Parents' Guide to

Secret Neighbor

By David Chapman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Trust no one in the multiplayer Hello Neighbor spin-off.

Game Windows , Xbox One 2019
Secret Neighbor Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Secret Neighbor screenshot #1
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Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 14 parent reviews

Earth to luna
Earth to luna Parent of 13-year-old
January 5, 2023
age 13+

Terrible game made by money hungry devs.

Game has terrible lighting, music and is horribly unbalanced . Worst part is its full of 9 years old that curses and are very rude

This title has:

Too much swearing
dee B.
dee B. Adult
December 27, 2022
age 11+

A mess of bugs and overpowered roles.

The game is a mess of bugs, and the neighbor is overpowered. The developers don't know how to make a good game, the only thing they do is make the game worse in every update. They don't even try to fix the big bugs, only the small bugs no one cares about. Some of the kids are too overpowered, and there is 2 characters that have a similar/same skill. The developers are doing the complete opposite of giving kids more power, adding cooldowns on some kids' skills. The steam version is dead, with 1.5k players being the most ever seen in the game, and that was during the free weekend. This just shows that no one really wants to buy the game anymore. The mobile version has the most players, and it's the only free version of the game. The game isn't even good for YouTube content. You can see this just by looking at some YouTubers who made videos on the game during the alphas/betas of the game when they were given free access by the developers, and they don't make any videos on the game anymore. I'm talking about the steam version, don't even get me started on the Xbox version. They almost never update the Xbox version of the game, and if they do they break something in every update. On the topic of updates, the mobile version hasn't even been updated once after it's been released, and it's an older version of the game. The developers also removed crossplay when they updated the other versions of the game, and it doesn't crossplay with steam or Xbox. The game is a waste of money. The only free version of the game is the mobile version, and they locked all of the characters behind coins that you have to play matches to get. There is another option to unlock these characters that is a waste of money, and it's basically P2W (pay to win). The mobile version has a "Secret Club" subscription where you can choose to be billed every 1 month ($2.99) or 6 months ($11.99). When buying this "Secret Club" subscription you get access to all characters without having to play the game like every other normal player, one more daily task (complete daily tasks to get coupons which you can use in the in-game shop, default tasks is 3), and some coupons.
See all 14 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Something sinister is going on in the neighborhood, and it's up to you and your friends to find out what in SECRET NEIGHBOR. A spinoff of the cult hit survival horror game Hello Neighbor, this action game tasks a team of six intrepid young investigators to discover just what's hiding in the locked basement of the mysterious and menacing Neighbor. The kids must work together to explore the house, searching floor by floor to find the keys needed to unlock the chained basement door and uncover whatever dark secrets are sealed away behind. But one of your team isn't what he or she seems to be. One of the six kids is actually the Neighbor in disguise … in fact, it could even be you. Using his shapeshifting abilities, the Neighbor stealthily sabotages the kids' efforts, misleading, separating, and capturing them, never to be seen again.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (14 ):
Kids say (11 ):

Can you really trust that teammate helping you out, or are they just waiting for the opportunity to stab you in the back when you least expect it? In Secret Neighbor, suspicion and paranoia are just as big a threat as the creepy Neighbor you're all trying to evade. But that's the biggest part of the game's appeal as well. You've got the challenge of tracking down all the hidden keys in this massive house, requiring your team to work together while also splitting up to cover more ground. All the while, you're just waiting to see if your buddy really does need your help to open a locked door down an isolated hallway or if he's secretly just plucking you from the herd. It's a constant feeling of tension and anxiety, which only builds as you slowly lose contact with captured teammates. And there's nothing quite as terrifying as turning away from a friend one second, only to turn back around and come face to face with the creepy glare of the Neighbor the next. It an insane and exhilarating formula that almost makes up for its shortcomings.

Much like the disguised Neighbor, there are technical and design issues hiding under the surface that hold the game back. For starters, the controls feel stiff and clunky. It's difficult to maneuver around the cluttered house without getting tripped up on random objects or the occasional pitfall. Also, while the game's style is colorful and cartoonish, it's also far too easy for things to blend together. This is particularly frustrating when you overlook, say, a red key sitting on a red desk because it's almost hiding in plain sight. One other problem is a standard issue with these kinds of games, which is that you're required to play online. That's fine if you're playing with friends, but playing with strangers is often a coin toss. It's a lot of fun if you happen to stumble upon a good group, but if even one player is a jerk, the entire match can quickly devolve into a toxic mess that makes you want to leave this neighborhood.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about teamwork. What are some of the benefits to working together as a team? How important is communication when working with others towards a common goal?

  • What are some warning signs to look for that someone may be up to no good? What are some ways to recognize where to place your trust?

Game Details

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