Ten Bells 2.1.6 — macOS

Version 2.1.6 fixes language bugs and pushes a new macOS build for public testing.

For fans of short, focused horror sessions

1. You like short, focused horror sessions — a single run takes 20 minutes to an hour.
2. You enjoy piecing together a story from collected items rather than cutscenes.
3. You’re patient with repetition: you move forward when nothing is wrong, go back when an anomaly appears, and repeat until you find all 30+ anomalies.
4. You appreciate atmosphere over jump scares — the only music is a single track, and the pub feels timeless and quiet.

Not for those wanting fast action or a long campaign

If you want a fast-paced action horror or a long campaign (the full game is 1 hour 20 minutes to 3 hours), this isn’t it. The gameplay is methodical: avoid traps and residents, spot changes, and backtrack.

What a single session can look like

The pub looks ordinary at first — wood paneling, a bar, a few tables. You walk forward, see nothing wrong, so you go ahead. Then you notice the clock on the wall is ticking backward. That is an anomaly. You back up to the previous room. The pub is quiet, but you hear footsteps above when you stand still. You avoid the barman, who doesn't blink. You pick up a torn receipt near the fireplace. The item text hints at something that happened years ago. Twenty minutes later you have four items and can start connecting them. You end the session having covered maybe half the pub and found seven anomalies. The next night you pick up where you left off.

Missing anomalies because you walked past them

New players often miss the basic rhythm at first. A few common ones:

• Walking past an anomaly without noticing it. The game expects you to look at everything carefully. A shifted picture, a changed object on a shelf, a door that was locked and is now open — these are easy to miss if you hurry. Pause in each room and scan the details.
• Not backtracking quickly enough. Once you spot an anomaly, the game wants you to go back immediately. If you keep moving forward, the pub residents and traps become more aggressive. Turn around as soon as you see the change.
• Using items too late or too early. The items you collect unlock the story, but you need to find them in the right order. If you are stuck, revisit rooms you have already cleared — some anomalies appear only after you pick up certain items.
• Ignoring the trap patterns. Traps are not random. They appear in the same places after specific triggers. If you die in the same spot twice, note what you were doing just before. Adjust your path.

Set the language before starting to avoid resets

Version 2.1.6 does not have many settings, but the ones it has matter:

• Language selection. The game supports nine languages. Set it before you begin, because changing mid-session resets some text descriptions that you have already read on items. English, Spanish, Italian, and French are all solid options depending on your preference.
• Audio volume. The only soundtrack is a musical accompaniment. The atmospherics come from ambient sounds — footsteps, creaks, distant voices. Keep the volume high enough to hear subtle audio cues. A quiet room helps.
• Display resolution. The game runs on Apple Silicon Macs. On a 2020 MacBook Air with M1 it works fine at the native display setting. If you use an external monitor, set the resolution in the system display panel before launching the game.

Use the item journal to track and update descriptions

A few details make the game easier once you know about them:

• The item journal is accessible at any time. You can review collected items without pausing. Their descriptions update as you find related anomalies. If a description changes, it means you are on the right track.
• Residents have predictable patrols. They follow set routes between rooms. Stand still in a doorway for a few seconds and you can learn their timing. There is no need to run through the pub blindly.
• Anomalies do not disappear. Once an anomaly appears, it stays until you back up and progress. You can return to it later if you need to examine it again. Nothing resets when you leave the room.
• The game saves naturally. It saves at points when you move between major areas. You do not need to find a save point or wait for an icon. If you quit, you restart near where you left off, not at the beginning.

• Fixed language bugs.
• New macOS build pushed for public testing.

• Architecture: Apple Silicon