V Publishing and developer Bad Ridge Games have announced that Mirthwood will be released September 11, 2024. The game is a murky, cozy, open-world life simulation RPG inspired by titles like Fairy tale AND Star Dew ValleyIn this game, you get to experience the life that your moral choices create for your character, whether they are good or bad.
Mirthwood blends genres to create something completely unique from the games that inspired it. In this world, you must carve out a life for your character and carve out an existence that is largely based on the choices you make for them. You can have them farm and live a humble life while they aid the locals, or turn them into bloodthirsty warriors who take even the last scraps that the poorest in society have just because they can. Whatever you do, your character’s life will follow a path.
An RPG Gamer’s Dream
Mirthwood relies on player agency and lets you be whoever you think your character is. I had a blast playing a very specific type of character in Baldur’s Gate 3but Mirthwood feels like it could take that freedom of choice and role-playing and put it in an open world where all your actions will have very real consequences.
Narrative mechanics will make events in the world happen around you, helping to shape your character’s story with tiny nudges that affect the world. A plague or winter might devastate crops and force your character to steal to survive, or an exotic trader might sail into port and offer you an item that will change your fate.
I really like how the trailer depicts a character mysteriously dying from mushroom poisoning. It sounds like the culmination of a story where your character was bullied to the point where they used their knowledge of nature to defeat this horrible NPC. Or maybe they just wanted to be the local herbalist and eliminate the competition.
Bad Ridge Games co-founder Brian Hecox explained: “The development Mirthwood was a labor of love for our small indie team. Creating an open-world RPG with life simulation and simulation elements is no easy feat, but launch day is just the beginning. We can’t wait for players to immerse themselves in their own character. The experience is designed around freedom of choice, navigating moral choices or surviving in the wild without worries. Discover the path of an adventurer or choose a cozy life on a farm, the choice is yours.”
I would be really ecstatic if Mirthwood is as open and animated as it sounds, allowing you to create any kind of life you want for your character. I want to be able to kill a werewolf during a full moon and sell mythical medicine to the locals. We’ll have to wait and see what exactly the story involves when the game releases in September.
