A pipe-smoking sailor’s tale
Cape Hideous is a premium adventure game developed by Jake Clover. It is a short, indie walking simulator where you play as a mysterious, multi-tubed-pipe-smoking sailor who explores a dilapidated pirate ship drifting toward a threatening storm. The game’s visual style is unpolished yet captivating, layered with surreal, dreamlike perspectives.
Onboard with oddities
Cape Hideous has no dialogue, no tutorial, and no obvious objectives—but as you explore the ship, you quietly prepare it for the tempest by raising flags, climbing flagpoles, and meeting peculiar crew members who seem as lost in time as the vessel itself.
You will also encounter a weird-looking parrot and a cat that you can interact with and pet. The original soundtrack of this game was composed and performed by the Australian artist magicdweedoo. However, with a runtime of only 30 to 40 minutes, some players feel the experience is too brief to justify its premium price and wish for more content.
A short voyage into the surreal
Cape Hideous offers a brief but hauntingly atmospheric journey through a surreal, storm-bound pirate ship. With its strange charm, ambient soundtrack, and quiet exploration, it’s a niche experience best suited for fans of experimental games, though its short playtime can leave others wanting more for the price.
