Harvest Hunt caught our eyes last month, partly thanks to its creepy graphic novel visual style, and partly thanks to its unique roguelike design. Now it’s part of Steam’s Lovecraftian Days festival, and to celebrate, the developer has revealed the Harvest Hunt release date, which is set for May 22.
Harvest Hunt is sort of halfway between boomer-shooter Dusk and fellow roguelike Darkest Dungeon. While most of the horror game is played in a first-person perspective, there are strategic and management elements to it, too. Each night, the village selects a warden as its protector (that’s you), and you’ll have to head out into the cornfields to collect special ambrosia berries while constantly being stalked by a monster called the Devourer.
Every time you make it back safe, you’ll receive a trio of new randomly generated Whispers. These cards dictate how your run will play out, doing everything from changing the characteristics of the Devourer, to impacting the entire village in some way – for good or ill. If you’ve ever gotten caught in a Halloween corn maze at dusk, you’ll feel right at home in Harvest Hunt.
While you choose your Whisper at the start of the run, you’ll also pick up other cards that will allow you unlock new abilities and set your warden up for a specific playstyle. If you want to confront the Devourer head-on, you can always focus on combat and defensive boosts. Alternatively, you can pick cards that enhance your warden’s stealth and work your way through each night without ever being seen.
It’s also packed with old European folklore, the kind people used to tell their kids to keep them from running off alone into the woods. The deck of Whispers itself is inspired by tarot, so the whole thing feels very witchy and cool.
The full game launches May 22, but you can try the demo out for free right now. You might also want to check out our list of our favorite card games, as well as the best indie games available on PC.
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