Whispering Willows on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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Interact with the spirits of the dead, solve the puzzles of the mysterious mansion and help Elena find her missing father in the horror/adventure puzzle game: Whispering Willows.
Whispering Willows is a story rich, atmospheric and adventure game
developed by Night Light Interactive
and published by Akupara Games.
Released on July 09th 2014 is available on Windows, MacOS and Linux
in 10 languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Portuguese - Brazil and Simplified Chinese.
It has received 1,803 reviews of which 1,482 were positive and 321 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.9 out of 10. 😊
The game is currently priced at 1.99€ on Steam with a 75% discount, but you can find it for less on Gamivo.
The Steam community has classified Whispering Willows into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: 3rd Gen i3/AMD FX-4100 Series
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce 7 Series/Radeon R7 Series
- Storage: 2396 MB available space
MacOS
- OS: 10.7
- Processor: 2.6 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce 700 Series
- Storage: 2396 MB available space
Linux
- OS: Ubuntu 15.04
- Processor: 2.6 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce 700 Series
- Storage: 2396 MB available space
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Beautiful artstyle, interesting and unique concept, a story reflecting real history. I do wish the story had been even deeper, more interactions with the characters and so on. Great eerie ambience, not too scary :) ------------------------------------ Play this game if: - You want to right the wrongs and forgive - You like ghosts - You have an attention for details perhaps? Do Not play this game if: - You need action, gore and blood to survive Verdict: 7/10
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Whispering Willows, developed by Night Light Interactive and published by Akupara Games, is an atmospheric 2D adventure game that fuses puzzle-solving, exploration, and emotional storytelling within a haunting supernatural framework. The game follows Elena Elkhorn, a young woman determined to find her missing father, who has vanished somewhere within the eerie grounds of the Willows Mansion. Early in her search, Elena discovers a mystical amulet that allows her to project her spirit outside of her body, granting her the ability to communicate with ghosts, move through solid walls, and interact with objects inaccessible in her physical form. This mechanic becomes the foundation of the entire experience, guiding both the gameplay and the narrative through a delicate balance of mystery and melancholy. From the moment the player steps into the world, Whispering Willows establishes a captivating sense of place. Every inch of the environment is hand-drawn with meticulous care, bringing the Willows Mansion and its surroundings to life with intricate gothic detail. The color palette leans heavily toward muted tones of gray, blue, and amber, creating an atmosphere that feels simultaneously sorrowful and serene. The animation is smooth, and each location—from the sprawling hallways of the mansion to the crypts beneath it and the overgrown gardens outside—conveys a deep sense of history. The game’s visual artistry is complemented by a hauntingly minimalist soundtrack that enhances the emotional weight of exploration. Subtle piano melodies and ambient whispers fill the silence, maintaining a constant sense of otherworldly unease without relying on cheap scares or sudden shocks. Gameplay revolves around alternating between Elena’s physical and spiritual forms to solve puzzles, uncover secrets, and progress through the mansion. In her corporeal state, she can move objects, carry items, and navigate physical spaces, while her astral projection allows her to slip through cracks, bypass locked doors, and interact with ghostly entities. Many of these spirits tell fragments of their own tragic stories, often shedding light on the mansion’s dark history and the corruption that once plagued its halls. This duality between body and spirit provides an engaging narrative metaphor as well, symbolizing Elena’s emotional journey through grief, fear, and understanding. Although the game’s puzzles are relatively simple, they fit organically within the flow of the story and allow players to appreciate the rich world-building without constant interruption. The writing in Whispering Willows is one of its most distinct strengths. Through journal entries, letters, and ghostly conversations, players piece together the tragic past of Willows Mansion and its inhabitants. Themes of greed, loss, betrayal, and redemption permeate the story, as Elena learns that her father’s disappearance is tied to the mansion’s cursed history. The ghosts she encounters are not malevolent specters but lost souls burdened by regret, each one serving as a reflection of humanity’s lingering desires. The tone of the narrative is subdued rather than frightening, focusing on emotional resonance rather than overt horror. In this way, the game offers a gentler, more introspective take on the haunted house genre, exploring the idea of spiritual connection and forgiveness rather than fear and destruction. While the concept is strong and the presentation striking, the gameplay can feel repetitive over time. The spirit projection mechanic, though imaginative, is not utilized to its fullest potential, with most puzzles involving simple item exchanges or short sequences of possession. Backtracking through previously explored areas is frequent, and the pacing occasionally slows due to the layout of the mansion and the deliberate walking speed of the protagonist. These shortcomings, however, are somewhat mitigated by the immersive environment and the desire to uncover the full story behind each ghostly encounter. The game’s relatively short runtime—about three to four hours for most players—means that its slower pacing does not overstay its welcome, allowing it to function as a tightly contained experience rather than an overstretched one. Despite its mechanical simplicity, Whispering Willows excels in its emotional delivery. The relationship between Elena and her father is heartfelt, and the ghostly encounters serve as poignant reflections on life, death, and legacy. Each chapter feels like a small act of reconciliation, not only for the spirits trapped within the mansion but also for Elena herself, who learns to embrace her abilities and the responsibility they entail. The atmosphere evokes sympathy rather than terror, making it a suitable experience even for players who might shy away from traditional horror games. It succeeds in creating a meditative and introspective space where the supernatural becomes a lens for human emotion rather than a source of fear. Ultimately, Whispering Willows stands as a quietly powerful experience—an interactive ghost story that prioritizes empathy over fright. Its hand-drawn art, ethereal soundtrack, and emotional storytelling elevate it beyond the confines of a typical indie adventure, even if its gameplay does not fully explore its own potential. The game’s brevity and simplicity may disappoint those seeking complex puzzles or high-intensity challenges, but for players drawn to atmosphere, narrative depth, and artistic expression, it offers a beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant journey. Whispering Willows is less about surviving the supernatural and more about understanding it, and in doing so, it becomes a gentle reminder that even in the darkest places, there is beauty in compassion and peace in acceptance. Rating: 8/10
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Finished the game in one sitting ♥ it's short but really engaging. The story got me hooked from the start and the atmosphere was beautiful and eerie at the same time. Loved the art style and the calm yet haunting vibe throughout, it's the kind of game that pulls you in and makes you forget about time.
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Ghosts asking for items This is a simple story driven girl with very light horror vibes which at least in my book would fall into family friendly horror category. You play as a girl who has an entity like a soul who can leave her body. And control both – whenever you want to play as entity you press a button and do that. It helps solving puzzles like squeezing through tight places to flick a switch and so on. The gameplay is quite basic – side scrolling adventure game where you go to place and meet ghosts. But talking to the ghost the story start unveiling itself and most of the time you're just fetching items for the ghosts to advance the story. There are no tough puzzles, every puzzle is very basic with couple of exception but even those would qualify as easy ones, although at least they fall into puzzle category while other are very obvious and I wouldn't consider them puzzles at all. And that's not a complaint, I see it as a story driven game and I don't want to be stuck for two hours on a puzzle so that forget the story. Just a heads up for people in case you're expecting challenging puzzles. The most annoying and time consuming part is going back and forth. And since it's a side scroller you get easily disoriented which door leads down, up, inside, outside. It's just annoying. The graphics are quite nice, nothing special but it looks cute. The whole game in general is kinda cute and a bit dark which is my favorite combination. It could be better though. Since i have an ultrawide display I encountered one visual glitch which was extremely annoying. There was lots of flickering at one point of the game and then almost constant flickering at the very end of the game. And since you can't adjust the resolution, you can't fix it. Sound design is average. Music is nice but it become repetitive really quickly and there's no voice overs. Yes it's an indie game but a short one. Hiring some students for thousand bucks would've been better than nothing. Overall a decent game to get on sale. It's not perfect, just nice and a bit dark story. Worth it for adventure/story driven game fans. Pros [*]Good story [*]Lovely atmosphere [*]Decent art Cons [*]Not voiced [*]Boring music [*]Confusing to navigate [*]No graphics options [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32930811-Kosmos%27s-Cosmic-reviews/?appid=704030] Follow my curator page for more [url=https://www.twitch.tv/crazykosmikbunny] My Twitch
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pros ✅ a well-written and intriguing paranormal ghost story about a teenager who searches for her missing father and, in her quest, encounters and helps many ghosts, all of whom have tragic pasts. You can learn these ghosts' rich, tragic stories via numerous intricately written notes ✅ spooky environments and atmosphere ✅ mechanic to swap between human and spirit forms to solve quests so cool ✅ nice looking graphics and character models ✅ well integrated and fun to solve puzzles ✅ the apt background music perfectly fits the game's general atmosphere ✅ there are steam achievements and cards cons ❌maze-like and repetitive level design can be tedious and distracting after a while ❌there is no map with shortcuts, which causes too much backtracking and confusion about where or which way to go. ❌there are no voiceovers ❌It's not a lengthy game Overall, this is an enjoyable puzzle game with an intriguing story.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Whispering Willows is currently priced at 1.99€ on Steam.
Whispering Willows is currently available at a 75% discount. You can purchase it for 1.99€ on Steam.
Whispering Willows received 1,482 positive votes out of a total of 1,803 achieving a rating of 7.88.
😊
Whispering Willows was developed by Night Light Interactive and published by Akupara Games.
Whispering Willows is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Whispering Willows is playable and fully supported on MacOS.
Whispering Willows is playable and fully supported on Linux.
Whispering Willows is a single-player game.
There is a DLC available for Whispering Willows. Explore additional content available for Whispering Willows on Steam.
Whispering Willows does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
Whispering Willows supports Remote Play on TV. Discover more about Steam Remote Play.
Whispering Willows is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Whispering Willows.
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Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 24 January 2026 18:19 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 25 January 2026 16:49 |
| Steam price | 28 January 2026 20:44 |
| Steam reviews | 27 January 2026 11:52 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Whispering Willows, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Whispering Willows
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Whispering Willows concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Whispering Willows compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
2
Developer
Night Light Interactive
Publisher
Akupara Games
Release
09 Jul 2014
Platforms
Remote Play
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