The very talented NEARstudios are releasing a playable demo for the Steam Next Fest. From June 15 to June 22, you can see what their first prototype looks like. But before we say a thing or two about Hawthorn, we simply must say something about the devs. The studio is made up of people who used to work on games like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Mass Effect. In fact, they originally built this specific version to pitch the game to publishers.
The team is funding the project themselves. They really want to stay independent, so they launched a crowdfunding campaign on their website on June 5, lining it up with World Environment Day. The campaign is still running, so if you decide to back it, you get exclusive characters based on real endangered animals. Part of the money also goes to nature charities. Taking this route means the team gets to keep full control over their work. Backers will also get access to a newer development build so they can give direct feedback.
The demo gives an amazing insight into the whole process, and even though it was bare-bones in certain aspects, we definitely saw huge potential and the promise of a truly unique game, especially how different seasons bring new weather and new challenges.. The final version of Hawthorn, however, is going to be a cooperative sandbox RPG. It will focus on woodland creatures building a community, farming, and exploring a world based on old folklore. So, no big talk about mysterious scrolls or blue alien butts. Interestingly, the game remembers the choices you make. For example, if you interact with a group of bandits in a certain way, they will remember how you treated them in the future. It’s really cool how they are trying to take the big ideas from those massive games and fit them into a smaller, co-op indie project. The whole design is equally impressive. The devs at NEARstudios drew a lot of inspiration from old Victorian fairytales and animal adventure books from the 80s and 90s. In terms of mechanics, it’s all about working together to build homes, farm crops, fish, craft, or explore the woods around you.
We think it is pretty refreshing when a studio shares an old prototype. Releasing something unfinished in the form of a demo takes a bit of bravery, and we can’t help but admire that. Checking out the demo is a great way to see the roots of the process. Best of luck to the devs, and amazing job on staying independent!
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