Kholat

Inspired by the Dyatlov Pass incident, Kholat sends you into a remote, snow-covered stretch of the Ural Mountains to investigate what happened to a group of hikers. Sean Bean narrates the journey as you travel through an isolated wilderness.

Explore a non-linear map using a compass and landmarks to find points of interest, camps, and scattered notes and documents. The records reveal fragments of the story and background lore, which you piece together as you explore.

There is little emphasis on combat: supernatural threats can force you to flee, while limited sprinting makes travel and escape more demanding. Discoveries and checkpoints structure your progress through the mountain, with optional collectibles to seek out along the way.

Players who enjoy Kholat often point to its lonely, snowbound atmosphere, sound and music, and the unsettling mystery surrounding the Dyatlov Pass incident. Some also appreciate gathering scattered records and finding their own way across the mountain. Other reviewers find that same open-ended navigation frustrating, and frequently criticize the slow, repetitive travel and fragmented story; reactions to the horror encounters vary.