From Comic to Screen: I Hate This Place Demo Delivers on Style, Scares, and Substance

Alright, you heard it here first: I Hate This Place is actually fucking good. When a dev pitches a game based on a comic book with "80s horror vibe" and "dark humor," I usually brace for impact. That's a lot of promises to keep. But after getting my hands on the demo at Gamescom, I'm a believer. It’s a stylish, isometric survival horror game set to drop on November 7th, 2025. That's right, mark your calendars. The apocalypse is coming, and it looks surprisingly polished.

Art, Attitude, and a Lack of Bugs

This game knows exactly what it is. The art is a vibrant, stylized homage to old-school comics and '80s horror, dripping with a very specific kind of atmospheric dread. It never once felt like a cheap gimmick. Instead, it felt like a deliberate and confident design choice that permeates every screen. And get this: not a single bug. I played through the entire demo without a hiccup. That alone should have half the developers out there taking notes. There were no clipping issues, no strange physics, just a smooth, creepy experience that felt complete. It’s the kind of polish you pray for, and seldom get.

My Only Complaint Is That I’m Too Good

I've been playing games long enough to know that leaving no stone unturned is a good way to stay alive. I combed through every single room in the demo like a forensic investigator looking for a lost sandwich. My thoroughness meant the game felt a little too easy at times, but that's a small complaint and likely a consequence of my neurotic play style more than anything else. Still, I hope the full version cranks up the heat. I want to be punished for every mistake, forced to make hard decisions about whether a piece of scrap metal is worth risking my life for. It's a fine line to walk, but I think these guys can do it.

The Best Part? It's Almost Here

The most important takeaway from my time with the demo wasn't the art or the gameplay, but the big, bold confirmation that the full game is coming out on November 7th. That's a huge deal. It’s not some vague "Q2 2026" or an endless Early Access loop. This thing is real, and it’s right around the corner. If the rest of the game holds up as well as the demo, we’re all in for a treat. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to start mentally preparing for my inevitable, gruesome demise.