Demo for NubiaPhobia nothing to be afraid of

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Darkly comic point-and-click adventure from Tonguç Bodur coming to PC on Steam in September

Those familiar with the work of Tonguç Bodur know exactly what to expect by now: short, gameplay-lite adventures exploring gorgeous photorealistic environments in first-person 3D. For his next game, however, the upcoming NubiaPhobia, you'll need to forget everything you think you know about the indie Turkish developer. 

The game puts players in the shoes of Nubia, a wide-eyed young girl who lives with her grandpa in a secluded medieval-style small town. Nubia is living a carefree life until suddenly an evil witch complete with green skin, pointy hat and flying broom appears and attacks the village. The only way to be rid of her is for young Nubia to travel around the world using her grandpa's airship and collect the five sacred keys to a locked chest at the center of town. And so the young protagonist sets off on a journey to five different regions, from mountains to deserts to snow-covered ruins, each concealing one of the five keys she needs. 

Fans of Bodur's games like the Bottle, Nephise and Drizzlepath series will surely be expecting more of what they're accustomed to, but NubiaPhobia couldn't be more different. Promising a blend of "horror and humor," this is a classic-styled, third-person point-and-click adventure presented in a bright and colorful cartoon art style, with bizarre characters to talk to, items to collect and puzzles to solve. At first you'd be tempted to think it's a children's game, especially with its cheery, sing-songy opening musical number. Before long, however, the game's darkly funny side shows through: A close-up of Nubia's smiling, blood-spattered face as an (unseen) butcher's chicken is beheaded, a "talk" icon that looks like a serpent's mouth, and a shirtless Santa Claus in the jungle with this turkey-craving "deer" are just a few of the deliciously, somewhat sadistically bonkers sights you'll encounter in your travels, accompanied by dialogue much saucier than you'd expect from someone so young. 

The full version of NubiaPhobia is due to arrive on Steam on September 25th, but if you'd like a small taste of what to expect, a playable demo is available now to download for Windows PC.