Children of Silentown to be delivered later this year
Some fantasy adventures can be rather light and airy, like Elf Games' stained glass window-inspired Little Briar Rose. Some fairy tales, however, are much darker and more disturbing, a route the indie Italian developer is taking for their follow-up effort, Children of Silentown.
The game tells the tale of Lucy, a "young girl growing up in a village deep in a forest inhabited by monsters." All seems peaceful during the day, but nighttime is full of terrifying sounds coming from beyond the village borders. Like the other children her age, Lucy has always been afraid of the forest, as at night, the "echoing roars rob her of her sleep. Not even her dreams are a safe place where she could play." The fear is justified, too, as "people disappearing is nothing uncommon" here, but now young Lucy is "old enough to investigate on her own. Or so she thinks."
Inspired by the YouTube video shorts of Luna2 and described as having "a Tim Burton flavor," Children of Silentown promises to "explore the dark side of fables with a creepy, unsettling story." Presented in an eerily beautiful hand-painted art style, the game will task players to explore Silentown in search of clues, being careful NOT to enter the forest. Gameplay will include item collection and combination, and music will play a key role as "learning how to sing will help Lucy in times of need."
There is no firm release date scheduled just yet, but the developers are aiming to launch on Steam sometime within the next few months for Windows PC, with a console version also being considered. To follow its progress in the meantime, be sure to drop by the official website for additional details.