Info about Nighthawks:

Official game description:
_**Six months ago, you died and were reborn. A vampire. A predator. Not a mere creature of the night, but one of its masters. At least, that’s how things were supposed to be...**_
_Unfortunately, it's a new world out there. Vampires have finally been exposed, and although your existence is more or less tolerated, your ongoing thirst for blood is not. You arrived in the one city willing to promise vampires a fresh start, only to find suspicion and paranoia still lingering on its dark streets. But death could not hold you, and humanity's fear will not hold you back. When the sun sets, outcasts **rise**. It’s time to seize the night by the throat..._
WELCOME TO NIGHTHAWKS
---------------------
Enter a deliciously twisted new take on vampire role-playing games as you take over a failing nightclub on the wrong side of the tracks, and turn it into your personal empire through seduction, intimidation, and careful use of secret supernatural Gifts. Befriend and recruit fellow outcasts, digging deep into their stories and harnessing their skills. Explore a fully voiced, lavishly written world of dark humour and bright neon as you climb from rags to riches on a mission to master your second life, and prove that even the darkest streets can lead to a brighter tomorrow.
KEY FEATURES
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Over 800,000 words of stories and secrets, from the hilarious to the horrific, digging into every corner of a world where vampires no longer own the shadows and both the living and the dead have much to learn.
Build up your nightclub empire to act as a light in the darkness that brings lonely souls together and turns fellow outcasts into found family... or take advantage of your position to feed your own thirst and ambitions.
Ten companions to recruit to your side, including vampire magician Madame Lux, incorrigible con-artist Maze, disgraced private investigator Domino, and Agatha, the free-spirited, perpetual urchin Empress of the Rats.
Powerful vampire magic to use and abuse, including Mesmerism for exerting control over the living, Natural Dominion for making animals do your bidding, and effortlessly shifting into smoke with Tenebrous Form.
Murder, sex, betrayal... even friendship. Everything a modern monster could want.
MEET THE TEAM
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Nighthawks is written and designed by **Richard Cobbett** _(Sunless Sea/Sunless Skies)_ with art by **Ben Chandler** _(Old Skies, Unavowed)_, music by **Thomas Regin** _(Unavowed)_, and **Dave Gilbert** _(Wadjet Eye Games)_ as Producer. It was made possible with the generous support of 3,934 Kickstarter backers, and many others who have contributed their faith and assistance. All rats were generously provided by their Empress and paid in delicious berries.

Release date: Sep 22, 2026

Categories: Visual Novel, Choice-based Narrative, Vampire Protagonist Theme, RPG, Interactive Fiction, Point-and-click Adventure, Vampiric Abilities, Companion-Driven Storytelling


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The only direct session-length report is a player saying they have been playing Nighthawks for the last couple of hours, so sessionLength is estimated at about 2 hours. The other quotes report partial progress or total time at review, including 4 hours, 7 hours in, and six hours of playtime, but none state a full game completion time, a story completion time, or time spent in an endgame. Therefore gameCompletion, storyCompletion, and endgame are null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Nighthawks opens with slower worldbuilding and setup, then becomes more enjoyable once players reach Act 2 or have spent a few hours with it.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: After a few hours
  - Time to anchor: 3h 0m
  - Friction: Opening is not fast-paced or strategic.; First act may feel like setup rather than payoff.; Pacing only gets going more in Act 2.; First hours are primarily worldbuilding.
  - Unlock drivers: Act 2 pacing improvement.; After a few hours, fewer downsides are reported.
  - Conditions: Enjoyment begins after a few hours.; Pacing improves in Act 2.; Expectations should not be for a fast-paced or strategic opening.; First-act play may not show the full experience yet.
- Player Archetypes:
  - Immersive Vampire Roleplayer (buy)
    - Motivation: To live out a vampire fantasy and make meaningful moral roleplay choices.
    - Playstyle: Narrative choice-driven roleplay, including moral restrictions such as never feeding on the unwilling.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: The Night Road; Coteries of New York
  - Build Optimizer Save-Scummer (no buy)
    - Motivation: To optimize character builds and prevent bad outcomes from ruining the run.
    - Playstyle: Trial-and-error character creation, frequent restarts, and save-scumming to control consequences.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Narrative-First Newcomer (buy)
    - Motivation: To experience a deep, text-heavy story and discover branching narrative.
    - Playstyle: Reading dialogue and exploring the early game at a narrative pace, with replay in mind.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - 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:
- Superb writing quality (weight 0.5): Feedback frequently describes the writing as amazing, well-written, wonderful, or great. This includes both overall writing and specific praise for excellent writing.
- Excellent character design praised (weight 0.47): Players consistently highlight the characters as interesting, memorable, varied, and deep. This is a core strength frequently mentioned across reviews.
- Outstanding voice acting (weight 0.42): Many reviewers commend the voice acting as excellent, good, or top-notch. It significantly enhances the overall experience.
- Immersive atmosphere (weight 0.32): The atmosphere is described as enjoyable, spot on, great, and oozing with a wonderful sense. It strongly contributes to player immersion.
- Overall game highly enjoyable (weight 0.27): General positive sentiments emphasize that the game is really good, awesome, and the whole package. It is widely regarded as a solid, fun experience.
- Fun and plentiful choices (weight 0.26): Players enjoy the choices, noting they are fun and plentiful. Many decisions lead to different outcomes, adding replay value.
- Gorgeous art style (weight 0.22): Reviewers frequently praise the art as nice, fantastic, and gorgeous. The visual presentation is a notable highlight.
- Intriguing story with twists (weight 0.16): The story is deeply interesting with twists and turns. Reviewers appreciate the engaging narrative.
- Addictive vampire RPG (weight 0.16): Described as an awesome RPG vampire that is very fun and addictive. The vampire theme and RPG mechanics are well-received.
- Rich worldbuilding (weight 0.15): Worldbuilding is highlighted as rich and fantastic. It adds depth and immersion to the game.
- Branching paths add depth (weight 0.15): Various branches and branching paths are noted. They provide replayability and meaningful choice.
- Good music (weight 0.15): Music is mentioned positively, described as good. It complements the game’s atmosphere and overall experience.
- Solid story (weight 0.15): The story is considered reasonably solid and pretty good. It meets expectations but may not be exceptional for all players.
- Generally nice little game (weight 0.14): Some reviewers call it a nice little game or cool game. This reflects a positive but less specific impression.

Common complaints:
- Mechanics feel awkward and gamified (weight 0.3): Combat and skill checks are described as silly or frustrating, with rules that seem illogical. Players note awkward requirements like needing high combat skill for a cheap knife, leading to save-scumming or blundering.
- Lack of meaningful choice (weight 0.24): Players report few real choices in certain situations, with forced actions or dialogue that doesn't make sense. Character creation also lacks clear starting stat choices, requiring trial and error.
- Unbalanced powers and skills (weight 0.2): Powers like Corpsetalking are worthless while Tenebrous Form and Beast Within are much more useful, often allowing skipping combat checks. Detective and persuasion skills can replace Mesmerism, making it inferior.
- Navigation and direction unclear (weight 0.2): The game doesn't hold your hand and can leave you going in circles trying to find the next move. Sometimes the reviewer gets a little lost working out where to go or what to do next.
- Writing and world feel empty (weight 0.18): The writing doesn't hold up for a visual novel, and everything feels empty and bland. The 'vampires are now public knowledge' concept is disliked as difficult to execute well.
- Voice acting accents break immersion (weight 0.18): Some voice actor accents aren't the best, namely Agnes and Saoirse, and can break immersion for a listener familiar with Dublin accents. Saoirse's lines have to be skipped and read instead.
- Consequences feel inconsistent or absent (weight 0.14): Some failed checks have no consequence while others close off progress or cause a full game over. Quests don't care about consequences, such as lying about stopping thieves with no lasting effect.
- Forced combat encounters (weight 0.14): A scene forces fighting children with no option to talk or outrun them without a specific power. Combat skills are necessary, but combat rules are frustrating and silly.
- Protagonist lacks emotional connection (weight 0.14): The protagonist is genderless with a name no one uses and few details to emotionally connect to. Character arcs seem triggered by RNG, making them feel random.
- Companions are opaque and unengaging (weight 0.08): Companions add opaque statblock that might affect RNG but don't chime in or connect. They feel like passive stat modifiers rather than characters.
- Powers do not unlock unique paths (weight 0.08): Special powers don't open new avenues unique to the player. They are mostly used for combat checks or are overshadowed by regular skills.
- UI elements cannot be clicked (weight 0.08): Some minor UI elements cannot be clicked due to no cursor. This can cause minor frustration during interaction.
- Blood need has little impact (weight 0.08): The need for blood had little impact, as non-hunting sources kept the desire to hunt bottomed out. This mechanic feels underutilized.
- Roleplay fantasy overridden by Sire choice (weight 0.08): Choice of Sire overrides the roleplay fantasy for pre-vampiric life skills. Players feel their character's background is dictated rather than chosen.
- Uncertain replayability and endings (weight 0.08): Unsure how many endings or replayability there is. Players are left wondering about the game's longevity.
- Can't seek out specific people (weight 0.08): Can't seek out a person; they snub you. This limits player agency in social interactions.
- Requires willingness to read a lot (weight 0.08): The game requires a willingness to read a lot. This may be a barrier for players expecting more interactive elements.
- Dumb joke about Irish name (weight 0.07): A joke about pronouncing an Irish character's name is dumb and could be seen as English snobbery. It detracts from the experience for some players.
- Minor problems in a few areas (weight 0.07): A few little problems in a few areas. These are not major but contribute to overall polish issues.

Gameplay feedback:
- Play as a vampire (weight 0.97): The game is set in a vampire world where players take on the role of a vampire. This includes dealing with vampiric urges and navigating a society that knows vampires exist.
- Player choices shape the narrative (weight 0.87): Decisions made by the player significantly influence how the story unfolds, leading to different outcomes and branching paths. This choice-driven design is a core pillar of the experience.
- Companions with personal storylines (weight 0.62): Players can recruit companions who have their own character arcs and storylines. Companions can assist in the main story and provide various benefits.
- Text-based interactive fiction (weight 0.58): The game is primarily text-based, with a lot of reading and a format similar to interactive fiction or gamebooks. It features a streamlined text adventure style with images to support the narrative.
- Visual novel with RPG elements (weight 0.52): The game is primarily a visual novel that incorporates heavy RPG mechanics such as skill checks and character progression. Players describe it as a hybrid of interactive fiction and traditional RPG systems.
- Replayability through branching choices (weight 0.44): The game encourages replaying with different characters and choices, leading to multiple routes and outcomes. There are many branching paths and consequences.
- Side quests and city exploration (weight 0.4): The game features side quests and allows players to explore the city. This adds depth and additional content beyond the main narrative.
- Skill checks and dice rolls (weight 0.4): The game uses skill checks and dice rolls to determine outcomes, sometimes with obfuscated mechanics. Failures can lead to setbacks or even game over.
- Character creation with backgrounds (weight 0.37): Players create their character by choosing a gender, background, blood heritage, sire, and special abilities. These choices affect gameplay and story options.
- Blood as resource and sustenance (weight 0.34): Blood is used as a resource and a need, with mechanics for hunting and alternative sources like soup kitchens. There is an achievement for never feeding on the unwilling.
- Dark narrative with horror elements (weight 0.3): The story includes intrigue, suspense, and horror elements, set in a noir vampire world. It explores themes of bestial urges and prejudice.
- Difficulty curve and challenge (weight 0.29): The game is harder at the beginning and becomes easier as players understand its systems. Combat checks can be a major roadblock, but the game is challenging in its own way.
- Vampiric powers and abilities (weight 0.2): Players have access to various vampiric powers such as Corpsetalking, Tenebrous Form, and Mesmerism. These powers can provide insight and affect gameplay.
- Manage a nightclub hub (weight 0.2): Players can run and upgrade a nightclub, which serves as a refuge and hub. The nightclub can enhance playstyle with advantages.
- Point-and-click adventure style (weight 0.2): The game uses point-and-click interaction similar to adventure games, but with a unique twist. It casts a point-and-click adventure-style interaction.
- Dialogue options as vibes (weight 0.18): Dialogue options are not full sentences but rather general vibes, such as 'introduce yourself politely' versus 'tell him to go f*** himself'. This style affects the tone of interactions.
- Night-based progression and time management (weight 0.14): The game progresses through nights, with a limited amount of time each night to accomplish tasks. This adds a layer of strategy to the narrative.
- Structured in acts (weight 0.14): The story is divided into acts, with significant NPCs encountered in Act 2. This structure provides a clear narrative progression.
- Gender-neutral protagonist (weight 0.14): The protagonist is treated gender-neutrally, allowing players to project themselves onto the character. Personal backstory details are left for the player to fill in.
- Fully voice narrated (weight 0.08): The entire game is voice narrated, adding to the immersive experience. This is a notable feature for a text-heavy game.

Performance notes:
No performancepoints

Recommendations:
- Great for visual novel readers (weight 0.43): The game is frequently recommended for visual novel enthusiasts and players who enjoy text-heavy experiences with voice acting. Those who love reading and interactive stories will find it appealing.
- Recommended for vampire fans (weight 0.38): Many reviews recommend Nighthawks to players who enjoy vampire-themed games and the Vampire: The Masquerade setting. This includes fans of the tabletop RPG and related video games.
- Great value and fun (weight 0.32): Many players find the game an incredible bargain, worth more than its price, and describe it as a great game that is fun to play. Some are glad they bought it on day one.
- Priced too high for content (weight 0.16): Several reviewers struggle to recommend the game at full price, feeling it doesn't offer enough value in its current state. Some suggest waiting for a sale or that better options exist in the genre for the money.
- Recommended for story and atmosphere (weight 0.16): The game is praised for its great story, atmospheric horror, and characters that players care about. It is recommended for those seeking a captivating narrative to sink into.
- Overpromises as a CRPG (weight 0.16): Critics say the game fails as a good CRPG example and that it overpromises and underdelivers as an RPG experience. It is not a bad game overall but does not meet expectations for the genre.
- Absorbing RPG adventure (weight 0.16): Reviewers call it immensely absorbing and the best RPG-adventure in a long while. One even rates it above Disco Elysium for its humor, interface, and less lengthy texts.
- Mixed recommendations from some (weight 0.14): Some reviews simply recommend the game, while others do not recommend it for now due to various concerns. This indicates a split in player satisfaction.
- Appeals to point-and-click fans (weight 0.09): Fans of point-and-click adventure games and noir fiction like Dashiell Hammett may enjoy the game's charming characters and setting. It is also recommended for those who like charming grifters and street urchins.
- GOTY candidate for 2026 (weight 0.08): One reviewer considers it a candidate for game of the year 2026. This reflects high praise from at least one player.

Other player notes:
- Vampire Masquerade IP influence (weight 0.47): Many reviewers highlight that the game is a Vampire: The Masquerade game or draws heavy inspiration from the franchise, capturing its charm and formula with a unique twist. It is often compared to other Vampire: The Masquerade titles like Bloodlines, Night Road, and Coteries of New York.
- Wadjet Eye publisher trust (weight 0.33): Reviewers bought the game because they trust Wadjet Eye as a publisher, citing their previous point-and-click adventure games and a positive track record. Some prefer their traditional output but appreciate the new genre attempt.
- Kickstarter-funded with demo history (weight 0.3): The game was funded via Kickstarter, with backers and beta testers following its progress over years, including a switch from Unity to Godot engine. A demo version was available during development.
- Lengthy development realises creators vision (weight 0.21): The game underwent a lengthy development period, which allowed it to realize its creators' vision without compromise. Reviewers who followed from early demos to release note the effort and determination put into the final product.
- High-quality voice acting and art (weight 0.21): The game features a very high level of voice acting compared to the average indie title, with many talented actors contributing. The art by Ben Chandler is also highlighted as a strong point.
- Rich interactive vampire fiction (weight 0.2): Reviewers describe the game as a good interactive vampire fiction, carrying the term 'interactive fiction' further than thought plausible, and being more than just that. It is praised for its rich narrative.
- Similar to Vampire Bloodlines (weight 0.2): Reviewers note that the game reminds them a lot of Bloodlines, with similar vibes but in an interactive fiction format. It is considered miles better than Bloodlines 2 by some.
- Comparisons to Disco Elysium and others (weight 0.2): The game is compared to Disco Elysium, Shadowrun Returns, and a series of detective games, indicating its narrative depth and RPG mechanics. These comparisons highlight its appeal to fans of those titles.
- Written by Richard Cobbett (weight 0.14): The game is written by Richard Cobbett, a single writer, which is noted as a notable feature. This contributes to the game's unique narrative voice.
- Priced well for value (weight 0.14): For its price, reviewers rate the game highly, giving it a 9/10. It is sold at the same price point as Slay the Princess or Schrödinger's Call at release, offering good value.
- Over 800,000 words long (weight 0.09): The game is a visual novel with over 800,000 words, indicating a massive amount of content. This length is notable for an indie title.
- Developed by The Curiosity Engine (weight 0.08): The game was developed by The Curiosity Engine, a studio that tried a new genre compared to Wadjet Eye's previous point-and-click games. The developer was active online and engaged with backers.
- Mature content but not explicit (weight 0.08): The game contains adult language, swearing, and allusions to adult content but nothing directly explicit. This is noted as a mature but not overly graphic experience.
- No generative AI used (weight 0.08): The game was made without the use of generative AI, which is a positive point for some reviewers. This aligns with ethical development practices.
- Compared to other vampire games (weight 0.08): The game is compared favorably to other vampire games, possibly being the best besides The Book of Hungry Names in recent years. It stands out in the genre.
- Genre limits audience appeal (weight 0.08): The visual novel genre limits the game's audience appeal, according to some reviewers. This is a consideration for potential players who may not enjoy the genre.
- Completable in single night (weight 0.08): The game can be completed in a single night, making it a relatively short experience. This is noted as a factor for players looking for a concise narrative.
- No narrator voice acting DLC (weight 0.08): Currently, there is no narrator voice acting DLC available. Some players may desire additional voice content.
- Full review on external site (weight 0.06): One reviewer noted that the full review is available on an external website. This indicates that some detailed feedback is hosted elsewhere.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.1): Players enjoy the fun choices, excellent voice acting, and living vampire world. The fantastic writing, impactful choices, and great acting create an immersive atmosphere. The good art, interesting story, and depth also contribute to the enjoyment.
- Appreciation (weight 0.09): Appreciation stems from the game's atmosphere and well-written content with funny jokes and excellent voice acting. The high-level voice acting and care given to each character's background are also highlights. The journey-focused experience, story, characters, and art style are praised.
- Love (weight 0.09): Love for the game is driven by the juicy writing, satisfying characters, and atmosphere. Roleplaying the vampire life, along with the writing, artwork, and atmosphere, is highly valued. The voice work, choices, art, music, and characters also contribute.
- Frustration (weight 0.07): Frustration arises from a lack of agency in dialogue and combat, and unclear character creation choices that require trial and error. Combat rules are often extremely frustrating and silly, and being forced to fight children with no alternative adds to the frustration. Awkward gamification and RNG-triggered character arcs also contribute.
- Fun (weight 0.06): Fun is derived from replayability and the choices, roleplaying, great lore, and sidequests. Skulking around as a vampire and reaching the 'What They Do In The Shadows' mission are particularly enjoyable. Playing the vampire RPG is inherently fun.
- Disappointment (weight 0.04): Disappointment is caused by little real choice and forced nonsensical actions. The roleplay fantasy clashing with stats, such as a former thief having Thief stat of 0, and powers being massively unbalanced, making some worthless, are key issues. The writing not delivering at the level of a good visual novel also disappoints.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.04): Enthusiasm comes from the deep narrative and replayability. The game being really good from the first minute, with its art and voice narration, adds to the enthusiasm. Looking forward to seeing how the story develops and finding a new favourite vampire game also drive this emotion.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Satisfaction is found in the Vampire the Masquerade charm the player was looking for. The player agency over companions and the city, along with the great story, writing, voice acting, and music, provide satisfaction. Good UI that works mostly with a controller also contributes.
- Engagement (weight 0.02): Engagement is reported by players reaching Act 2 and feeling pulled in by Nighthawks.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance is caused by a cheap knife requiring impossibly high combat skill to equip, and a dumb joke about pronouncing an Irish character's name.
- Gladness (weight 0.02): Gladness comes from deciding to give the game a chance and finding it amazing, as well as buying on day 1 and finding richness in the game.
- Happiness (weight 0.02): Happiness is experienced when the game fills what the reviewer was looking for in a living, explorable vampire RPG setting. The finished game meeting expectations also brings happiness.
- Delight (weight 0.02): Delight is caused by the witty and self-aware writing, and the macabre sense of humor.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Excitement is generated by the use of blood as a resource and the response from factions. The game feeling like a more interactive VTMB visual novel RPG also excites players.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Anticipation is driven by looking forward to the twists and turns the game will take, and looking forward to playing more.
- Pleasant surprise (weight 0.02): Pleasant surprise results from the game being better than expected after following the creator's updates over the years. Continuing a streak of detective games with Nighthawks also pleasantly surprises.
- Hesitation (weight 0.01): Hesitation is caused by uncertainty about whether a character choice was incorrect.
- Fear (weight 0.01): Fear is experienced due to the possibility of not surviving the next encounter with an NPC who wants to hurt the character.
- Adoration (weight 0.01): Adoration stems from overall enjoyment of the game.
- Affection (weight 0.01): Affection is caused by the different characters and their quirks.}