No Right Decisions: Scarlet Hollow Episode 5 Arrives as Series Hits Major Sales Milestone
Welcome home to the Holler try not to mind the screaming.
The masters of modern indie horror, Black Tabby Games, have officially released Episode 5 of Scarlet Hollow, and it is every bit the narrative behemoth we were promised. For a studio that has built its reputation on making players feel the crushing weight of their own choices, this latest update is a victory lap through a graveyard of consequences.
This release comes at a historic moment for the Toronto-based duo, who recently announced that their surreal hit Slay the Princess has surpassed one million units sold, while the episodic Scarlet Hollow has officially crossed the 100,000 unit mark.
A Narrative Juggernaut: 930,000 Words and Counting
If you’ve ever felt like "choices matter" is just marketing speak in modern gaming, Scarlet Hollow is the antidote. The game is a sprawling, hand-drawn gothic horror where the script has ballooned to a staggering 930,000 words.
To put that in perspective:
- The 1/5th Rule: Because the branching is so dense, you will likely see less than 20% of the game on a single playthrough.
- True Agency: Every trait you pick—from Talk to Animals to Keen Eye—fundamentally changes not just the dialogue, but which characters live and which die.
- No Safety Net: As the developers famously put it: "If Slay the Princess has no wrong decisions, Scarlet Hollow has no right ones."
The Emotional Toll of Episode 5
Episode 5 picks up exactly where the mounting dread of the previous chapters left off. Your aunt is dead, your cousin Tabitha is at her breaking point, and the supernatural rot beneath the town is finally bubbling to the surface.
This isn't just a game about spooky monsters in the woods; it’s a game about the trauma of family, the decay of rural towns, and the impossible math of deciding who is "worth" saving when you can't save everyone. Episode 5 brings some of the most high-stakes confrontations yet, testing the relationships you’ve spent years (and many hours of gameplay) building.
A Slaying Success for Indie Horror
The success of Slay the Princess has clearly allowed Black Tabby Games the freedom to stay true to their uncompromising vision for Scarlet Hollow. Reaching 100,000 sales for an episodic indie horror game is a massive feat, proving that there is a hungry audience for "ugly" choices and deep, literary storytelling in the genre.
Whether you're a newcomer or a longtime resident of the Holler, Episode 5 is a reminder that in this town, the only thing more dangerous than the monsters is your own conscience.