Bearnard, the newest indie game by Michał Wikliński, is a great mix of platforming, turn-based strategy, and fun puzzles. With its cute main character and easy to learn gameplay, this single-player game feels like an exciting and heartwarming adventure. Released on August 12, 2024, Bearnard is perfect for fans of deckbuilding, platforming, or anyone looking for a fun world to explore.
The Story of Bearnard
You play as Bearnard, a brave but grumpy bear who’s on a mission to get back a legendary bow and protect his forest home. The story is simple, but it sets the mood nicely. Along the way, you’ll travel through different places like forests, snowy mountains, mines, castles, and dark dungeons.
What keeps the story fun is Bearnard himself. He talks to himself, complains about things, and reacts in funny ways to whatever’s happening around him. His dry humor and little comments add a lot of charm to the game. And he’s not alone, he’s got a little owl friend named Blue, who helps fetch cards and items when you can’t reach them.
It’s not a deep or serious story, but it fits the game’s style perfectly. It’s cozy and keeps you smiling.
Combat System: Turn-Based, But With a Twist
Combat in Bearnard is turn-based and takes place on a grid, similar to many tactical games. You move your character, play cards, and plan your next move carefully. But here’s what makes it different: you don’t just click an attack, you have to aim it yourself.
Yes, you aim Bearnard’s bow, and you need to think about gravity, distance, and how enemies might move. Sometimes you’ll miss. Sometimes you’ll land the perfect shot. That small extra step makes each move feel more personal and satisfying.
You also have cards. But Bearnard is not a deckbuilder. The cards are one-time use and act like abilities or items. Some cards heal you, some boost your strength, and others do things like freezing enemies or causing fire damage. You collect more cards as you play, from chests and enemies.
And here’s the best part: cards can combo together. For example, freeze an enemy with one card, then hit them with a shock attack to cause bonus damage. Fire + wind can spread flames across multiple enemies. These combinations are incredibly fun to discover and really prompt you to think about how to utilize each card.
It’s not too complex, but it’s clever and keeps battles feeling fresh and rewarding.
Exploring the World: Platforming Meets Strategy
Outside of battles, Bearnard plays like a 2D side-scrolling platformer. You jump between platforms, avoid traps, climb walls, and solve puzzles. The controls are smooth and straightforward, and the levels are full of little secrets.
Each area feels unique. The snowy mountains have slippery slopes and falling ice. The mines are full of carts and tunnels. The castles are filled with traps and enemies. And every Zone has new puzzles to solve, like using your arrows to hit switches, or pushing boxes to reach higher places.
The mix of platforming and strategy works well. It breaks up the combat and keeps the pace of the game enjoyable. You’re not just fighting, you’re exploring and thinking, too.
Art, Music, and Humor
One of the first things you’ll notice about Bearnard is how beautiful it is. The pixel art is colorful, clean, and full of little details. Every area feels alive, and the animations, especially Bearnard’s ear wiggle, are super cute.
The music is gentle and relaxing when you’re exploring, but it picks up in battles. It fits the game perfectly and helps build the cozy atmosphere.
And then there’s the humor. Bearnard is funny not in a loud or silly way, but in a dry, sarcastic way that works well. He complains about walking, worries about his next battle, and makes little jokes about the world. His owl friend, Blue, adds a nice contrast with cheerful energy.
The writing never takes itself too seriously, which is refreshing. It’s a game that knows how to have fun and wants you to enjoy it too.
Bonus Challenges: Test Your Skills
Around the world, you’ll find bonus rooms with special challenges. These can be harder battles, tricky platforming sections, or puzzle rooms. If you complete them well, you earn medals bronze, silver, or gold, depending on how quickly or skillfully you finish them.
These medals don’t give you new powers, but they’re fun to collect and show how well you’re mastering the game. They’re perfect for players who like to test themselves and go for 100% completion.
Puzzles & Physics: More Than Just Jumping
What adds depth to Bearnard are the puzzles. These aren’t super hard, but they make you stop and think. Sometimes you’ll need to shoot a lever to open a door, or figure out how to use the environment to your advantage.
There’s also a light physics system in the game. You can knock down chandeliers to crush enemies or throw crates at them. It’s simple, but it adds some fun creativity to how you handle enemies and obstacles.
Some puzzles are part of the main path, while others are hidden in secret rooms. Exploring and solving them gives you rewards like new cards, health boosts, or medals.
Difficulty and Replayability
Bearnard might look cute, but it’s not an easy game. Enemies can hit hard, and if you don’t think ahead, you’ll lose battles. But the game never feels unfair. It gives you the tools you need: cards, environment tricks, and movement to win. You just have to learn how to use them.
The game takes approximately 10–12 hours to complete if you explore everything. It’s not super long, but it’s packed with content. And because there are so many different ways to approach battles, it’s fun to replay and try new strategies or go for medals.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, Bearnard is one of those rare games that does something different and pulls it off. It’s fun, funny, and smart. It mixes strategy and action in a way that feels fresh but is still easy to learn. It’s not trying to be the biggest or most complex game, but it is trying to make you smile, and it succeeds.
As a fan of turn-based, I enjoyed my time with Bearnard. It made me think, laugh, and want to keep playing, and that’s everything I hope for in a game.
If you love tactical games, want something creative and light-hearted, or just need a good weekend adventure, give Bearnard a try. It’s the kind of game that feels like a warm cup of tea with a splash of battle tactics and a big bear hug on top.
