There’s a bit of a meme in the indie video game industry when it comes to titles from a single creator: One side of the meme says that the title in question deserves nothing but the highest praise simply out of respect and kudos for the achievement. The other extreme has reacted to the first, taking things in a cynical direction regardless of the quality of the game itself. The reality, as in most things, is somewhere in the middle. Yes, a single-creator title is an impressive feat that should be applauded (and often is in the marketing material), but the game still must be measured against the same standards as other titles in the industry.
I’m happy to say thatMundaunis a stellar example of what solo-creator titles can be. It’s a stylish indie game with a singular vision driving its unique visuals, folklore-focused story, and satisfying scares, delivering an unforgettable experience. In such games, the buck stops with the creator, for better or worse. So whileMundaunmay have the occasional clunk when it comes to movement controls and doesn’t always connect the dots for things like mapping out your player’s place in space, the style, story, and scares more than make up for any shortcomings. And with the title now available on just about every gaming platform out there, I strongly encourage anyone and everyone to check it out ASAP. My full review follows below.
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Here’s the official synopsis forMundaun:
A lovingly hand-penciled horror adventure by Hidden Fields, a one-man studio founded by Swiss programmer and illustrator Michel Ziegler, slated to release on PC and consoles on June 12, 2025.Mundaunis a tale set on the darker side of the Swiss Alps, with a story rooted in the chilling folklore of the region. Players follow a young man who travels to the town ofMundaunto investigate the mysterious circumstances behind his grandfather’s death. Along the way, he discovers that something old and diabolic is haunting the eccentric residents of the town. Players will solve a number of hand-crafted puzzles to uncover the secrets ofMundaun, and must also avoid triggering the game’s unique fear system, a “cause-and-effect” gameplay feature which impacts players if they become scared.
Before I get to my review, check out the new launch trailer to get a better sense of the art style and tone:
The best place to begin a conversation aboutMundaunisn’t even with the story itself, a story steeped in unfamiliar folklore (unless you happened to grow up in the shadow of the Swiss Alps or in a household where such stories were commonplace). It’s the visuals ofMundaunthat should grab you well before the story sinks its devilish hooks into your skin. Ziegler’s hand-drawn graphite artistry suffuses every frame of this game by design. There’s a simultaneously simplistic appeal and monochromatic harshness to this artistic medium, one that applies quite well whether you’re wandering through the bucolic alpine countryside, struggling against the harsh high-altitude climate, or running for your life from various demonic forces. Ziegler’s art brings both a warmth and frigidity toMundaundepending on the occasion, and that makes this picture-book story and its well-drawn characters all the more compelling.
Ziegler recently chatted with Sony’s PlayStation blogabout his approach toMundaun, including his specific art style. Here’s a glimpse at how Ziegler’s artwork went from 2D hand-drawn sketches on paper to 3D creations animated within software and, eventually, the game itself:
The character designs themselves have a particular and a peculiar look to them, making something I’ve never really seen in a video game before. It’s almost like the blocky polygons of late ’90s video games wandered out of the paintings a German Expressionism art gallery and came to life. Because Ziegler attempts to take 2D drawings and wrap them around 3D character models, the game’s heroes, villains, and monsters alike all take on an otherworldly appearance that’s oddly endearing in a very specificallyMundaunkind of way. That slightly off-kilter design carries over to the world and dwellings as well.
From countryside barns and cottages, to mountain tunnels and covered bridges, to high-altitude ski lifts and underworld caverns, Ziegler’s pencil strokes bring the very land ofMundaunto life. So even when it takes your protagonist Curdin a while to get to where he’s going (either on foot, in the delightful farm truck known as a Muvel, or even on a sled), it’s always with the sense of the atmosphere in a given place. But as in all things that are worth doing right, the devil ofMundaunis in the details. And there are plenty of them scattered throughout the game.
As Ziegler himself says, the chapel inMundaunis one of the best places in the early game to see his hand-drawn art up close and on display. Get a look at it IRL and in-game below:
To get too deep into the story would be to give away the experience ofMundaun. Drawn in by the visuals, the story itselfliterallydraws Curdin into the events of a tale that’s been in motion since long before he was born.Mundaunis as much a generational tale as it is a cautionary one, making for a perfect melding of fiction, folklore, and fairy tale, complete with touching emotional arcs, dark humor, and rare moments of childlike levity. It’s rare that we get to play games with that kind of approach, but that’s what we have here.
Don’t expect Curdin to go all John McClane on enemies who get in your way; he’s better off surviving through wit, patience, and, honestly, retreating. If and when Curdin (and you, the player) gets stuck somewhere along the way, be sure to check your journal and inventory to see if a new clue has been unearthed. It might be mundane, or it might be laugh-out-loud bizarre thanks to Ziegler’s sense of humor and folksy peculiarities, but it will almost always be useful.
However, not every locale or puzzle will be able to be solved the first time you encounter it. Some mysteries will take an entire playthrough (or more) to be resolved.Mundaunfeatures a solid and contained loop of the local area around the title town. This, combined with Curdin’s “everyman” status and the pure atmospheric mood throughout, makes this indie game feel like a spiritual sibling to titles likeSilent Hill. So while you might neverwantto revisit certain areas of the game after encountering them, you might just have to in order to move forward …
Check out the following behind-the-scenes videos to get a sense of the structures and settings in the real world that inspired recreations within the game itself:
One of my absolute favorite features ofMundaunin addition to everything mentioned above is that the story actually has a somewhat branching narrative with actual repercussions based on your choices and decisions. Lots of games, especially long and rambling modern RPGs, give players the illusion of choice only to end up telling whatever story the Devs wanted to tell, regardless of the player’s own decisions.Mundaunmakes you sit with your chosen actions and deal with the aftermath, come what may. I love that. Not only does this increase the feeling of engagement with the material, it encourages multiple playthroughs because, yes, there are multiple endings. The one I happened to get was a nice surprise to yours truly. And even better, I know just where to go back to in order to change my fate and see what else could have befallen Curdin and the town of Mundaun.
Overall,Mundaunis a surprisingly balanced and solid game from a solo creator. Sure, some of the movement controls for Curdin and various vehicles can get a little frustrating (I played with keyboard and mouse; controllers might smooth this out), and the monochromatic visuals do make it difficult to distinguish certain things in the environment from time to time, but these are mere bumps on the road. Ziegler’s vision shines through from beginning to end, even in the darkest places of Mundaun and in the most desperate times for Curdin & Co. More spooky than scary (though a couple jump scares definitely caught me by surprise), and more folksy than fantasy*, this title is something special.Mundaunis one of the best indie games of 2021 and should absolutely be on your wishlist if not in your library.
