Halloween Horror 4: Nightmare on Reboot Street! – Map Labs #16

for Half-Life 2: Episode Two

6th November 2021

Back to the roots for the latest Map Labs challenge – just an old spooky map competition! This time there’s a lucky 13 entries to spook you, including some quite unique and creative ways to chill your spine! Enjoy!

As always, if you’re interested in learning more about Map Labs and maybe even participate in their upcoming challenges, visit the Map Labs Discord.

Basic Details
  • Title: Halloween Horror 4: Nightmare on Reboot Street!
  • Filename: sdk-2013-sp-mlc-halloweenhorror4.7z
  • Size : 592 MB
  • Author: Redzombie18, Paragon, Mark Allan AKA Officer_B, Sam Ricker AKA Startacker, beefbacon, Holo, Gravity Cat, SplendidDog, Caleb West AKA CW3D, Maxdragonn, Confused_Travolta, Hail Hazmat, Sitkinator
  • Date Released: 6 November 2021

Download Options

Download to your HD [592 MB]

Manual Installation Instructions
  • Make sure you have the Upcoming branch of the Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer installed in Steam and run at least once. (Properties – Betas – select upcoming from the dropdown list).
  • Copy the halloweenhorror4, mapbase_shared, mapbase_hl2, and mapbase_episodic folders into your SourceMods folder.
  • Restart or start Steam.
  • Halloween Horror 4: Nightmare on Reboot Street! should now be listed in your Library tab.

Reviewing

If you decide to use the Per-Map Opinion Images, feel free to use the file below as a template:

HalloweenHorror4-Review-Template.txt

Entries

Listed as they are displayed in the mod itself:

XLVI & II by Redzombie18 & Paragon
Cassilda’s Device by Mark Allan AKA Officer_B
Serenity by Sam Ricker AKA Startacker
What Remains by beefbacon (bonus map)
Disquiet Ember by Holo
Awakening by Gravity Cat
The Last Job by SplendidDog (bonus map)
HOME. by Caleb West AKA CW3D
DIVE182 by Maxdragonn
No Player Offline by Confused_Travolta
IT CAME FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE by SplendidDog
Dirac Seaport by Hail Hazmat
Als by Sitkinator (bonus map)

Screenshots

WARNING: The screenshots contain spoilers.
Each map has 5 screenshots.

1600 x 900

Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3 Single Player First Person Shooter Maps and Mods for Half-Life 1, 2 and Episodes 1, 2 and 3
Reader Recommendations
Avoid It!
Think Twice
Maybe
Play It Later
Play It Now!

9 recommendations, average score: 4.89 (out of 5), standard deviation: 0.1 (what's that?)
Total Downloads
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Meta Review Data
Statistics based on 8 comment(s) with meta review data.

Installed:
Using Gauge: Users
Manually: 8 Users

Time Taken:
Average: 2 Hours, 9 Mins
Shortest: 0 Hours, 16 Mins by minuster_gosling
Longest: 5 Hours by slidylizard
Total Time Played: 17 Hours, 11 Mins
If you believe this release is missing important tags, please suggest them in a comment?
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22 Comments

  1. Another classic Map Lab. What can i say. These guys will never keep you bored.

  2. Play It Later

    There are only 6 maps in this collection, but a couple of them are pretty good. Cassilda’s Device had a very interesting story line while Serenity had a suitably spooky atmosphere. I found XLVI II kind of slow and the room changing mechanism seemed awkward. Disquiet Ember had some interesting puzzles but having to deal with fast zombies attacking with you while you had no flashlight or weapon was kind of annoying. There wasn’t much to Awakening as it only offered about 3 minutes of exploring time. What Remains was not my kind of map so I skipped it, but other players might really like it. Overall Cassilda’s Device was my favorite and is definitely worth the download.

    1. Unq

      Hi canucksfan, there are 13 maps here! I think you didn’t scroll down when looking at the map thumbnails to start one, only 6 are shown at a time. Hope you get to play the others, there are some good ones in there!

      1. Thanks for pointing out the error!

  3. Should get around to playing this

  4. JamaicanDave

    How the hell was What Remains done???

    1. Unq

      VMFs are in the mapsrc folder!

  5. Well, I can’t say it was that spooky, a couple of the maps were visually pretty, one actually had a couple of enemies to fight but the one that made me smile was the last one, the bonus map…’a couple that lived there had ‘phoned and said odd things were happening’…they were right ! I’d lost the ability to jump and an invisible force field stopped me exploring…that IS pretty wierd.

  6. Wesp5

    A rather disappointing collection of maps. The most spooky atmosphere was in the title screen background sequence, that about sums it up ;)! “Dive182” and “What remains” were great for achieving things I had not yet seen done in Source, although the later clearly showed why such games are usually done in first person view…

    1. Yeah, I did like that too..come on, a bit of a sense of humour..

      1. I must say though, there are a few things in developement that look promising…I mostly go to the ‘other’ site now to see what’s happening, I do get the odd pleasant surprise but you do need to scroll through and take a chance.

  7. Play It Now!

    Overall a decent pack, I’m not generally a huge fan of horror maps but I managed to get through this one. Giving it the Play It Now rating pretty much purely for What Remains, with HOME. and DIVE182 runners up in my book.

    I feel like a recurring criticism of these maps (as you’ll see) is that they missed the mark on “horror”. Some of these would have been fantastic for other themes, but a zombie and a blood splatter does not a horror map make.

    I do like that most of the maps sent you in unarmed – it’s always easier to get spooked if you don’t have a shotgun 🙂 I’ll try to make the individual reviews as spoiler-free as possible, as for many of these it’s the suspense that makes or breaks them (as it should).

    XLVI & II by Redzombie18 & Paragon
    It is good

    Nice visuals and (as far as I know) a unique setting for the Source engine, and I appreciate the effort in scripting the exploration to gain progress/story. The conclusion is a bit lackluster, and I would have liked to get more of a gameplay element there.

    Cassilda’s Device by Mark Allan AKA Officer_B
    It is good

    I liked the gameplay aspect of this map, and appreciated being trusted as a player to figure out how to progress under pressure. The atmosphere lacked a bit, I thought – the overall effect is more “sci-fi weird” than “horror”.

    Serenity by Sam Ricker AKA Startacker
    It is good

    This map had (some) good visuals and I liked the layout – I always knew where I needed to go and where to watch out for the “enemy”. Some more work on the environment would have been beneficial – the biggest drawback IMO was that I often felt like I was in generic_hl2_town.bsp..

    What Remains by beefbacon (bonus map)
    It is WOW!

    Amazing. I don’t want to think about how much work would have gone into this map, but I’m glad it was put in, and I’m glad mappers refuse to understand that one day we’ll find the limits of the Source engine. This was a lot of fun to play, and I loved all of the little details that helped with the immersion, down to the sound of your character breathing through the gas mask.

    Disquiet Ember by Holo
    It is okay

    In a different Lab, I probably would have rated this map a lot higher. As it is, I think it misses the “horror” theme and it’s mostly just a puzzle map. A decent one, but even some work on the visuals/atmosphere probably would have helped creep the player out a bit more.

    Awakening by Gravity Cat
    It is okay

    A very short map. It was great at setting the scene and the environment, but there was no follow up.

    The Last Job by SplendidDog (bonus map)
    It is okay

    This also felt like it should have been one part of a larger map – it was (for me) too straightforward, cliche and visually uninteresting to be good. Maybe I just hate vents, who knows?

    HOME. by Caleb West AKA CW3D
    It is great!

    This map took me three attempts before I was brave enough to finish so consider me horrored – good job on nailing the theme!

    DIVE182 by Maxdragonn
    It is great!

    While not as dramatic as What Remains, this map offered enough of a “wow factor” to make it very interesting. Fun to play and with interesting visuals, the only drawback for me is that it wasn’t very “horror”.

    No Player Offline by Confused_Travolta
    It is bad

    I’m rating this poorly as I feel this takes an uncomfortable level of inspiration from No Players Online. Which is a shame, because I feel like the second half of the map. I really enjoyed exploring the backrooms-y portion of the map, and feel like it by itself could have been built into a great horror-themed map.

    IT CAME FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE by SplendidDog
    It is okay

    I enjoyed the visuals in what’s overall a quite straightforward and short map. The problem is that you could remove the horror aspects entirely and I would probably have enjoyed it just as much.

    Dirac Seaport by Hail Hazmat
    It is bad

    This was a map that to me also lacked “horror”. The end reveal was cool in itself, but wasn’t built up to or foreshadowed in any way (as far as I could tell), so there was no greater payoff.

    Als by Sitkinator (bonus map)
    It is okay

    The first half of this map was fine and looked like it was building up to something good, but felt disconnected with the second half, which didn’t feel “horror” to me. Also please refrain from putting gnomes in a map you don’t expect us to carry away.

  8. Personal Favourite
    It is WOW!
    It is WOW!
    It is great!
    It is WOW!

    This is mini review on “HOME.” map by CW3K. I’ve seen how many streamers and youtubers have played this map and they all ended it completely wrong! I recorded a video with the true ending:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vs7RfBfX-M

  9. Play It Now!
    It is great!

    I’m writing this review very late, but it’s better than not writing in guinea. It’s a pretty cool mod for this year’s halloween. I can say that I like the Mapla designs very much and I did not encounter any problems.

    If you’re going to download it, this might be the best horror mod you’ll ever download.TEXT HERE

  10. Play It Now!

    Well, I’ve played quite a few Halloween Horror maps over the years, but I think this compilation takes the cake in overall quality. In fact, some of these entries would probably make solid indie horror games in their own right, and I say this as someone who isn’t a particularly big fan of the horror genre.

    XLVI & II by Redzombie18 & Paragon
    It is WOW!

    I have to admit it’s a little disappointing how the monster is just a headless zombine. Nevertheless, the creators managed to make it look scary, even if all it does is just walk around, through effective sound design and in dialogue. I also like that all speech is subtitled.
    Oh, those wacky Nazis.

    Cassilda’s Device by Mark Allan AKA Officer_B
    It is good

    I agree with the previous full review – while the atmosphere is done rather well, there’s not much actual horror here, aside from the “battle”, which may or may not actually be optional. And even then it’s a little ridiculous considering it’s just a female citizen model.

    Serenity by Sam Ricker AKA Startacker
    It is great!

    To be honest, the only reason I’m rating this so high is because I’m a big fan of the atmosphere of isolation (and of the protagonist, who is suitably confused, much like I was while playing some of these maps, yet actually paying attention). Other than that, I have plenty of criticisms. First of all, there aren’t that many actual scares here, aside from the sniper suddenly showing up. Second, the ending is extremely dissatisfying and abrupt. Finally, the voice acting is just a little bit monotonous at times.

    What Remains by beefbacon (bonus map)

    What even is there to say? This is a masterpiece of Source engine coding, the monster is a custom model and actually terrifying, and it’s a pretty fun, if comparatively short, adventure game. Although there was a problem I had where the mouse cursor went flying off in a random direction each time I opened the inventory or went to a different location, it didn’t really make the experience worse for me.

    Disquiet Ember by Holo
    It is okay

    There’s not much horror here aside from being chased by a couple of zombies for a few seconds, the story doesn’t make any damn sense (Who the hell is Cole?????? What the hell is the darkness?????? Why does solving random mini-games for orbs get rid of it????) and I’m not a fan of the minimalistic art style.

    Awakening by Gravity Cat
    It is bad

    Absolutely no content to speak of besides a couple of spooky noises behind locked doors. I don’t think pretty textures should be the main focus when making a map for a horror competition.

    The Last Job by SplendidDog (bonus map)
    It is WOW!

    Very nice use of pixelated graphics and unnerving sounds, plus the monster looks pretty great. Wish there were a little more scares besides the chase at the end, like some early sightings of the entity.

    HOME. by Caleb West AKA CW3D

    Well, I was scared to death, and that’s what matters, right? The false kick-to-menu trick totally got me. And sure, it’s just a png of a face, but combined with the surreal setting it actually works. Wonder how many people realized there’s a real ending to this?

    DIVE182 by Maxdragonn
    It is WOW!

    I have thalassophobia, so this was very uncomfortable (in a good way) to play through. Was a bit disappointed by the ending, although that could be because Water Womb World raised my expectations a bit.

    No Player Offline by Confused_Travolta
    It is great!

    I wasn’t expecting any backrooms exploration, but it was surprisingly atmospheric. I’ve probably said this a lot already, but I wish there were more scares. Also, and this is probably the FIRST time I’ve said this, but it could stand to be a little shorter.

    IT CAME FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE by SplendidDog
    It is good

    To this day it still hasn’t been continued to my knowledge, and as it stands there’s not much horror to speak of. Though to be fair, what few scares there are are done well, and I see some potential in the premise.

    Dirac Seaport by Hail Hazmat
    It is okay

    Missing textures everywhere, a sleeping zombie that doesn’t wake up, the Combine soldiers (which came out of nowhere) shooting at the headcrabs which they are responsible for creating, one area that just leads to a black wall… Very poorly made. As for the positive – the premise could actually be interesting.

    Als by Sitkinator (bonus map)
    It is bad

    Complete non-sequitur of a map, and not even scary to boot. The alien appearance is frankly terrible, too.

    Summary

    And that’s it. Hope this little review helps any future players and/or the creators of the maps!

    1. Oops, messed up with the opinion images. “It’s bad” means it’s dire, “it’s okay” means it’s bad, “it’s good” means it’s okay, “It’s great” means it’s good, a blank spot means it’s wow.

  11. I am currently stuck on Serenity. I am at the part where he says, ” I really hope no-one is behind this door”, but I have no clue what to do next. I’ve probably searched each building at least 15 times for a key. Pls help! Thx.

  12. Play It Now!

    A very versatile and interesting set of Halloween maps after some years of midly bland and boring stuff.

    XLVI & II by Redzombie18 & Paragon

    It is okay

    It is a well story-driven WW2 map but this is mainly walking and activating stuff around, with no real horrible or stressful encounter.

    Cassilda’s Device by Mark Allan AKA Officer_B

    It is good

    This one is pretty cool, I liked the map’s house, the story, the mystery around Cassilda, and the reality bending stuff provided awkward moments but the invisible enemy was really annoying, in the end neither the shotgun (bonus found in the locket) nor the magnum were really helpful, the crowbar quickly did the job.
    However, this map could be reworked and become a really interesting short mod.

    Serenity by Sam Ricker AKA Startacker

    It is great!

    The 2nd best of the mappack, an impressive story-driven map in an old derelict town where you have to flee strange red lights, until you reach a lighthouse which may be helpful against the Eye of Sauron-like tower which is after you.

    What Remains by beefbacon (bonus map)

    It is good

    An interesting “point-and-click” style adventure but I quickly lost interest, I will try it again later.

    Disquiet Ember by Holo

    It is okay

    The last part is interesting but overall the maps are so bland and unicolored it broke some part of my brain…

    Awakening by Gravity Cat

    It is bad

    A short and unenventful map in an abandoned hospital, beside some noises… I guess the dev. didn’t have much time to work on it.

    The Last Job by SplendidDog (bonus map)

    It is good

    It’s good because it has this claustrophobic tone and the last part was really stressful, you can get a bad or a good ending if you are fast enough.

    HOME. by Caleb West AKA CW3D

    It is okay

    Interesting game mechanic with the lighter and the last part used scary visuals, overall short and limitated but still sweet.

    DIVE182 by Maxdragonn

    It is great!

    The best one of the mappack, an underwater and claustrophobic trip in a (well designed!) scuba, it is quite stressful and it plays – maybe too much – on the unseen, I thought it could have been better, to be in the depths on the unknown… But still, it’s really quite impressive!!

    No Player Offline by Confused_Travolta

    It is great!

    This one began rather weirdly with this capture the flag challenge but it quickly flew around that urban legend where you play online against a seemingly non-existent/unseen player, and then it went on a Stanley Parable-like part until an ending, which, once again, could have been even more scary and stressful, anyways it was an interesting story to follow.

    IT CAME FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE by SplendidDog

    It is okay

    Hard to review because the map was really beautiful but the story and events not really exciting.

    Dirac Seaport by Hail Hazmat

    It is bad

    A Ravenhom-like setting with headcrab zombies?? No more of this please -_-

    Als by Sitkinator (bonus map)

    It is okay

    I wish the “outer space” part could have been more stressful but it was interesting on its first part

  13. Personal Favourite

    The BEST halloween horror map collection and among the best map collections in general for this website, MUST PLAY!!!!

  14. Play It Now!
    XLVI & II by Redzombie18 & Paragon
    It is great!

    This being the first map I played today, I really enjoyed this one greatly. The sound design is top notch! I did get a bit lost when looking for the ingredients, but I blame Bethesda and their floating waypoint markers to guide me directly to the next quest item. My reason is, I think Bethesda has babied me too much. I got too used to just knowing exactly where the item is.

    Score Sheet

    Usage of space and world brushes: 8/10
    It’s quite amazing, but I feel as it could be slightly more refined and defined. I wasn’t really sure where they were doing the experiments, but overall, amazing brush work and world brush usage. Loved the layout.

    Visuals 8/10
    Me, being an investigator, I’d assume I’d have a flashlight. I think it’d make for a bit better visual overall. I loved the sound design, as well as the atmosphere. Great work to everyone involved! I loved the cutscenes.

    Gameplay: 7/10
    I assume I’m not Gordon, but some nameless identity that stumbled across this place, or a scientist/soldier that is returning to the scene of the crime. Like I said, I did get a bit lost looking for everything, but it’s not like I spent hours looking for 1/30 quest items that were scattered across a map the size of Fallout 76, but rather a few extra minutes slowly walking to the next one. Great idea to highlight the key item. Made my life that much easier. For some reason crouching was enabled, but not jumping. Not sure why. Very minor issue though. The reason I gave it a 70% was there wasn’t much gameplay. It was a walking simulator with extra steps, but the design made it much more interesting.

    Final Score: 23/30 – 76%

    Final Comments: Play it now. Almost a personal favorite. Needs more props and skeletons. I only saw the one, and I almost missed it. Took me about 12 minutes to complete it.

    Cassilda’s Device by Mark Allan AKA Officer_B
    It is okay

    This is a more abstract map, but I think it worked well.. If i knew the story of the book I read in game. I died a lot in this map. I’ll explain later.

    Score Sheet

    Usage of space and world brushes: 6/10
    I really didn’t care for the maze at the start. Who has a MAZE in their front yard. Also brush-based props are really dated for 2021. I’m sure CSS has some amazing antique props you could’ve used.

    Visuals 6/10
    Visuals are ok… Nothing too crazy, but really? So many brush-based props? The audio on the record player could’ve been a lot less ear-searing. I was not prepared for that.

    Gameplay: 4/10
    The “machine” was very confusing too. What was it supposed to be? Why did SHE build it? Why is there a ghost that instagibs me as soon as I look at it? I was playing on normal, but holy crap it took a lot of bullets to kill it. Maybe I just missed most of my shots? The ending was.. confusing. What did I do? Why was half the map just the same wooden texture. Who sits in a wooden chair that blocky?

    Final Score: 16/30 – 53%

    Final Comments: It’s ok. Could be easier to see/kill the ghost. Took me just about 16.5 minutes to complete it.

    Serenity by Sam Ricker AKA Startacker
    It is good

    This is a more abstract map, but I think it worked well.. If i knew the story of the village/town I explored. Why are lights banned? Why is everyone scared of lights? Is the whole area full of vampires allergic to artificial light? I would love to see this polished up and created into it’s own mod. There is so much potential here. Also the ending was very confusing. What did I do??

    Score Sheet

    Usage of space and world brushes: 6/10
    It’s so blocky and huge. I wish there was more detailing, but maybe the creator ran out of time? For my current map I still have 20 days and I really think that’s more than enough time to fully detail everything. Maybe this was a shorter time span?

    Visuals 6/10
    Visuals are ok… Nothing too crazy, but really? It’s so empty. You’d think that there would be at least some activity or some personal possessions that were just scattered around. There is one crow and a SPOILER: sniper. Only one visible npc, no ragdolls or anything. Didn’t anyone fight back? I know bones don’t decompose on concrete/wood that fast. The fastest way I can think of to detail is just throw trash everywhere. Someone left in a hurry? Trash the room. My room has wires and notes all over my floor and desk. If I was evacuated, it’d still be there long after I am gone.

    Gameplay: 4/10
    The giant church was the most confusing. I didn’t see the button to activate the generator even after searching for a few minutes around it. Easily could’ve been avoided with a few sprites or something. You, the creator, did use some outlines for props, why not the button? It was so close to being a pretty smooth gameplay. I only got lost there. The reason I rated so low is because it’s a slow walking simulator. Just walk, and duck in a few spots.

    Final Score: 16/30 – 53%

    Final Comments: It’s pretty good. I love maps with red lights. Reminds me of that one VHS Santa video game. I forgot what it’s called, but Markiplier played it. Took me about 13 minutes to complete it.

    What Remains by beefbacon (bonus map)
    It is WOW!

    Woah! This is incredible! I can’t believe I played a fully functional point and click video game in source! This is the most fun I’ve had playing HL2 since I first bought the game back in 2015. (Yes, I bought gmod a year before I bought HL2 and it’s episodes.

    Score Sheet

    Usage of space and world brushes: 10/10
    I don’t even want to know how long this took to compile. Damn impressive. AAA quality world space and details. Stunning work. There is so much detail here. I was impressed the entire way through playing it.

    Visuals 10/10
    The dark spots are definitely dark, and I wish I could see a bit more, but the atmosphere is amazing. The skeletons, the blood, the lighting, particles, all so impressive.,

    Gameplay: 10/10
    I understood the entire story from start to finish. I have no questions as everything was answered in my first play through. There are so minor bugs, but nothing like softlocks or game crashes. I didn’t get stuck in any place. There must’ve been hours of playtesting. Everything is so smooth.

    Final Score: 30/30 – 100%

    Final Comments: Personal Favorite. Play it now. Play it now!

    Disquiet Ember by Holo
    It is bad

    I’ve never been a fan of dev_textured source maps. It seems like this map was released in it’s alpha state.

    Score Sheet

    Usage of space and world brushes: 1/10
    Everything is boxy and low poly. Not sure if that’s the idea, but I didn’t care for it at all. I didn’t feel like I was anywhere but playtesting an alpha map. The puzzles were jarring to me. Sudden change of pace and atmosphere.

    Visuals 1/10
    I couldn’t see hardly anything without the flashlight. What were all those blocky black vines I was walking into? The immediate brightness of some of the puzzles was also pretty jarring. I was not expecting to get blinded by this very dark map.

    Gameplay: 1/10
    It’s another walking simulator. A total of two zombies were in the map. I don’t know who was talking to me or their story, so I didn’t feel too bad that they some how used all their “mana” to cure the player…. from their fall?

    Final Score: 3/30 – 10%

    Final Comments: Not the worst boxy map, but I only understood 30% of this entire map. Way too long for this kind of map. Took me nearly 13 minutes to complete it.

    Awakening by Gravity Cat
    It is good

    This would’ve been an amazing zombie FPS/rebel scramble, but it ended so quickly. I thought I missed something. The world space is beautifully done though.

    Score Sheet

    Usage of space and world brushes: 8/10
    I can tell a lot of detail and care was put into making this map. Just wish it was larger and had more room to explore.

    Visuals 8/10
    I’ve always loved the visuals of an abandoned hospital. Love the prop placement and the frantic scattering of gurneys everywhere.

    Gameplay: 2/10
    It’s a very very short walking simulator. I was not expecting that ending.

    Final Score: 18/30 – 60%

    Final Comments: Took me 2 minutes to complete it. There is so much potential here.

    The Last Job by SplendidDog (bonus map)
    It is good

    It’s really too bad that the footstep noises don’t play when crouching. It’d made the map a lot better in my opinion. Way too quiet.

    Score Sheet

    Usage of space and world brushes: 8/10
    I didn’t get to see a lot of the world because it was all located in a vent shaft. What I did see, I liked. I don’t like boxes, but I have to let this slide since it’s all just one vent shaft. I loved the main vent “hub” area. That was really well done.

    Visuals 8/10
    I love these textures. I don’t know how the creator did it, but it turned out great! The lighting is fantastic too!

    Gameplay: 5/10
    It’s a very slow walking simulator with extra shading and fancy textures.

    Final Score: 21/30 – 70%

    Final Comments: Don’t skip it if you have time! 5.5 minutes to complete.

    HOME. by Caleb West AKA CW3D
    It is dire!

    No.

    Score Sheet

    Usage of space and world brushes: 0/10
    It’s a very long maze of the same wooden texture.

    Visuals 0/10
    You can’t see a thing in front of you. No Jumpscares at all.

    Gameplay: 0/10
    It’s a very slow walking simulator. I wasn’t even scared. Nothing scares me it seems.

    Final Score: 0/30 – 0%

    Final Comments: Skip it. It took me 7 minutes to walk to my generator and back.

    DIVE182 by Maxdragonn
    It is WOW!

    PERSONAL FAVORITE!

    Score Sheet

    Usage of space and world brushes: 10/10
    Stunning visuals. I loved every minute of this deep sea dive! I love scuba diving games and I love diving out at sea myself!

    Visuals 10/10
    Thalassophobia and submechanophobia at it’s finest. Need say more? The textures, the models. All so fascinating to see.

    Gameplay: 10/10
    Yes, it’s a walking simulator, but it’s done so well!

    Final Score: 30/30 – 100%

    Final Comments: It’s not scary, but damn it’s cool! 10 minutes to play.

    No Player Offline by Confused_Travolta
    It is dire!

    no.

    Score Sheet

    Usage of space and world brushes: 0/10
    There is no consistency in liminal spaces. There is no horror in liminality. There is only boredom and lots of walking. If this was a small liminal map it would be so much better, but no you had to make it very long and inconsistent.

    Visuals 0/10

    Gameplay: 0/10

    Final Score: 0/30 – 0%

    Final Comments: Took me 12 minutes to find my way through this map.

    IT CAME FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE by SplendidDog
    It is great!

    Play it now!

    Score Sheet

    Usage of space and world brushes: 8/10
    I can easily tell a lot of work was put into this. Everything about this map feels right. I realize it was pretty short, but nevertheless the map was tight and very consistent.

    Visuals 8/10
    Stunning visuals. I loved every minute of this ocean front map. Switching skyboxes is a really neat trick too! The way the animation played out near the end. I wonder how the creator did that.

    Gameplay: 8/10
    Yes, it’s a walking simulator, but it’s done so well!

    Final Score: 24/30 – 80%

    Final Comments: It’s not scary, but damn it’s cool! 4 minutes to play.

    Dirac Seaport by Hail Hazmat
    It is great!

    I love a good classic gmod type map.

    Score Sheet

    Usage of space and world brushes: 6/10
    Boxy brushes with zombies, but enough detail to really make it stand out from the rest.

    Visuals 6/10
    Cheap visuals, but I actually enjoyed this map. It was short enough to keep me motivated till the end. Typical stalker scares and zombies breaking down doors.

    Gameplay: 6/10
    It’s not a walking simulator! It has combat and enemies! I got a little stuck on the elevator, but never died to it.

    Final Score: 18/30 – 60%

    Final Comments: Finally a “scary” map. Gmod style, just the way I like it. 6 minutes to beat it.

    Als by Sitkinator (bonus map)
    It is great!

    I love a good classic gmod type map. This one hits home because I used to live in a house surrounded by lots of trees.

    Score Sheet

    Usage of space and world brushes: 7/10
    It may sound strange, but I loved this map. The trees and cliffs were a very nice touch. Open world, but the usage of space was greatly limited and used very effectively.

    Visuals 7/10
    Cheap visuals, but I actually enjoyed this map. It was short enough to keep me motivated till the end. I loved the ALIENS! The view of earth was amazing! Got some really strong Fallout 3 DLC vibes from this map. Classic!

    Gameplay: 7/10
    It’s a walking simulator, but it was just short enough to keep my attention. I love a happy ending!

    Final Score: 21/30 – 70%

    Final Comments: Finally a “scary” map. HL2/Gmod style, just the way I like it. 6 minutes to beat it.

  15. EDIT: I made a mistake when playing HOME. I didn’t realize there was more to the map… so here are the corrected rating.

    HOME. by Caleb West AKA CW3D
    It is good

    I didn’t see the second part…. I apologize.

    Score Sheet

    Usage of space and world brushes: 7/10
    The second part was really interesting. Wide open world, but be careful not to cross the line!

    Visuals 7/10
    Ok. So, I missed a lot of visual and audio ques. I actually really loved the second part to the map, and the fake out too. That brief moment really got me good.

    Gameplay: 7/10
    I want to rate it higher because even though I didn’t enjoy the first part, the second part was a lot more interesting. Here’s why. There was more meaning to the goal then just walking the path. There was meaning that is beyond me. Something bigger than what I realized.

    Final Score: 24/30 – 70%

    Final Comments: I apologize. I made a mistake. I wanted to correct it.

  16. Hec
    Play It Now!

    This is by far the best Halloween mapping competition in many years.

    We have some truly unique entries like “What Remains”, “Dive 182” and “LXVI & II”. These are:

    It is WOW!

    The first is a truly cool and great example of a fantastic point-and-click adventure, I think this genre overall has been rarely used on the source engine and I guess it is a perfect base for other developers to make new point-and-click adventures. I love the great neat horrific post-apocalyptic story in it. The latter also is great as the whole concept is very cool again trying to emulate a sub-aquatic horror story but this time in the flesh of a deep diver On this one I loved the HUD design, but I have to admit, I’d love to see maybe a sea monster towards that ending. The third one I mention is also excellent as 2WW and horror should be a great niche to exploit that only a few developers have dared to make.

    The rest of the entries were just OK, I loved “Offline player” for example as I really like the backrooms, and liminal spaces, though I’d loved to be harassed by some “nexbot” as they are pretty famous on these kinds of maps in gmod for example, that would have that map just nice. Also, I loved how the author broke the 4th wall on this one.

    The rest entries were OK and overall I think they were far better made than the previous Halloween 3 map lab competition.

    I can only hope the next Halloween map-lab challenges have no stupid restrictions for developers, as in this Halloween topic the freer are the devs to do their maps with the best results they offer.

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