Screenshots
Watch trailer on Steam ↗HootBox
Gufo · Published by Gufo
4 user reviews — 100% positive (4 reviews) · 20 achievements
Last updated 28 Sept 2026
Hootbox is an unusual vertical platformer where the main goal is to stack boxes to keep climbing upwards.
£1.69
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Price history
Indie, Early Access, Casual · 2026 · More under £5 games
Explore HootBox, an unusual vertical platformer where you stack boxes to keep climbing. This casual indie game from Gufo invites you to navigate through challenging levels with a unique stacking mechanic.
About this game
About the Game
Hootbox is the result of an existential crisis turned into a game. It is a "home-made" vertical platformer where a lack of technical expertise has been replaced by an obsession with pixel art and a constant, lingering question: Why am I doing this?
Step into the feathers of an owl who has chosen to be a "happy Sisyphus." Stack colored boxes, defy gravity, and attempt to reach the edge of the universe. Is it frustrating? Perhaps. Is it depressing? At times. But it is an honest journey, created by a single person still trying to figure out a direction—both in the game and in life.
Your feedback is the compass the developer is missing.
A Solitary Ascent Into the Unknown
In this vertical platformer with an unusual and vaguely bizarre atmosphere, you play as an owl seeking more than just the summit—perhaps a way out. This is an experience designed to be taken slowly: a "chill" journey through a world that seems to have lost its bearings, much like its creator.
Build Your Escape: The core mechanic is simple and meditative. Collect and stack crates to climb higher and higher. There is no rush—only the steady rhythm of your construction in a world that feels suspended in time.
A Bizarre and Melancholy Atmosphere: Explore environments that convey a subtle sense of bewilderment. Between surreal encounters and strange vistas, the game reflects an introspective mood, turning the climb into a metaphor for finding meaning amidst life's difficulties.
Non-Punitive Challenges: The enemies and obstacles you encounter are not meant to crush you, but to slow your ascent, inviting reflection. Even the Bosses guarding various heights are part of this strange ecosystem rather than mere enemies to be defeated.
The Shop of the Unusual: Use what you find to purchase power-ups that make your climb smoother. Every item in the shop serves a practical purpose while adding to the strange narrative of this world.
Secrets Among the Clouds: As you rise, you may stumble upon hidden minigames. These are brief departures from the main path—fragments of a larger puzzle that complete the experience of this vertical journey.
A Message from the Developer
This game was born from a moment of personal lostness. It is an invitation to climb, one piece at a time, accepting the melancholy of the path and finding beauty even in the most depressing and grotesque moments.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS *: Windows 7+
- Processor: Any modern x86/x64 processor (even low-end is fine)
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: Graphics card with OpenGL 2.1 or higher support (required by LÖVE; the game uses GLSL shaders and canvases)
- Storage: 1 GB available space
Recommended
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
Supported Languages
Latest news
Patch NotesOfficial
Patch 2
HootBox – Patch 2HootBox Patch 2 is live! This major update introduces new enemies, building mechanics, UI improvements, system optimizations, bug fixes, and audio/visual polish.New Enemies and HazardsThe Threads (Tentacles): A nocturnal hazard that grows in the dark and shrinks during the day. They push the player back, can be hit, collected in the trash can, or destroyed to gain EXP.The Spider: A dynamic enemy capable of climbing and jumping. It can latch onto the player (requiring quick button mashing to break free) and causes carried boxes to drop. If hit, it gradually loses its limbs and speed before dying.New Structures: The House and the PulleyHouse Blueprint: Available in the Shop after encountering the Queen.Pulley Mechanics: Allows you to haul the house up the tower of boxes, featuring automatic position saving, collision management, and falling structure physics.Quests, Inventory, and BalancingNew Quest: Added a quest against the Box Thief, complete with a completion notification.Inventory Improvements: Sped up EXP distribution to the active monster with a new visual effect, and added an expandable dropdown menu showing monster stats.Pot Balancing and Fixes: Removed fruit despawning and capped the growth limit for potted plants.Graphics, Audio, and UIVisual Effects: Basic enemy explosions now shatter their sprites along the direction of impact. The deep space background now features new planet-like box clusters.Audio and UI: Developed and smoothed out various sound effects (including those for the spider and pulley). Increased the precision and visibility of in-game cursors.Bug FixesBoss 3 & Jetpack: Fixed a bug causing an infinite match loop when reaching the third boss via jetpack and losing the fight.Tool Swapping: Fixed an issue preventing auto/manual switching from the welder to the grappling hook.Game Item Management: Fixed a bug where the converter couldn't be recovered if it fell out of the map; it now correctly respawns inside the play area.Syste...Read full article on Community Announcements (GufoDelleNevi)Patch NotesOfficial
Patch 1
HootBox – Patch 1 is Live!Dear little owls, Patch 1 for HootBox is now online! This update introduces new mechanics, improves several aspects of gameplay, and fixes a number of issues reported by the community. It’s the first step in a journey of continuous growth (or downward spiral) that will accompany your climb through the game.New FeaturesMushroom Transfer System: Introduced the mushroom transfer system for the Monster Disc.Health Bar: Added the Monster Disc’s health bar to the inventory.Smarter Dodging: The Monster Disc now dodges drops whenever possible.Variable XP: Mushrooms now provide variable experience based on the height reached.The Cosmic Sea: The Cosmic Sea now destroys swallowed boxes and can be pushed back through player actions.Gameplay & BalancingSpace Rain: Introduced space rain triggered by boxes impacting waves.Reworked Drop Damage: Overhauled the damage system for drops.Disc AI & Throwing: Improved Monster Disc AI and throw management.Hand Speed: Reduced the Hand’s speed for a more stable balance.Smile Fix: The Smile now correctly ignores boxes thrown by the Monster Disc.Audio & VisualsSights & Sounds: Added new visual and sound effects for explosions, waves, impacts, and attacks.Visual Damage: The Monster Disc now displays visual damage based on its remaining health.InterfacePause Options: Settings are now accessible directly from the pause menu.Ultrawide Support: Added support for ultrawide monitors (for those with ridiculously wide screens).Bug Fixes & OptimizationsSteam Achievement: Fixed an issue preventing the "Catch 5 Monsters" Steam achievement from unlocking.Audio Transitions: Fixed music transitions between screens.Isometric Navigation: Corrected various navigation issues in isometric mode.Performance: Reduced memory usage and improved performance across several systems (hopefully).Thank you for all your support and the amazing reviews. I honestly have no idea how to continue development from here, and I just hope I don't break anyth...Read full article on Community Announcements (GufoDelleNevi)AnnouncementsOfficial
Hootbox is Here!
HootBox is officially out in Early Access! 🦉It’s been 15 months since this journey began, and I am absolutely thrilled to share this milestone with you.Before you reach for your wallet, I want to be completely honest: the game is NOT finished yet. Currently, there is no proper ending or structured end-game, and the gameplay might undergo major overhauls during this next phase of development. Since this is my very first project, you will likely encounter bugs, inconsistencies, or even crashes. I kindly ask for your patience, and if you find any issues, please report them—your feedback is going to be crucial!During Steam Next Fest, the demo was downloaded about 1,300 times, and we reached 53 wishlists. I want to thank every single one of you for your trust! Of course, the real climb starts now. I have so many ideas and dreams that I want to bring to life little by little in my spare time, and I just hope the reviews won't crush my enthusiasm too much! Let me know what you think, and... let's begin this absurd climb, like a happy Sisyphus!Read full article on Community Announcements (GufoDelleNevi)AnnouncementsOfficial
HootBox Demo
The Demo is coming! It’s been almost a year since I started building HootBox. It all began as a joke with a friend, just an ordinary evening on Discord. I never thought I’d make it this far. Eventually, my friend moved on from the project, and I kept going, hitting my head against the wall every single day on my own.In my life, I studied something completely different; I know absolutely nothing about programming. This might rightfully upset those who, in the name of "genuine art," condemn the use of AI to bypass technical hurdles that would otherwise require years of sacrifice. But even so, it's hard to imagine the hundreds of hours this little "toy" of mine has demanded. The passion, dedication, and love for HootBox have never been lacking.That first night, I started writing code using Notepad—I didn’t even know what Visual Studio Code was 12 months ago. It was just a tiny circle on a white background, picking up rectangles and throwing them. Everything else came naturally, without any real planning or organization. I just followed the flow. If I wanted to add something, I added it. This stream of free ideas has brought me to today, and I want it to stay that way. The result might be a bit bland or messy, certainly not up to the standard of most content on Steam. But I don’t care.I want to keep climbing, and I would be thrilled to share part of this ascent with some of you—wherever it leads, whatever happens.Read full article on Community Announcements (GufoDelleNevi)
