# Highlands, Deep Waters

> Interactive Lovecraftian Novel

Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/id1288269331](https://chrome-stats.com/d/id1288269331)

## Overview

- **ID:** `id1288269331`
- **Platform:** Apple
- **Type:** Apple app
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** Hosted Games LLC
- **Category:** Roleplaying
- **Rating:** 4.60 / 5 (28 ratings)
- **Version:** 1.0.8
- **Last updated:** 2026-01-08
- **First published:** 2017-09-28
- **Size:** 39 MB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-22
- **Store listing:** [Apple App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/highlands-deep-waters/id1288269331)
- **Website:** [https://hostedgames.org/](https://hostedgames.org/)
- **Privacy policy:** [https://www.choiceofgames.com/privacy-policy](https://www.choiceofgames.com/privacy-policy)

## Description

While investigating a murder in a small Scottish town, you’ll find yourself embroiled in a world of secrets, cultists, and abyssal horror. What are you willing to do to solve the case? And what will you do when you don’t like the answer?

"Highlands, Deep Waters" is a 340,000 word interactive horror novel by Fernando B Neves and Lucas Zaper, where your choices control the story. It's entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

• Play as an insightful Detective, a resourceful Criminal or a mysterious Scholar.
• Gather and interpret clues with the Deduction system. Will you solve the case?
• Face the hidden truths that derange your mind with the Sanity system.
• A carefully crafted town including hand-drawn maps, unique history and peculiar inhabitants.
• Play as a male, female, gay or straight. The Abyssal Ones treat everyone just the same.

## Rankings

- #218,374 — Overall

## Review summary

Highlands, Deep Waters is praised for its lush, unsettling prose and a Lovecraftian atmosphere paired with a detective-driven narrative where player choices shape the outcome. Reviewers highlight strong writing, thematic depth, and solid replay value with multiple endings. However, several critics point to design frustrations: frequent deaths at fixed points, lack of save points demanding repeat playthroughs, and sometimes frustrating deduction mechanics or linear stretches that reduce agency. Overall, it’s a standout narrative horror experience with substantial content and lasting impact for fans of atmospheric mystery and interactive fiction.

### Pros

- Beautiful, haunting prose and atmospheric writing.
- Lovecraftian horror vibe with hard-boiled noir influences.
- Investigation-driven, choice-based gameplay where decisions matter and shape outcomes.
- Substantial replay value with multiple endings and narrative variations.
- Lengthy, content-rich experience with many hours of play.

### Cons

- Frequent deaths at the same spots; difficult without reliable checkpoints.
- No save points or easy saving mechanism; requires full replays.
- Deduction/puzzle sections can be frustrating.
- Some portions feel linear and some early choices have limited impact on outcomes.
- Getting all endings can be tedious and time-consuming.

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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/id1288269331)