History YMMV / HelloNeighbor

* MemeticMutation: A now-deleted [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E16spB6XEAU5jCH.jpg series of tweets]] by [=TinyBuild=] that all but beg [[WebVideo/GameTheory Matpat]] to analyze the pilot of the animated series has become memetic online, usually used whenever a small creator obsequiously attempts to curry favor or interact with a larger creator in order to gain more publicity.

* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: While fans were disappointed over the poorly-made final release, the followup material (the prequel game, the multiplayer midquel, the prequel novels, and the pilot for the TV show) have all been generally well-received by the fans.

* FanPreferredCutContent: It's not uncommon to see people say that the first game's alpha builds were better than the final product, with the common consensus being that the alpha showed promise with a simple but effective concept: playing a game against the AI-evolving Neighbor seemgingly hiding a skeleton in the closet. Later builds complicated it to the point of barely even resembling the game that was promised. This group generally feels that they should have refined what they had rather than trying to add more to a game that arguably worked better without.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: While fans were disappointed over the poorly-made final release, the followup material (the prequel game, the multiplayer midquel, the prequel novels, and the pilot for the TV show) have all been generally well-received by the fans.
* FanPreferredCutContent: It's not uncommon to see people say that the first game's alpha builds were better than the final product, with the common consensus being that the alpha showed promise with a simple but effective concept, while later builds complicated it to the point of barely even resembling the game that was promised. This group generally feels that they should have refined what they had rather than trying to add more to a game that arguably worked better without.

* HypeBacklash: For well over a year, the game was being heralded as the successor to ''Five Nights At Freddy's'' in indie horror. Once it came out, though, many players were put off by the frustrating A.I., [[SolveTheSoupCans bizarre]] [[MoonLogicPuzzle puzzles]], wonky physics, [[SpecialEffectsFailure stiff animations]], and [[ObviousBeta large amount of bugs]], plus an odd JigsawPuzzlePlot [[spoiler:of which the whole third act is implied to be AllJustADream and very little is apparently resolved.]] Add in the release of ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'' (released a few months earlier to much acclaim) over the course of the year, and ''VideoGame/FreddyFazbearsPizzeriaSimulator'' (which was released a mere four days prior) and ''Hello, Neighbor!'' ended up quickly buried.

* AntiClimaxBoss: The Neighbor, when he's finally confronted at the end. [[spoiler:Out of nowhere, he's become [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever a giant]] standing in a featureless white void full of equally giant furniture and objects, and you have to [[PuzzleBoss solve puzzles and platforming challenges throughout the room to beat him]]. However, he doesn't actually ever move or attack; all he does is stand in a single spot, flinching and making the noises he normally makes when he sees you. This leaves you to do nothing except solve the puzzles, which are [[MoonLogicPuzzle somewhat]] [[GuideDangIt counterintuitive]], and rely on the buggy physics engine to stay on top of the elaborate floating platform sequences. [[FromBadToWorse And your movement is slowed to a crawl the whole time.]] This is implied to all be a symbolic BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind -- [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane maybe]] -- but it doesn't help.]]

* MoralEventHorizon: In the pre-Alpha trailer and Alpha 1, the Neighbor crosses it with the manner in which he decides to do away with the protagonist after he gets too close to his secret. [[spoiler:He buries him alive.]]

* HypeBacklash: For well over a year, the game was being heralded as the successor to ''Five Nights At Freddy's'' in indie horror. Once it came out. though, many players were put off by the frustrating A.I., [[SolveTheSoupCans bizarre]] [[MoonLogicPuzzle puzzles]], wonky physics, [[SpecialEffectsFailure stiff animations]], and [[ObviousBeta large amount of bugs]], plus an odd JigsawPuzzlePlot [[spoiler:of which the whole third act is implied to be AllJustADream and very little is apparently resolved.]] Add in the release of ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'' (released a few months earlier to much acclaim) over the course of the year, and ''VideoGame/FreddyFazbearsPizzeriaSimulator'' (which was released a mere four days prior) and ''Hello, Neighbor!'' ended up quickly buried.

* FanPreferredCutContent: It's not uncommon to see people say that the first game's alpha builds were better than the final product, many wishing the game had simply stuck with the concept of the original builds instead of changing it so drastically.

* HypeBacklash: For well over a year, the game was being heralded as the successor to ''Five Nights At Freddy's'' in indie horror. Once it came out. though, many players were put off by the frustrating A.I., [[SolveTheSoupCans bizarre]] [[MoonLogicPuzzle puzzles]], wonky physics, [[SpecialEffectsFailure stiff animations]], and [[ObviousBeta large amount of bugs]], plus an odd JigsawPuzzlePlot [[spoiler:of which the whole third act is implied to be AllJustADream and very little is apparently resolved]]. Add in the release of ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'' (released a few months earlier to much acclaim) over the course of the year, and ''VideoGame/FreddyFazbearsPizzeriaSimulator'' (which was released a mere four days prior) and ''Hello, Neighbor!'' ended up quickly buried.

* HypeBacklash: For well over a year, the game was being heralded as the successor to ''Five Nights At Freddy's'' in indie horror. Once it came out. though, many players were put off by the frustrating AI, [[SolveTheSoupCans bizarre]] [[MoonLogicPuzzle puzzles]], wonky physics, [[SpecialEffectsFailure stiff animations]], and [[ObviousBeta large amount of bugs]], plus an odd JigsawPuzzlePlot [[spoiler:of which the whole third act is implied to be AllJustADream and very little is apparently resolved]]. Add in the release of ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'' (released a few months earlier to much acclaim) over the course of the year, and ''VideoGame/FreddyFazbearsPizzeriaSimulator'' (which was released a mere four days prior) and ''Hello, Neighbor!'' ended up quickly buried.

* MemeticMutation: A now-deleted [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E16spB6XEAU5jCH.jpg series of tweets]] by [=TinyBuild=] that all but beg [[Creator/GameTheory Matpat]] to analyze the pilot of the animated series has become memetic online, usually used whenever a small creator obsequiously attempts to curry favor or interact with a larger creator in order to gain more publicity.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: While fans were disappointed over the poorly-made final release, the follow up material (the prequel game, the multiplayer midquel, the prequel novels, and the pilot for the TV show) have all been generally well-received by the fans.

* GoodBadBugs: In the early pre-release alpha, the Neighbor's adaptive AI wasn't really under any restraint to just [[TheAIIsACheatingBastard cheat]] in order to catch you, which led to an UnwinnableByMistake situation where the Neighbor would just start [[CuttingTheKnot leaving traps on your front door, then eventually abandoning his house altogether to stand at the front door and "catch" you]] once you left your house.

* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments: The boy in the basement freeing the protagonist.

* TearJerker: The dream sequences of The Neighbor losing his wife in a car accident and his daughter also being killed, possibly by being pushed to her death.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Early models of the first game were praised for their tension, emphasis on stealth, and the Neighbor's AI adapting well to different entrance strategies, forciny the player to change their tactics or watch for traps. Later builds of the game and the final release had less positive reactions due to buggy physics, downgrades in the Neighbor's AI, and a wackier tone with the zany new houses and emphasis on platforming and incomprehensible puzzles precluding stealth and tension.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: The game paints the Neighbor as a TragicVillain who has suffered a loss. Depending on what you interpret the loss to be, the Neighbor either [[spoiler:has lost his child in a car accident and has been kidnapping children to replace them]] or [[spoiler:he lost his wife in a car accident, and then his daughter was murdered by his own son, making all of his actions done to cover up the daughter's death and keep from turning his son in.]] The former interpretation is, obviously, much less sympathetic and was an interpretation many players reached. The latter interpretation, later confirmed true by the follow-up material which also clarifies that [[spoiler:the killing of the girl was an accident on the son's part and the Neighbor is trying to keep him from being charged with manslaughter so he doesn't lose his last remaining family member]], is a bit better, but it's not like he kept his son in great conditions either, as he wanted to escape from what is essentially a prison. A "nice" prison, yes, but still a prison that kept him from freedom. He also imprisons the protagonist down there when he discovers this, outright kidnapping him and keeping him locked up to secure the protection of himself and his son.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: While fans were disappointed over the poorly-made final release, the pilot for the TV show was generally well-received by the fans.

* MoralEventHorizon: In the pre-Alpha and Alpha 1, the Neighbor crosses it with the manner in which he decides to do away with the protagonist after he gets too close to his secret. [[spoiler:He buries him alive.]]
** [[spoiler:In the full game, the Neighbor kidnaps the player after he investigates too far into the basement. He may have also kidnapped two other children, although the dream sequences imply that they're his own children (especially as he is shown putting up the wanted posters himself.)]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: The game paints the Neighbor as a TragicVillain who has suffered a loss. Depending on what you interpret the loss to be, the Neighbor either [[spoiler:has lost his child in a car accident and has been kidnapping children to replace them]] or [[spoiler:he lost his wife in a car accident, and then his daughter was murdered by his own son, making all of his actions done to cover up the daughter's death and keep from turning his son in.]] The former interpretation is, obviously, much less sympathetic and was an interpretation many players reached. The latter interpretation isn't much better, since it means that he's basically protecting a murderer from facing justice. It's not like he kept his son in great conditions either, as he wanted to escape from what is essentially a prison. A "nice" prison, yes, but still a prison that kept him from freedom.