NEARstudios is developing a new cosy life simulator that will bring back memories of The Hundred Acre Wood, Redwall, and The Secret of Nimh. The first official trailer for the game has just been released and shows off different creatures like mice, otters and owls, all banding together to farm pumpkins, catch fish and host parties suitable enough for a Mad Hatter.
NEARstudios features a few ex-Bethesda, Naughty Dog and BioWare employees, with Heather Cerlan and Jason Richardson at the helm.
Richardson said in a statement on the newly announced game, “In Hawthorn, everything—from crafting to adventuring—is centred around a living village of NPCs and your co-op friends. We want to evoke the nostalgic joy and wonder of shared adventures, much like the timeless stories and simple pleasures that connect us across generations.”
There’s an obvious tie-in here to the anthropomorphic stories of old that many of us watched as children—even the dreaded Watership Down.
There is no set release date for the game yet, but the studio has committed to involving fans and players early on, hoping to shape the world of Hawthorn as its players would like to see it.
The game is currently on Steam and available for you to wishlist should you want to receive all future updates relating to Hawthorn and its development.