Ikuma – The Frozen Compass Preview: Potential That Needs a Polish

Ikuma - The Frozen Compass is filled with potential. It’s a title that’s somewhat attempting to do what the excellent Kena: Bridge of Spirits did several years ago; there’s a noticeable rise in video games that market themselves as akin to a playable Pixar movie. I’m all for that given that I’m an enormous fan of animated films, particularly the works of Pixar, but it’s no easy feat to pull off. You need a fantastical world, a heartfelt story, and an accessible but engaging gameplay loop to back that up. After going hands-on with Ikuma - The Frozen Compass at this year’s Gamescom, I can see that all of these milestones have the potential to be met, but the title needs to step it up a notch if it’s to stick the landing.

Developed by indie studio Mooneye Studios, Ikuma - The Frozen Compass takes players to 1864 where they’ll follow the story of cabin boy Sam and loyal husky Ellie who are stranded on an uncharted island. They must endure the elements and uncover a bleak mystery if they’re to find a way home.

I’m fairly certain that visually, Ikuma - The Frozen Compass is going to be something to behold upon release. Right now, the graphics and animations are a tad rough but I’m not going to hold that against the title considering it's not due to launch until sometime next year. That’s plenty of time left to refine and polish. Already through, I’m appreciative and impressed by the game’s stunning vistas. As I travelled across the open snowy plains, I couldn’t help but become lost in the beautiful pink-hued sunrise ahead of me. At another point, I traversed through an ice cavern which shimmered with a wondrous iridescent hue. Ikuma - The Frozen Compass is a game that’s full of beauty.

As for the gameplay, the section I played saw Sam lose his scarf, prompting him and Ellie to set out and get it back from where it sat on a rocky outcrop. Ikuma - The Frozen Compass is a title that can be played solo or co-op; if you do the former, you’ll have to control both characters. Initially, I did just that which was very slightly confusing. You see, this particular build didn’t have much in the way of quest markers or UI so I wasn’t entirely sure what I was supposed to do or where I was supposed to go. I’d assume this might be made more obvious by the time the game is launched.

Ikuma - The Frozen Compass, Credit / Mooneye Studios

A small hole in a nearby ice wall signalled to me that I’d have to switch to playing as Ellie, but I admittedly had to be eventually told to find a rope to allow Sam to join me and thus carry on our journey. The ice cavern I entered was pretty disorientating to navigate, so while I’d assumed I was supposed to find a rope, I ended up discovering the path to continue on without realising I wasn't yet supposed to go that way. It was only when a developer told me I’d gone too far that I realised the error of my ways.

From here on in, we played co-op which ran a lot smoother, likely because I was playing with someone who made the game and knew what they were doing. The next stage of the path continued to see Ellie position the rope for Sam to climb so that the duo could carry on working their way along two parallel trails. Eventually, we then reached an open area with a sled where I, as Ellie, drove us forwards to our next destination.

That was about the extent of what I sampled, and I can’t quite say it was enough to wholly win me over. Don’t get me wrong, there’s something very pleasant about Ikuma - The Frozen Compass but I’d definitely like to see a stronger sense of guidance for the player in a future build as I sense that this is a title that’ll thrive off its heartfelt narrative - of which, I should note, I didn’t really sample any of - and so the gameplay should drive the player forwards instead of encouraging them to wonder aimlessly without a sense of direction.

Ikuma - The Frozen Compass, Credit / Mooneye Studios

I don’t want to come off as harsh; instead, I want to make it clear that I think Ikuma - The Frozen Compass is very much capable of achieving this. It’s difficult to preview a game that’s still deep in development as it seems unjust to pass judgement on a work-in-progress which is why I remain hopeful about the title, despite its current flaws. I’d have loved to have come to understand the game’s story better, but this demo was far more gameplay driven.

Ikuma - The Frozen Compass is most definitely a game that I’ll be keeping an eye on. It’s got several kinks to iron out; its animations need refinement and I’m very much hoping I don’t have such a sense of bewilderment upon playing the final release. This being said, it’s a beautiful looking game and I’m definitely yearning to discover more about its story. It’s one I remain cautiously optimistic about as we head into 2026.

Ikuma - The Frozen Compass is set to launch in 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.