Bramble: The Mountain King is a Nordic horror nasty

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Dimfrost Studios' lead artist shows off the horror adventure's gameplay

If you're bored of zombies, have vampire fatigue, and are ready to get ghosted by ghosts, Bramble: The Mountain King could be just the horror game you're looking for. Showing off its gameplay with a developer presentation at the Future Games Show Powered by Mana, this Nordic fairytale of a nightmare will be released early next year. 

Ellinor Moren, the lead artist on the project, introduced us to the Nacken. Based on a real monster from European folklore, the Nacken lives in water, using music to lure people to untimely ends. Moren shares his origin story, which includes man's inhumanity to man, lost love, and dance music so irresistible that people dance until their legs are bloody stumps. 

The Nacken is just one of the daunting creatures you'll meet in Bramble: The Mountain King. It tells the story of two siblings who wander into the magical territory of Bramble, but their exploration soon goes awry when the sister is kidnapped by a troll. To get his sister back the young hero must battle creatures inspired by Nordic fairytales and will encounter gnomes, the sinister Skogsrå, shapeshifters, animals in magical forests, and boss fights with a "David and Goliath" style feel. 

"All of our creatures either have their origins in or are inspired by, Nordic legends and tales," explained the Dimfrost Team. 

"We are a Swedish studio, and all of us grew up on these stories told by our parents and grandparents. Bramble is a small tribute to these tales, a little glimpse into our childhood. It’s also our way of sharing these stories with the rest of the world."

Developed by Dimfrost Studios and published by Merge Games, Bramble: The Mountain King will launch on PC and consoles early in 2023. You can wishlist it on Steam right now if you think your nerves can handle it. 

For more awesome games featured during today's Future Games Show, check out our official Steam page.

Rachel Weber
Rachel Weber
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Rachel Weber is the former US Managing Editor of GamesRadar+ and lives in Brooklyn, New York. She joined GamesRadar+ in 2017, revitalizing the news coverage and building new processes and strategies for the US team.