When it comes to frightening fare on the Switch, there has been quite a lot of variety in how developers have chosen to approach presentation. Ranging from old-school Resident Evil vibes to almost anime-style artwork to even just some form of pixel art, I do find that going with horror seems to make accommodations for more dated looks as long as you’re delivering some chills to go with them. That said, there can be limitations, at least when the game’s look can become more of a distraction from the scares than a means of reinforcing them. For me, Don’t Let Him In kind of lives in that odd space, with characters that honestly just made me think of the original Max Payne with how their faces look… and not in a positive way.

But moving onto the game itself, I will give it credit for doing a reasonably-good job of lulling you into almost a bored state as the story gets started. A group of friends is making their way to a concert that must be some distance away, and along the way they decide to pick up a hitchhiker. Aside from him being pretty odd, nothing much comes of that decision… but then pretty suddenly things take a very dark turn and the more crazy end of the experience gets rolling. 

There’s no question that the shift to a more active adventure sort of mode helps amp up the tension and allows for some decent jump scares, leaving you feeling a bit unnerved. The thing to keep in mind though is that this is a pretty low-budget affair all around, and even if you’re having a good time with it you’ll want to be aware that it’s a pretty short experience from start to finish, clocking in at an hour or so depending on how you pace yourself. It does deliver some surprises, a twist or two, and jump scares that are more effective than average, but just be aware that its presentation and general feel aren’t all that great.