Neighbours from Hell

Neighbours from Hell, known in the United States as Neighbors from Hell, is a puzzle strategy game for GameCube, Microsoft Windows, Xbox, Nintendo DS, Android, and iOS. In Europe, it was released for Windows on June 20, 2003, and the GameCube and Xbox on March 4, 2005. The game was released for Windows in the United States on September 22, 2003.
On October 8, 2020, a remastered compilation of the first two games titled Neighbours Back from Hell was released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It features increased frame rate and HD visuals.
Gameplay
In Neighbours from Hell, the player take control of Woody, an average man who seeks revenge on his neighbour Mr Rottweiler by performing tricks on him, all of which is secretly caught on camera for a reality TV show of the same name. In each level, the aim is to complete a set amount of pranks on Rottweiler, whilst keep out of sight of him; if Rottweiler spots and catches Woody, the level ends in failure and the player must restart it. The game itself sees players moving between various rooms in the house, such as the kitchen and hallway, via their doors, with levels grouped into "seasons"; as the player progresses to new seasons, the player gains access to more rooms with more challenging prank puzzles to complete.
In order to prank Rottweiler, the player must interact with objects, some which Woody will sabotage, while others require him to find items that are appropriate for the object (i.e. using a saw to sabotage a chair). While moving around the house, players must observe the routine that Rottweiler undertakes between various objects in the level and the path he uses, in order to plan how to avoid being seen and when to set up a prank. His routine can be disrupted in different ways; two of these involve his pets, a parrot and a guard dog, which will make noise if Woody fails to sneak around them and cause Rottweiler to check on them. To hide out of sight, players can make use of a wardrobe, and later slip under a bed to avoid being seen by Rottweiler.
Once a level's required number of pranks is completed, the player can continue to complete any additional pranks available, and eventually they must finish the level by bringing Woody to the neighbour's front door, whereupon they are scored on their performance.
Plot
Woody is an average man who has a happy life, until his neighbor Mr. Rottweiler makes his life miserable. Woody decides to take full revenge on Mr. Rottweiler and calls up a TV crew, which produces the self-titled reality show that shows the neighbor's relations from worst sight.
Reception
The PC version received "average" reviews, while the GameCube and Xbox versions received "generally unfavorable reviews", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.
Legacy
Ports and re-releases
The original Microsoft Windows version was digitally re-released on GOG.com with its sequel by JoWood on June 9, 2009. It was released on Steam by Nordic Games on November 7, 2013 after successfully getting Greenlit by the community.
A mobile port of the game was released worldwide by THQ Nordic for iOS and Android on May 25, 2017 on the App Store and Google Play, respectively. A port for macOS was released on the App Store on June 22, 2017.
Neighbours Back from Hell
A remaster, named Neighbours back From Hell, was released on October 8, 2020 for consoles and PC by Vienna-based developer FarbWorks and HandyGames (a publishing division owned by THQ Nordic), and contains both the first game and the sequel, remastered and reworked in HD and at high framerates. It received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics and fans.
It includes overhauled control schemes and interface, tutorial episodes were changed to a tutorial tooltip system, and native controller support were added to the Windows version. Some object storage locations have received a minigame with matching 3 symbols in a slot machine-like window in certain episodes.
Episodes from On Vacation can not be started without prior "seasons" of the original Neighbors from Hell being completed.
Steam and GOG.com releases also include the original versions of the games as a free bonus.
Sequel
In 2004 a sequel was released, called Neighbours from Hell 2: On Vacation. In this game, instead of being in a house, the player travels to various locations around the world. This time the player must have their caution turned to the mom of the Neighbour as well, if they do not want to be caught.
Notes
References
External links
The official website of the Neighbours from Hell series
2003 video games
Cancelled PlayStation 2 games
GameCube games
Nintendo DS games
Puzzle video games
Strategy video games
Windows games
Xbox games
iOS games
Android (operating system) games
macOS games
Steam Greenlight games
Video games about revenge
Video games developed in Austria
JoWooD Entertainment games
THQ Nordic games
Embracer Group franchises
Encore Software games
Single-player video games