'Hello Neighbor,' noting similarities and differences in gameplay and mechanics.
- Platforming and sprinting (weight 0.11): The game includes platforming and sprinting mechanics, which are essential for navigating the environment and completing certain tasks.
- Balanced difficulty level (weight 0.1): The game offers a balanced difficulty level, providing a challenging yet enjoyable experience for players. This balance is crucial for maintaining player engagement.
- Game progression and evolution (weight 0.09): The game evolves as players progress, introducing new mechanics and challenges. This evolution keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging.
- Adaptive AI behavior (weight 0.08): The neighbor's AI adapts to player actions, learning from their habits and making the game more challenging and dynamic.
- Atmosphere and storytelling (weight 0.07): The game creates an atmosphere of mystery and uses environmental storytelling to immerse players in its world.

Performance notes:
- Frequent game crashes (weight 0.25): Players experience constant crashing during gameplay, often without any specific trigger.
- Game fails to launch (weight 0.19): The game does not open or crashes instantly upon launch. This issue is frequently reported by players.
- Performance issues (weight 0.17): The game suffers from poor performance, including lag and low FPS, even on medium settings.
- Poor optimization (weight 0.14): The game is not well-optimized, leading to various performance problems and requiring high-end hardware.
- Graphics and glitches (weight 0.13): Players report numerous graphical glitches, missing textures, and bugs that significantly affect gameplay.
- Connectivity and stability issues (weight 0.09): The game has stability issues related to connectivity, including crashes and performance problems when connected to the internet.
- Specific crash triggers (weight 0.07): The game crashes under specific conditions, such as after cutscenes, placing many boxes near the spawn, or exploiting bugs.
- Game works better with Wi-Fi off (weight 0.05): Some players report that the game only works properly when Wi-Fi is turned off, suggesting connectivity-related issues.
- Positive performance feedback (weight 0.05): A few players report stable performance, such as 60 FPS, and better optimization in certain versions of the game.

Recommendations:
- Play earlier Alpha versions (weight 0.16): Many players suggest playing earlier Alpha versions of the game, such as Alpha 1, 2, or 3, instead of the current version. They seem to prefer the experience offered by these earlier versions.
- Recommended for Hello Neighbor fans (weight 0.12): The game is highly recommended for fans of the Hello Neighbor series. Fans of the series are likely to enjoy this game as well.
- Game recommended generally (weight 0.08): The game is recommended by several players. It is suggested as a good alternative for those looking for a fun and suspenseful experience.
- Try before buying full game (weight 0.08): Players recommend trying this version before purchasing the full release of Hello Neighbor. It is also suggested as a cheaper alternative to the full game.
- Not recommended to play (weight 0.05): Some players advise against playing or installing the game, indicating that it might not meet expectations or could have issues.
- Play other parts for story (weight 0.03): To fully understand the story, players suggest playing other parts or versions of the game.
- Play with headphones (weight 0.03): For an enhanced experience, some players recommend playing the game with headphones.
- Check out for free (weight 0.03): Some players recommend checking out the game for free, indicating that it might be worth trying without a financial commitment.
- Desire for a workshop page (weight 0.03): There is a desire among some players for the game to have a workshop page, possibly for mods or community content.
- Add pink llamas (weight 0.02): A unique suggestion from a player to add pink llamas to the game, though this seems to be a niche or humorous request.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.39): Players are frustrated primarily due to frequent game crashes, numerous bugs, and performance issues that hinder gameplay. Confusing puzzles, unskippable cutscenes, and specific gameplay mechanics like excessive cameras and enemy spawns also contribute to this frustration.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.1): Players enjoy the fun gameplay, secrets, and the overall humorous and calming experience. The game's ability to bring back nostalgic feelings and provide an extended playtime adds to the enjoyment.
- Disappointment (weight 0.1): Players feel disappointed due to the game's unfinished state, frequent crashes, and optimization issues. Comparisons to better previous alpha builds and unmet expectations also contribute to this sentiment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.09): Players are satisfied with the game's improvements in gameplay, graphics, and AI interactions. The amount of content and the game being a free alternative to a paid game also contribute to their satisfaction.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): Players are excited about the new gameplay mechanics, AI improvements, and the mysterious storyline. The fun gameplay and easy mechanics, along with new elements and locations, add to their excitement.
- Anger (weight 0.06): Players are angry due to game mechanics issues, frequent crashes, and poor AI performance. The neighbor's abilities and ragebait tactics, along with the game's poor optimization, further fuel this anger.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.05): Players feel nostalgic as the game brings back old memories and reminds them of earlier versions. The game music and the overall nostalgic feel contribute to this emotion.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Players find joy in the fun puzzles, humor, and overall enjoyable gameplay. Despite the bugs, the game provides a fun and entertaining experience.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Players are amused by the funny neighbor behavior and humorous camera issues. The character interactions and gameplay elements also contribute to their amusement.
- Frustrated (weight 0.02): Players are frustrated with the game's issues, difficulty, and performance problems. These factors collectively lead to a sense of frustration.
- Excited (weight 0.01): Players are excited about the game's features despite the glitches. The overall gameplay and new elements generate excitement.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Players are confused due to the dark and unclear path in the pantry and the game closing instantly. These issues lead to a sense of confusion.
- Amused (weight 0.01): Players are amused by the neighbor's behavior. The humorous aspects of the game contribute to their amusement.}