Hawthorn is an upcoming game being developed by NEARstudios, a team led by Heather Cerlan and Jason Richardson, both of whom have experience working at Bethesda and other well-known studios. The game is inspired by Victorian-era European fairytales and 80s and 90s adventure stories, featuring anthropomorphic animals living in a fantasy world. Players will have the opportunity to build a village, interact with NPCs, and explore the game’s rich and layered sandbox environment.
One of the unique aspects of Hawthorn is its blend of cozy gameplay elements with a hyper-realistic art style. While many games in the cozy genre, like Stardew Valley, focus on wholesome and cute aesthetics, Hawthorn aims to stand out with its more detailed and gritty visuals. According to Cerlan, the game will offer sandbox gameplay with a focus on building up a village inhabited by AI-controlled animals and cooperative friends.
The game’s concept of “an intimate Skyrim sandbox meets a Stardew Valley village simulation” is certainly intriguing, especially in an industry where fundraising can be challenging. As of now, Hawthorn does not have a release date or a publisher, but it is expected to eventually come to PC via Steam.
It’s worth noting that Bruce Nesmith, who was the lead designer on Skyrim, is also involved in the development of Hawthorn, which adds to the game’s potential appeal to fans of open-world RPGs. With its unique blend of gameplay elements and talented development team, Hawthorn has the potential to offer players a fresh and engaging gaming experience once it is released.
Overall, Hawthorn’s combination of cozy village simulation gameplay, detailed art style, and talented development team make it a game to keep an eye on in the future. As the team continues to work on securing funding and developing the game further, fans of Animal Crossing, The Elder Scrolls, and similar titles may find Hawthorn to be a refreshing and exciting addition to the gaming landscape.
