Starting in the 80s, first-person dungeon-crawler RPGs were all the rage, giving rise to some of the most famous series in the gaming world. I can mention the Wizardry series, The Bard’s Tale, Might and Magic, Eye of the Beholder, and many others that were a standard until just before the 2000s.
Not that they have disappeared in modern times—I’m not saying that—but they’ve certainly become less frequent. So today, when you come across one currently in development that faithfully recreates the mechanics and especially the graphics of the past, it can’t help but make it onto TBL pages. Today, I’m introducing Hibernaculum, a little gem currently in development by indie creators Victor Pflug and Mords, with the latter being the creator behind Primordia, a stylish point-and-click adventure that many will remember.
In this homage to the past, players will be able to create their own character and traverse a non-linear, decaying industrial world filled with secrets and dangers, promising various builds and character growth options—ranging from “smash everything” types to more cautious and thoughtful approaches.
From the trailer, honestly I can’t understand if the combat system is real-time or turn-based. I’m obviously hoping for the latter, but what I can see is the vast arsenal of weapons and the possibility to equip various items in character slots. The UI is everything fans of this niche RPG genre expect, with the character silhouette where players can manage the equipment, the navigation buttons, usable items, and a faithful map to avoid getting lost in the game’s intricate and complex labyrinths.
Dark plots and dark-horror tones, accompanied by a soundtrack—at least what was heard during the trailer—that faithfully echoes the past, inevitably highlight what Hibernaculum aims to be, and I can’t wait to try it. As for the release date, unfortunately, there’s only a tentative date set for Q4 2024 on PC with a planned Kickstarter Campaign. Below is an overview via the Steam page, screenshots, and the announcement trailer.
ABOUT THIS GAME
WHAT IS HIBERNACULUM?
- Hibernaculum is a retro inspired dungeon crawler that sets out to recreate the engrossing labyrinthine experiences of the classics of days gone by, whilst also building a modern, deeply unique & explorable world of survival, mystery and macabre intrigue.
- Hibernaculum is a first person sci-fi/horror role playing game with survival horror roots.
- Create a unique character to explore the depths of Hibernaculum & have the experience you want to have. Choices only matter, if they matter to you.
- Non-linear gameplay allows for exploration at your own pace, and in your own fashion. Forge ahead and risk calamity or riches. Conversely, pace yourself and avoid harm.
- Navigate a decayed industrial realm through environmental storytelling and a unique, brooding atmosphere.
- Hibernaculum will be developed in C++ for PC (Windows) & Mac with hopes for porting to iOS & Nintendo Switch.
- Hibernaculum will initially be available in English, French, German & Spanish.
- Hibernaculum will be released DRM-free & available on Steam & GoG.
Hibernaculum has a sharp focus on exploration and atmosphere with a penchant for allowing the player to discover, uncover, salvage and piece together the mysteries of the Ship whilst emphasising mechanics that allow for emergent gameplay amidst the matrices of survival, combat and character progression.
With a raft of modern conveniences such as an on-screen minimap + waypoints, more aesthetic and navigable maps + hub areas, a more concise and efficient stat/combat system as well as many other UI and quality of life features we hope to make Hibernaculum the most playable, expansive, intriguing and absorbing game of it’s type since the heyday of these games; the long forgotten primeval epoch of 1995.
