Heartworm Review

The retro-inspired survival horror renaissance is in full swing now, and a new contender has entered the ring. Heartworm, developed by solo developer Vincent Adinolfi, has made a strong bid to be the most faithful recent title in both mechanics and vibes to the early Playstation era of horror. Millennials, get ready to sink into that feeling of sitting on the floor of the living room at your best friend’s house, lights off, tv flickering, with an endless supply of Totino’s Pizza Rolls and Pepsi Code Blue. This game takes the combat-camera mechanics of Fatal Frame, pairs them with gameplay and level design that’s the spitting image of Resident Evil, and layers it all with the hauntingly uneasy vibes of Silent Hill. 

The game opens with a cut scene featuring a hauntingly voice acted monologue from our main character, Sam. She prepares to depart for a journey from which she might not return, in search of answers to her unsettling questions about life, death, and what lies in between them. I have to take a moment to applaud M, the voice actor who plays Sam. They really understood the assignment when it came to delivering on the dreamy yet stoic timbre that is characteristic of Silent Hill 2, in particular. When Sam arrives at her destination, a worn down farm house in a remote area, fleeting apparitions and an uneasy atmosphere indicate that there’s something sinister beneath the surface of this quest.

Heartworm in Action

Early on, right as we embark on our mission with Sam, the game pauses to offer a quick tutorial moment. This scene doubles as a level set with the player, allowing us to choose between more modern or retro gameplay experiences. The player’s choices dictate the control scheme for Sam’s movement and her aiming and shooting. I always appreciate the flexibility to pick my path in a retro-inspired game like this. It’s no secret that I’m not a hardcore retro player. While I love to soak in the nostalgic vibes, I also really appreciate the quality of life improvements that have been made to gaming standards in the past 20 years. So, as you can guess, I stayed away from the tank controls and opted for first person aiming.

The anatomy of a retro survival horror experience

Even with modern controls, there was no shortage of nostalgia as I proceeded through the first chapter. The level design, menu UI and area map all looked as if they were plucked directly from a Resident Evil game, down to the iconic door-opening animation that plays as you traverse from room to room. I do love to geek out about a well designed map. There’s something just so satisfying about seeing at a glance which doors have been unlocked, which rooms have been fully explored, and which areas still contain unsolved mysteries. Heartworm succeeds at taking some of the best elements from these various iconic survival-horror franchises and cohesively stitching them together into a single, solid experience.

That said, I did run into some significant friction at times while playing, mostly due to my early decision to stick to the modern control scheme options. Although I felt more comfortable overall with the updated movement controls, they didn’t always play nicely with the fixed camera angles that frame and bind every moment of Sam’s journey. If anything, this game taught me the value of tank controls, when moving from one side of a room to another involves a 180° flip of the camera. Suddenly forward is backward and backward is forward on my joystick, and several times I found myself running in circles, caught in a loop of shifting static cameras.

Playing all the greatest hits

Cameras aside (we all know they’re the real villain in every game), Heartworm once again plays all the hits of the retro survival-horror genre. If you’re looking for puzzles, you won’t have to look very hard to find them, although you may have to look quite hard to solve some of them. At times, the biggest challenge once I found a key was to remember where the lock was and how to reach it in the maze-like area maps. And yes, there is a piano puzzle and yes, it did fill me with glee because I’m a sucker for a survival-horror piano puzzle.

Heartworm succeeds at taking some of the best elements from these various iconic survival-horror franchises and cohesively stitching them together into a single, solid experience.

In terms of enemies, it’s another top ten list of horror game baddies. You’ve got wolves, statues, spiders, a shadowy cloaked figure. This game brings out all the staples that fans of the retro titles that inspired the game will immediately recognize. A couple of challenges did feel fresh and different, like the office cubicle level that will have you dodging toner cartridges AND evil mannequins. But largely, you’ll find exactly what you expect to find in Heartworm. I think how players will react to this really depends on what you’re looking for: the players in search of nostalgia and the familiar features of survival horror will welcome all these elements, while those looking for something fresh and innovative will be hard pressed to find what they’re seeking in this game.

A new story, sung in a familiar tune

While Heartworm maintained a high level of fidelity to the gameplay and atmosphere of these late-90s classics, personally I fear that it lost its own voice in its efforts to live up to the tradition of these titles. Especially because the voice acting felt so reminiscent to me of the hazy, confused matter-of-factness of Silent Hill 2, I kept hoping to find a thread to tug that would pull me in emotionally. This desire kept me invested in seeking out the notes, diary entries, letters, etc. that stitch together Sam’s story. In form and tone these storytelling elements did a great job of emulating narrative moments you might find in Silent Hill: no single note or diary entry gives you the whole story, small vignettes illustrate the characters’ heartbreak and fears, and everything feels just a little foggy. 

Heartworm Trailer

Unfortunately, no matter how much I learned about Sam’s backstory, her family, or the reasons why she risked her life in search of answers, I never quite learned anything that helped me truly connect with her. From everything I gathered, she’s a typical young woman who had a difficult adolescence, and was grappling with loss and grief, mortality and her own future. Everything came together to form a well-engineered horror heroine’s backstory. Maybe because we never get to see her interact directly with another character, I never caught a glimpse of qualities that would make Sam interesting or compelling. I think I was hoping to discover something surprising or unexpected about her. That said, she does play the part very accurately of the first and final girl of this horror tale. 

All in all, Heartworm is a resounding celebration of the panoply of late-90s survival horror classics. It showcases the best qualities and experiences of each in a tight, well-polished package. But while it succeeds in shining a spotlight on the legacy of these titles, it loses itself a bit amid the references and nostalgia. I really wanted the story to hook me, to instill a sense of unease or heartbreak or dread. But, if anything, it felt like the narrative was too fearful to step outside the bounds laid out by the sources of its inspiration. I still found a lot to love and enjoy about Heartworm, and I think this will easily take the spot as one of 2025’s best indie horror titles.

Emily was provided with a review key of Heartworm by Evolve PR

About No Small Games

No Small Games is an indie game recap and review podcast brought to you by hosts Kate and Emily! They became friends while streaming on Twitch and bonded over their love of indie video games. In each episode of No Small Games, the two will discuss an indie game they both played independently. They’ll compare their experiences: the good, the bad, their most memorable moments of their playthroughs.

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