Guayota alights on PC and Nintendo Switch

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Demo also available for Zelda-inspired 3D puzzler inspired by Lovecraftian horror and the mythology of the Canary Islands

Video games have opened windows into many cultural mythologies over the years, but one left largely (if not entirely) untapped is the lore behind the Spanish Canary Islands. Until now, that is, as indie developer Team Delusion's newly released 3D puzzler Guayota promises to blend Canarian myths with "European medieval legends, and certain influences of Lovecraftian horror."

The year is 1506, and the Spanish Crown has charged you and a group of fellow explorers with seeking out the island of Saint Brendan, which Guanche legend claims to be Paradise on Earth. Locals say the island is shrouded in fog, hidden from those who consciously try to find it. Eventually you'll make it there, but in doing so you find yourself separated from your companions. Now alone, your attempts to find them will see you venture into a series of temples to the ancient gods, each "guarding a deep secret and offering a piece of the island's mysterious past." But beware the answers you seek, as those secrets you uncover may prove to be darker than such a seemingly utopian place may have led you to believe. (The game is named after an evil god that lives in a volcano, after all.)

Rather than a traditional adventure game, Guayota is an isometric 3D puzzler inspired by The Legend of Zelda series, minus the combat. Death is ever-present, as the environments are filled with traps eager to send careless explorers to their doom, but keen observation and careful planning are the keys to success rather than quick reflexes. Armed only with your torch, you'll need to plot your course smartly and "utilize the powers of fire, lights, and lasers to navigate through temples and solve their enigmas." Each temple has its own types of obstacles, and the challenges will become increasingly more complex along the way. To progress you must make use of two distinct modes of navigation: the "Real World" and "The Plane of Madness" that reveals things a deceptive reality may be concealing, switching between the two dimensions at will. 

Paradise seekers can get started right away, as Guayota can now be purchased for Windows PC and Switch, or you can take a tentative first step through the playable demo available on Steam and the Nintendo eShop.