In a surprise announcement, publisher Hooded Horse announced a follow up to the indie horror Darkwood, with the developers behind the Pathologic games in charge. The news comes as a surprise after the original developers of the game, The Acid Wizard, went on indefinite hiatus in 2022 citing work life balance issues as the cause. Acid Wizard will be involved in the project in a consulting role.
Core development will be done by Ice Pick Lodge, with its flagship series, Pathologic, been defined by an artsy eastern european approach to its titles, giving them an ethereal vibe in contrast to the original Darkwood’s more nightmarish imagery. Despite this, both Darkwood and the Pathologic series are considered part of the “eurojank” or “sovietcore” subgenres, defined by the pessimistic brutalist sensibilities of former soviet bloc countries.
The original Darkwood found players in an ominous forest whose trees grow so densely together there appears to be no exit. Part horror title part survival sim, players were tasked with exploring the woods during the day to accumulate supplies to survive a nightly onslaught from an unseen force. The sequel seems to follow in it’s footsteps, taking place in the Aral Sea. Once the third largest lake in the world, the Aral Sea was almost entirely depleted by the Soviet Union for irrigation purposes. The original has a steep discount on Steam, likely to celebrate the announcement.
There’s currently no release date for Darkwood II.
