Featured Image Credit: SolidCore Games
Topics: Indie Games, Steam
Little Nightmares has kind of sat within its own niche ever since it first debuted all the way back in 2017, and no game has really managed to recapture that same combination of cute and creepy in a puzzler package.
Plenty have tried, and many have been very solid efforts in their own right, but the success of Little Nightmares is reasonably unique in the genre.
That said, a new contender is about to enter the proverbial field, and it appears to have all of the same hallmarks that could see it be a bit of a sleeper hit when it does release.
The Steam page for Floralis gives us a great look at what we can expect from the game. This narrative-focused puzzler leans into creepier elements within its world, whilst still retaining a relatively cute central character and overall theme.
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In the developer's own words, Floralis is "set in a world where plants have evolved into predators".
It adds: "You play as one of two sisters grown from the same tree. When your twin disappears, you must cross the living jungle to find her. You will hide from predators, explore ruins, reactivate mysterious objects, and discover small, personal moments of joy.
"As you piece together what happened to the old world, you will come to realise the truth of your birth and your place in the new ecosystem."
At around five hours for the main story, it isn't the biggest game you'll ever play, but with multiple solutions and paths to the inevitable conclusion, there should be plenty of replayability there.
A big part of the gameplay is the focus on the environment and how you interact with it as the player. To progress through levels, you'll need to experiment to see what you can interact with, possibly even leading to secret areas.
Equally, plants play a major role, reacting to light and the your actions, leading to additional mechanics and gameplay features.
The jungle the game is set in is filled with forgotten machines, many of which still work. You'll be able to use these to your advantage, as well as tinker with man-made environmental features, as you attempt to avoid the monsters that stalk your every move.
The only bad news is that the full game doesn't have a release date just yet, but in the meantime you can take advantage of the free demo to see if it's one you want to keep an eye on.