Steam Gains Free Sample For 2026 Cinematic Platformer You Shouldn’t Miss
It was at last year’s Gamescom that I first had the opportunity to go hands-on with the delightful Deer & Boy, a cinematic platformer from Lifeline Games.
The game follows, you guessed it, a boy who encounters a deer with magical powers.
It’s a wordless tale. “As their bond grows, so do their abilities and the emotional weight of their journey, where silence speaks louder than words,” the synopsis teases.
Players will have to make use of the deer’s abilities as they puzzle their way through the story.
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In each chapter, the deer is a different age. In the first chapter, he’s just a fawn, so the boy will carry the deer in his backpack and that affects how far he can jump, for example.
As the deer grows in size, that’s when his powers start to kick in. Its antlers can grow, erasing a type of corruption from the world.
“Your companion grows from vulnerable fawn to majestic deer, changing how you play together. Protect your fragile friend early on, then work as equals with evolving abilities,” devs explain.
The story of Deer & Boy is intended to be deeply moving, although devs are keeping the full synopsis of the game pretty secretive.
Deer & Boy Is Perfect For Fans Of Journey
The idea is that this is a low-stakes, short experience that should connect with all players.
It’s definitely been made in the same vein as, say, Journey, Planet of Lana or Endling - Extinction Is Forever.
In my hands-on preview, I said, “I can’t quite tell whether Deer & Boy is going to be a comforting experience or one that’ll break my heart; perhaps it’ll do both. But I can already sense that Lifeline Games has woven together something quite exceptional.”
I continued, “Deer & Boy is stunningly beautiful to behold, with simple but effective gameplay seemingly supporting a resonant story that could make it an all-timer if it sticks the landing. I’m really hoping it does, as I’d love to see it join the likes of Journey in the wordless storytelling hall of fame.”
The game is finally set to release across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC on 23 June.
Ahead of that date, though, you can get a free taste for what it has to offer courtesy of the title’s free new demo on Steam.
The demo allows you to play through an early chapter of the game, so you should get a feel for its mood and premise.
As I said, gameplay evolves throughout, so this is really just a tiny slice of the full product.
There’s no word on whether progress carries over from the demo, but that’s likely not the case.
The full game is expected to last for around four to six hours based on former interviews with Lifeline Games.
Pricing hasn’t been widely shared but physical copies of Deer & Boy are listed on UK retailers for £30.99.
It’s not an extortionate price in today’s market, although people will be weighing up value for money given the game’s supposedly short runtime.
Personally, I’ve been waiting a long time for this one and can’t wait to support Lifeline Games when Deer & Boy lands in just a few weeks.
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Topics: Steam, PC, Indie Games