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Darkwood is a top-down survival horror game, and if you’re wondering how horrific a top-down videogame could possibly be, let me assure you the answer is probably more than you think. I called Darkwood “wretched and pestilent” not long after it launched in 2017, and while I haven’t touched the game in years, I stand by that characterization—which, to be clear, is entirely complimentary.
(You don’t have to take my word for it—have a look at that “overwhelmingly positive” rating across more than 20,000 user reviews on Steam.)
So I was genuinely excited to learn today that a sequel, Darkwood 2, is now in development. This does not represent a comeback for original Darkwood developer Acid Wizard Studio, however: It remains in a state of long-term hiatus, which it embarked on in 2023 immediately after releasing an alpha for Soccer Kids, “a game about soccer made by people who suck at playing soccer.” Darkwood 2 is instead being made by Ice-Pick Lodge, the team best known for the Pathologic games. Acid Wizard will remain involved in a consultancy role, and also maintains ownership of the series.
“For years, the idea of handing over our baby to another studio was something unthinkable for us,” Acid Wizard Studio co-founder Gustaw Stachaszewski said. “But, after it became evident that working together is not viable anymore, we decided that Darkwood should live on, even if not directly through our work.
“We’re genuinely excited to pass on the torch to Ice-Pick Lodge—creators whose work on Pathologic has inspired us for years. The team at IPL really gets what makes Darkwood a unique experience. We believe they will not only honor its spirit but will create something truly exceptional. As for us, we’ll be in the background, making sure it stays true to the original vision.”
That’s a big part of what makes the Darkwood 2 news exciting. If Acid Wizard can’t make it, there’s no one I can imagine who’d be better to step in and take over than Ice-Pick Lodge, whose games reflect a very similar approach to horror: creepy, disturbing, relentlessly grim, and just awful in all the right ways. They’re not afraid to get weird as hell too, which is important in a venture like this.
The new Darkwood looks (and, as far as I can tell from the brief trailer, plays) a lot like the old one, buttressed by a decade or so of technological advancement. Narratively, though, it’s an entirely separate experience, set in the 1990s on the dying remains of the Aral Sea, with “new lands and waters to explore, new creatures to fear, and new reasons to pray for the morning light.”
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As for the story it tells, that’s a mystery to figure out: There are no quest markers or waypoints, just a big open world to explore, be creeped out by, and hopefully not die in. And, of course, a pressing question: “As the world loses its humanity, and as the so-called corruption of the forest spreads, one can’t help but wonder—is it really better to remain human? Or would it be best to give in?”
Darkwood 2 is “coming soon” and can be wishlisted now on Steam and the Microsoft Store. For now, you can pick up the original, excellent Darkwood, along with Ice-Pick Lodge’s Pathologic 2, Pathologic Classic HD, and Knock-Knock, all at deep discounts in the annual Steam Scream Fest.
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