A trick for a treat Mundaun is a hand-penciled, first-person horror narrative game. Its story begins with Curdin returning to his home village, nested somewhere in the Swiss Alps, after he is informed via letter from the village's priest that his grandfather died in a tragic fire. Apparently, his grandpa has already been buried so there is no need to travel there... Not suspicious at all! It won't be long that the peculiar circumstances of his grandpa's death will be revealed, implicating an infamous painter and a mysterious old man with a blood-curdling aura and decades-old secrets. Evil is rearing its ugly head to fixate its gaze on the unsuspecting Curdin, who will inevitably realise that he may have finally returned to Mundaun but he maybe not leave it ever again. Elements from the adventure genre creep in its gameplay frequently and something I definitely didn't expect was the inclusion of combat or actually driving a truck -the Muvel! I would describe Mundaun as an augmented "walking sim". What I mean by that is that while there are plenty of actions and interactions within the game that are not found typically in other walking sims (inventory, puzzles, combat, a bit of questing, etc), in its core Mundaun is a narrative game based on the exploration of a heavily atmospheric setting. There are incorporated adventure and action elements but neither is defining the game itself. For example, Syberia 1 & 2 are atmospheric games with an exploration theme, but are clearly focused in puzzle solving -making this the main defining feature of both games and thus anchoring them in the point-and-click adventure genre. Mundaun is a pretty unique experience overall and it was quite a pleasant surprise to find out it deviates from and simultaneously enriches the walking sim genre. Endearingly creepy and amazing in creating a dreamlike atmosphere, Mundaun takes its time unfolding its story -it's definitely a slow burner . Apart from the gradual buildup of horror in the game, you can also expect one or two (or perhaps more?..who knows!) jumpscares. I distinctly recall two times that a well-placed and totally unexpected jumpscare made me flinch and sent me hyperventilating, while cursing and praising the game consecutively. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3539134140 The game encourages exploration. Your weapons are going to be pitchforks and your grandpa's trusty rifle. Battling enemies out feels cumbersome, be it ranged (you are not going to 360 no-scope enemies with the rifle) or melee combat (Curdin's city's-boy living is painfully obvious when he tries utilizing the pitchfork as a weapon). The type of enemies you will encounter in Mundaun is both melee and ranged and there are mechanics for fighting inflammable targets with... you guessed it, fire as well as protecting Curin's delicate face from the fury of bees with thick smoke from his grandpa's pipe. The puzzles in Mundaun are basic yet satisfying. There are three traits to upgrade while playing: Curin's courage, health and handling of the rifle. The first is accomplished by preparing and drinking coffee (I love it!) , maximum health level rises every time you consume food and improving the rifle's handling (i.e. time for epic gamer moments), is made possible by finding manuals scattered throughout the various locations that you will be visiting in the game. All three stats are important as Curdin's resistance to fear allows him to fight (or run) longer when coming in contact with enemies, helping him to fend off that creeping, paralysing sense of dread that comes with fighting otherwordly entities for a few more, yet ever so valuable, seconds. Greater health means more bee stings in the eyes tolerated and the rifle training makes up for poor Curdin's lack of combat experience, which means less swaying the damned thing around and more firing on the enemies. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3547129043 The pines, they often whisper "They whisper, what no tongue can tell" . I would describe the sound in Mundaun as being very deliberate. There are no unnecessary sounds going off or melodies playing in the background: only whatever sound naturally results from your actions and the mountain's beautifully haunting whispers silence. The only notable exception of background music are the radios that you will encounter while exploring or driving the Muvel, filling the air with Romansh songs or other folkloric tunes. However, you can rest assured (or panic uncertain) that when you find yourself in danger you will be alerted by effects such as disturbing violin screeches or chimes. There are also some amazing musical compositions resonating in the main screen and in narrative key points, that fit the tone of the game's theme perfectly. Romansh, an intriquing language rich in history and lore from the south-eastern parts of Switzerland where it is spoken, is heard throughout the entirety of Mundaun. The game is based on several myths of the Swiss alps and Swiss folklore is prevalent, having its evocative imagery presented with a unique artstyle. Still, traces of realism keep the player tethered in this chaotic, creepy surreal world. Mundaun is an underrated gem of not only the indie horror genre but as a game in general. This egregious mistake must be fixed! No more overlooked Mundaun: You can look Mundaun over right after reading this incoherent babbling disguised as a review and help to correct this grave injustice by purchasing the game. I wholeheartedly recommend you experience Mundaun's surreal beauty! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3576669596 [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/46070934/]Care to join me in prayer?