Review
I Can Smell You from Here review: one date, one lie, five endings
This is a short, mean, unusually focused horror visual novel. Its best idea is not the cannibalism; it is the feeling of having to keep a story alive. Its limits are just as clear.
At a glance
Quick answer
Review is an editorial assessment of I Can Smell You from Here, a free horror visual novel by catproblem9735. The game is about a first date built on a lie, and the lie becomes the monster. A run takes about thirty minutes, choices matter, and the story ends in five ways with a psychological evaluation after each run. The review explains what works: the social pressure, the short replayable structure, the geometric art direction and the save slots. It also explains what may put players off: the mature content, the deliberately unhelpful lack of a route list, the large browser first load and the fact that the closest outcomes are not a conventional happy ending. The official content warnings are body horror, violence, cannibalism, murder references, strong language and sexual themes. It stays spoiler-light.
What it is
A first date that becomes a lie you cannot stop telling
I Can Smell You from Here is a free visual novel by catproblem9735, made in Godot for the Spooktober 8th Annual Visual Novel Jam. You are on a first date with your first-ever match from a dating app. The horror is not a monster in the closet: it is the story you told to get the date, and the increasingly ridiculous details you invent to keep it coherent.
What works
The premise is the whole machine
The strongest design decision is that the horror is social before it is supernatural. Every choice has to survive the next question. That gives the date a pressure most visual novels do not have: you are not solving a puzzle, you are maintaining a version of yourself.
- Strong premise: the lie is the monster.
- Short and replayable: about 30 minutes per run, with five endings.
- Useful feedback loop: the evaluation gives you something to compare.
- Distinct look: geometric color blocking and a restrained palette.
- No generative AI: stated on the official page.
What might put you off
It is short, harsh and deliberately unhelpful
The game is not trying to be a comfortable dating sim. If you want a romance with a clear good route, this is not it. The creator's public comments describe the closest outcomes as temporary and transactional, and the alignment chart never reaches a perfect overlap. That is the point, but it is also a taste.
- No official walkthrough: if you need a route list, you will have to experiment.
- Mature content: body horror, violence, cannibalism, murder references, strong language and sexual themes.
- Short: one run may feel like a prologue if you wanted a long visual novel.
- Browser friction: a large first load and desktop-style controls.
Before you play
The content warnings are not decorative
The official page lists body horror, violence, cannibalism, references to murder, strong language, sexual themes. This is not a cute Halloween game with a dark filter. If cannibalism or body horror is a hard limit for you, skip it. The is it scary page breaks down the tone without spoiling the plot.
Not for children
The game is mature horror. The official page's content warning is the authority, and every version carries the same material.
Who should play
Play it if you like social dread more than jump scares
This is for players who enjoyed the uncomfortable conversation in Doki Doki Literature Club more than its meta tricks, or the relationship horror in Sucker for Love more than its dating-sim systems. It is also a good fit for anyone who likes short games they can finish in one evening and replay once.
Verdict
Worth half an hour if the premise hooks you
The game is free, short and specific. That makes the decision easy: if the sentence "you have to keep a lie alive on a first date" sounds like a good time, play one run. If it sounds exhausting, the game is probably doing exactly what it intends, and you can skip it without missing a hidden classic.
Questions
Review FAQ
Is I Can Smell You from Here worth playing?
If you like short psychological horror built around social pressure, yes. It is free, about 30 minutes per run and has five endings. If you need a conventional romance or a long game, skip it.
Is the game scary?
It is mature psychological and body horror, not a jump-scare theme park. The official page warns of body horror, violence, cannibalism, murder references, strong language and sexual themes.
How long is the review based on one run?
A single run is about half an hour. Seeing more endings is faster if you use the save slots and the restart at the main date scene.
Does the game use generative AI?
No. The official page confirms that no generative AI was used in the game.