Kumarn: The Wandering Spirit making its way soon to Steam

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Little Nightmares-style survival horror rooted in Thai folklore unveiled for PC and consoles

If you like the thought of some Little Nightmares-styled creep-outs with a bit of spicy Thai flavouring, then feast your eyes (for now) on Kumarn: The Wandering Spirit, an upcoming survival horror from indie Bangkok-based developer WereBuff Studio.

The titular Kumarn is a "childlike spirit once worshipped at a village shrine" who finds himself suddenly "torn from his sacred home and cast into a haunting world of restless ghosts and cursed places." Now, armed only with his wits and courage, Kumarn must embark on a "surreal journey to face his fears and search for a place called home." There's potential peril everywhere, as Kumarn must "explore twisted renditions of Thai landmarks and outwit terrifying spirits pulled from age-old myths – including Mae Nak, the Krasue, and Phi Ta Khon." At times he'll be accompanied by his faithful zebra companion and mystical guide, Zeb, but when Zeb is kidnapped or otherwise separated from Kumarn, you're on your own to "survive the dangers that lurk around every corner." 

Kumarn wears its Little Nightmares inspiration blatantly on its sleeve, with its grim lighting, brooding atmosphere, minimalist storytelling, and hideous monstrosities that require a combination of "stealth and environmental puzzle-solving" gameplay to outsmart. However, here the developers are intent on firmly rooting it all in Thai culture and Southeast Asian folklore. The action takes place in a 50-year-old grotesque, nightmarish version of Thailand, in which players will make their way through shrines, "forgotten temples, haunted villages and forsaken graveyards," each eerily depicted using the Unreal Engine with "a dash of horror" mixed in across six distinct chapters. Prepare to use the environment to your advantage in overcoming physical obstacles, in between having to "hide, think, sneak and run" in a frightening attempt to "rediscover where you truly belong."

No firm target release date has yet been announced, but Kumarn: The Wandering Spirit will be launched soon on Steam for Windows PC, followed by console versions later on.