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What is HROT?
Developed and published by Spytihněv, HROT is a PC first-person shooter released on Steam on May 16, 2023. Its setting is a small socialist country neighboring the Soviet Union—identified as Czechoslovakia—after an unspecified disaster in 1986. The premise gives the game a Central European backdrop rather than the more familiar settings of many retro shooters.
PC Gamer reviewer Ted Litchfield describes it as a Quake- and Dusk-inspired shooter, with levels inspired by or directly corresponding to real places in and around Prague. That combination of recognizable locations and alternate-history atmosphere is central to what distinguishes it.
What do reviews praise?
Imaginative level design and atmosphere
PC Gamer highlights the levels as a key pleasure, and Metacritic’s critic-review excerpts also include praise for level design and atmosphere. For players choosing a retro FPS partly for its sense of place and exploration, those are the most consistently supported strengths in the available reviews.
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Unusual humor
Litchfield writes that the game is “absolutely stuffed with little gags.” He praises the humor overall, though his May 22, 2023 review says the final boss joke did not land for him after a run of jokes that had. That is one reviewer’s reaction, not a consensus about how players will respond to the ending.
What reservations do reviews raise?
Metacritic’s displayed critic excerpts include criticism of unevenness and the later level packs, alongside their praise for the game’s atmosphere and design. This suggests a qualification to the otherwise positive critical picture: the experience may not hold at the same level across its full run. The excerpts do not establish a specific consensus about combat or difficulty, so those are best judged through the available demo rather than inferred from the aggregate scores.
Rank #2
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How positive are the reviews?
| Source | Rating | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Steam | 96% positive from 3,784 English-language reviews; 5,312 reviews across all languages | Steam user reviews; snapshot accessed October 8, 2026. Steam also displayed a “Very Positive” recent rating from 27 reviews at that snapshot. |
| Metacritic | 86 Metascore, labeled “Generally Favorable” | Critic score based on six reviews in Metacritic’s summary, snapshot accessed October 8, 2026. |
These figures describe different review populations: Steam’s ratings come from users, while Metacritic’s Metascore aggregates critic reviews. Counts and scores can change. See HROT on Steam and HROT on Metacritic for current listings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is HROT worth playing?
HROT is a promising fit if you want a retro FPS with a specific Central European identity, imaginative environments, and deliberately odd humor. The critical evidence is strongest on those qualities. If consistent quality across every episode is especially important to you, take the reported unevenness and reservations about later level packs into account; the available review excerpts do not justify a broader verdict on combat or difficulty.
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Rank #3
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What to know before trying it
- Steam lists the game as single-player and offers a demo, adjustable difficulty, save-anytime support, and full controller support.
- Steam lists English and Czech for the interface, full audio, and subtitles.
- Steam’s page lists 55 achievements and includes a mature-content description from the developer.
- Price and availability can change; check the Steam listing for current details.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
