I love the series. After coming back to this a year later and listening to 40 episodes in 3 days, it has been immensely enjoyable! The episodes feel like a little treat that I just can’t get enough of. There’s thankfully no ads half way through that would ruin the enjoyment and thrill that these bring. Thank you so much for this amazing podcast!

Too many ads for this to be entertaining. A 10 min episode can be 17 or more because of the ads in the beginning and at the end. I don’t know if it is the creator’s or Apple’s fault but until there is only a 5 min ad (which I personally still dislike) and only that. Then it would be a good podcast. I love the idea and the story telling style. I haven’t heard anything else like it and I would like for it to be better.

The ads are about as long as the actual episode which makes it frustrating. Also they drop new episodes very sporadically it seems like so if you aren’t caught up you may forget what was even happening sometimes.

I really like the show. It’s weird and a bit creepy. The thing that ruins it is the adds. 14 minute episode= 7 minute show. 7 minutes of adds. A 7 minute episode = 1.5 minutes of show 5.5 of adds. The over abundance of adds make it practically unlistenable. Too bad.

Far too many ads and when you finally get to the show, the audio quality is bad and the overuse of F bombs is just too off putting.

Short epis with a ton of ads front and back...wouldn't mind if the epis were longer. Ruins the experience.

To many ads in the beginning other than enjoy it

Too many ads and I feel like the plot got lost for a while which is stopping me from giving this 5 stars. I am interested though in the story and it seems like we’re back on track to the plot moving forward.

The Cellar Letters is an impressively unsettling slow-burn horror podcast. You can’t help but feel as helpless as Nate, the main character who is going Through It all the time. I hope he catches a break soon! I love how the plot acts as a kind of framing device for little short horror stories as Nate reads the letters in his basement while the overarching plot is also developing. It’s a very creative set up and I can’t wait for more to come out soon! And a note about the ads: yeah, there are ads. The amount and placement of ads on Rusty Quill shows are decided by Rusty Quill. Please consider this before paying attention to or giving out one star reviews that have nothing to do with the quality of work an independent creator is putting out. You can skip ads if you really must, or personally I sometimes adjust the playback speed to make them go by faster while hopefully still giving the creator the little bit of ad revenue they get from listeners letting the ads play. Have some patience and stop trying to tank someone’s reviews over something they can’t control.

Excellent writing, but 4 minutes of ads for a 10 minute episode is unbearable. It’s become a trend with Rusty Quill stuff.

Literally half the episode length is ads. The same annoying ads over and over since the episodes are only 10ish minutes long. The main guy is infuriating. Once Steve is gone, it drags. Giving up at 36. Every episode is him listening to static and not putting anything together. I am not convinced this story even goes anywhere. Disappointed.

I love these voice actors and I bet you Steve is hott with 2 ts 😎 I love the story so far, great references, fun and upbeat, but also spooky and suspenseful. I really appreciate how they mesh the humor and horror to give it that extra flavor flave 🔥well worth the listen! Thank you!!

Oh young one. Tapes have two sides. Side A and side B. Beware of John. Or find out why you can talk to him and him only. Pls don’t let anything happen to Bella. Animals seem to always get the short end of the stick. Can’t wait to hear more of what you find. Oh one more thing. You know you are the baby the Doula was talking about, don’t you.

Love this show and I’m still giving it 5 stars but… one thing happens per episode. If we’re lucky. Come on man, I know it’s suspenseful pacing but everyone’s noticing it and sometimes the artistic display and tone is not worth slowing the story so significantly. (Also please stop making the character so awful in his relationship with John, like I’m sure John’s actually a bad guy or smth but please don’t make the character so annoyingly and exceedingly unlikable due to his lack of self awareness and control (I know it’s realistic given the situation he’s in and his past, but g-d it’s so frustrating to listen to and makes me hate the character which is a problem in a one character show))

I’m really enjoying this podcast. You know what I’m not enjoying? Half of every episode being ads. Literally half of some of these. Each of the eps could be an hour and then the ads would be normal but GOOD LORD. I know there’s a patreon but I can’t subscribe to 10 patreons to listen to podcasts. I would subscribe to a RUSTY QUILL patreon to listen to ALL the shows ad free but this is out of hand. I don’t even mind ads in podcasts normally, but this is literally 3+ minutes of ads up front and a minute of ads after for 10 minute episodes. And they’re SO LOUD compared to the episodes. I feel like I’m doing the podcast version of cable TV. It also absolutely destroys the ambiance and flow of the podcast. Very sad.

I like it when people say hi! (Knock knock)

Title. Needed the second dude, with just the one it really drags. Giving up at 32 here.

A dude moves cross country into a creepy house. He’s morose and dramatic and hurt after his girlfriend vanished. He’s joined by his supportive, hilarious, irreverent best friend, Steve. In the basement of the house they find weird letters, vanishing architecture, and hints at a larger mystery. It’s really great. Right up until Steve leaves the podcast and it just spins its wheels for dozens of episodes.

Great dialogue and very creative. Not to mention the addition of Harlan Guthrie who is one of my favorite creators. Five stars all the way, but we need Steve back!

This story is going nowhere. Don’t waste your time. If you want to know what happens, you are better off reading the one sentence description of each episode.

As an entomologist, I feel attacked and dismayed at the attitude towards entomologists and insects in this show. 3/5 stars but only because it’s been improving recently. All jokes aside though, here’s my serious review: I can have a hard time finding podcasts I like, but this one definitely is one of those. The pacing tends to vary a bit, but I don’t mind that. While progression through the main plot has slowed quite a bit recently, it doesn’t feel like the story is going nowhere. It seems like we’re getting more background information and context for what’s going on, like we’re building up to something. It’s really got me hooked. 5/5 stars

The audio is far too inconsistent. Turning it up and down only to have “the deepest voice in the world” practically yelling in your ear when an unannounced ad comes on. DNF

I honestly should have stopped listening after Steve was gone. The story is not moving forward at all. This main character is so boring and borderline stupid. I made it to episode 40 and I’m done. Glad I didn’t join on Patreon.

I jumped into this podcast rather recently after seeing it on the RQ website. I was a little skeptical at the very beginning, but very quickly got hooked on the found-footage style, the dynamic between Nate and Steve, and the sound design. I am always a sucker for plotlines that start very cliche and then go in a completely different direction. Listening and re-listening continues to be a joy, and I am on the edge of my seat in anticipation of the next season. Amazing job!

I can’t stop listening to this! Got a recommendation on The Magnus Archives and have been spending little time with my earbuds out!

I really enjoy this podcast! However, episodes after the break seem to be so quiet that I can barely hear them at safe volume levels. I’d really appreciate it if the sound levels could be raised a tad. Thanks for the spooky fun!

Awesome podcast! Can’t wait for more!

Then you have come to the right place! ***FIRST REVIEW WHEN THIS WAS MY FAVORITE PODCAST: The hardest part is the WAIT…Only because I want to hear the rest so badly. I love Spooky/Eerie Horror Fiction Podcasts. I found this from the LIKEWISE APP that tells you great Podcast recommendations. If someone is looking for this Genre, I ALWAYS recommend The Cellar Letters ! CURRENT REVIEW: THIS had so much promise. I wonder if the Podcaster writes as he goes but isn’t quite sure where it’s going. I HATE to write this. As an avid listener of Fiction Podcasts this is what I want: A Show that comes out on the same day that is at least 20-30 min. 2 weeks apart is the longest it can possibly go or we forget what happened in the last episode. Don’t worry about making the Show go for a year ! Make a fabulous show even if it’s 8 episodes every 2 weeks and it’s done. It’s better to have Short and Fantastic than long and drawn out. The 10 min episodes are maddening after waiting for at the least 2 weeks. I feel like it should be “Remastered, Put Season 1 in 3 episodes. Do the same with S2 & S3. There hasn’t been an episode now for months but I had no idea S3 was over. S1 was 5 star. It got a little slower in S2 which I’d give a 4 star. S3 didn’t go anywhere. I’ll give it a 3 star only because I knew the character. If a new episode comes out I will have to listen to the last episode to remind myself what happened. Even MORE CURRENT: I LOVE THIS SHOW. The slow burn is driving me crazy (I guess that’s the point) Now I have a new way to listen. I wait until there’s at least 5 episodes - that means coming to check every 2-3 months. This way I can listen to a story with continuity for 30+ minutes. Right now, I’m left on a cliffhanger. If this could just come out every 2 weeks and be at least 20 minutes I’d be in my glory. 5 Stars for the Show, 5 Stars for Anxiety but 1 star for 8 or 9 min episodes.

Why is it getting quieter every episode? I’m having to go full volume.

you guys do awesome I love the 2 way one bein so excited the other being excited then down or scared y’all do amazing together and I really hope this podcast continues and y’all keep doing what y’all are doing

All of these narrative horror podcasts have the same problem with voice over performance. Here, every character stutters or has this layer of apprehension to his or her voice that makes it so tough to get through. Even when the main character is reading the letters, he speaks in the same hyper-insecure fashion. I understand that comes from an attempt to build a character, the main guy is supposed to be suffering from a loss of a relationship, but this medium is audio only. Clarity is more important than “realistic” line readings.

Malevolent has been my favorite podcast since I stumbled upon it shortly after its release. First episode had me hooked! The acting is phenomenal, storyline is gripping, writing is like no other podcast out there! I honestly do not know how you could give it anything other than a 5⭐️rating! Unless it is to beg for more episodes per month ☺️ if you love horror with depth and suspense, this is the podcast for you!

This show had a promising start and even has some decent voice actors (although the main voice is just ok). The soundscape tends to be pretty one note, the writing has kind of meandered, and with the length of the episodes we end up getting to wait a week for what feels like very little progress. The main character also routinely seems infuriatingly clueless. The letters aren’t memorable and the show mostly just makes me want to listen to shows that do these ideas much better. The nicest way I can put it is that this show feels like a promising first draft that needs an editor.

The combination of horror and great comic banter/improv hooked me for first season. Was ready to recommend and head to patreon. But by the time the road-trip binge ended was left disappointed. next seasons are meandering, repetitive and don’t seem to be going anywhere fast.

A remarkable journey. The narrator—Nate—has enough creepy stuff going on…but his recordings carry additional chills. The podcast rewards a close listen with glimpses of horror that Nate can not (will not?) see.

“Chilling. Funny. Fantastic. A phenomenal new(ish) podcast, give it a listen. You won’t regret it!” “‘That was my original review.. but now I have taken it down to four *’s opposed tkk on five because there isn’t a consistent episode release day and it has lost it’s initial humor and intrigue. Definitely still worth a listen, but it has lost a bit of its appeal for me.’” THAT was my second review. This is now my third and what once promised to be a great horror podcast has become an utter joke. It really bums me out to even write this. I have no clue what happened with the creators, but it’s off the rails and I can’t even take it seriously at this point. 🤦🏼‍♂️ Hopefully they can get it together and at least deliver us an ending to ONE SEASON. UPDATE-SEASON THREE: It seems like the podcast has completely lost its direction some episodes weighing in at Old Navy 10 minutes or boring and seem to have no points other than possibly garnishing some Patreon money. The latest episode was 20 minutes of the main character drinking alcohol and talking pointlessly to himself. 🙄

I love the cellar letters, it has been a fun ride through and through. The show has a catching story, likable characters and a dog! Season 3 episode 1 shows great signs of how the show may grow and evolve by introducing a new character and giving the listener more questions about what is really happening.

Honestly an interesting show.

When I started this I wasn’t sure what to think. I finally resolved to listen seriously and started over at the first episode. It really grew on me. Yes, it moves a little too slowly in places, but it is creepy without being gory, and I find myself wanting to know what will happen. I hope it continues into season 3 as there are many loose ends.

I am starting with a conservative 4 star. As I listen more and more I grow more and more intrigued. Don’t get me wrong… from episode one it’s an extremely easy listen… as each episode rolls into the next nearly seamlessly, it also leaves one wondering what actually happens when first hear the “recordings”. This also plays more into a scripted narrative as opposed to the typical dry “recordings” type podcasts. One of the best things about this incredible show is the subtle or even blatant comedic relief. It almost adds that false sense of security. Soon following the legitimate belly laugh and now the Bo Burnham style diddy of a theme song introduced in episode 15 or 16 you get thrown RIGHT back into the creepy folds that these talents have delivered… I’m way to picky on podcasts. Personal tastes aren’t changed by saturating your palette with the flavors you can’t stand… this has achieved just that for me. I would like to thank this crew for a show I’ve been looking for and am actually excited to binge the rest of this 50 or so episode podcast. So thanks!

it's hard to find ideas that are so quickly understandable, but then yield hours of story. The Cellar Letters thankfully is just that. The eerie discovery, the sustained tone. This is a fun one.

The banter between the two main characters is sarcastic comedy gold. The acting is really really great. Throw in that it’s also legitimately creepy and it’s just fantastic. It has a real life kinda feel to it. Very reminiscent of paranormal activity. I love how there’s no narrator or summaries or breaking of the fourth wall - it’s just the tapes they recorded and nothing else.

Loved it from initial listen! - Courtney

I always look for a podcast that is mysterious and exciting to listen to at work. Extra points for a mild creep factor. I don’t like straight horror. But a little bit it’s kind of fun. Most would argue this is too scary. But it works out good enough for me. The two characters are funny actually! They had me laughing a few times! The episodes are anywhere from 8 to 11 minutes so it’s a great binge. All in all, if you like a little extra creep factor on top of a pretty good story, fast paced, and some quirky moments, this is perfect for you!

The first season is a wild ride that makes the entire spooky adventure a thousand times better with Steve and Nate riffing off each other — sometimes a little too much — but it’s an awesome dynamic. 4 / 5 - if Steve and the banter came back then it’d be a 5-star.

wow, since ive discovered 9 to midnight ive been going through each inidividual audio drama and horror novelization i could find and this is one of the best! ... and heres the BUT, the sound design is both amazing... and kinda sucky (no limit in volume) when things get loud or the characters get super whispery. big fan of the characters, story but yea the exectution needs to be refined a bit as im sure most listeners use headphones and that need some sorta consistency

This podcast started off amazing! It was my favorite. I initially gave a five star. However, the second season is almost unrecognizable to the first. Each episode is more insignificant than the last. There is no longer a storyline. It’s just the main character droning on for 10-12 minutes about absolutely nothing. Super disappointing. This show had real promise.

I found this from a FB podcasting group, and boy am I glad to find it! I started listening Friday evening while doing paperwork in my office. The building was mostly empty and I was headed out soon. As I listened I found myself looking over my shoulder, making sure my office door was still closed lol. Good voice acting and making a great show with a minimalist format. Just voices and space. Not many storytelling podcasts use silence so effectively. Silence is usually good to avoid in an audio format but somehow this show uses it in an organic and meaningful way. Excited to binge the episodes, and super excited it’s still in production.

The writing in this Podcast is top notch ! The 2 characters comedic timing is spot on and had me laughing out loud frequently ! Give this Podcast a listen I promise you will not be disappointed !! Updated Review 9/13/2021 What happened ? Started out so well but now it’s just lost the novelty. Where did the roomie who moved from home with him ?? Sad demise of what seemed to have promise.

Scary. Funny. Unsettling. Heartfelt. The Cellar Letters is an incredible show of twists and turns that run the gamut of emotions. My favorite kind of horror. The characters feel like people I know, or maybe am?