New limited-time Jusant demo lands on Steam

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Don't Nod's beautiful rock-climbing action-puzzler coming to PC, PlayStation and Xbox platforms October 31st

If you've ever wanted to free climb a majestic rock formation without risking your life to do it, now's your chance as Don't Nod has released a new demo for Jusant ahead of its upcoming launch in October.

By no means a traditional adventure, Jusant follows the ascent – literally – of a young climber attempting to reach the top of a sky-high mountain tower. It's an intensely physical journey, as you must "master your climbing tools and watch your stamina meter to successfully navigate this mysterious and changing tower." It isn't a hurried one, though, as you can progress at your own pace as you "figure out how best to use the tools at your disposal to get to where you want to go." Nor is it a completely lonely one, as you'll carry in your backpack a cute little creature made of water called the Ballast, whose echo ability is able to awaken natural elements within range, revealing new paths that would otherwise be inaccessible. Along the way you'll find abandoned remnants of a "bygone civilization" and begin piecing together the mystery of this enigmatic tower's past.

Described as a "meditative action-puzzle" game, Jusant is a very different experience than the acclaimed French developer's usual narrative-driven fare (Life Is Strange, Tell Me Why, Harmony: The Fall of Reverie). Here the emphasis is primarily on the act of climbing itself as you navigate your way through beautifully diverse biomes ranging from "arid, windy slopes" to "tunnels lit only by bioluminescence," each filled with its own unique flora and fauna. You'll climb, swing, jump and shimmy as far and as long as your stamina bar allows, and whenever you find new traces of habitation carved directly from the rock, you're free to wander around and seek clues to the people who once lived there.

The full version of Jusant isn't far off, as the game will arrive as a Halloween treat October 31st on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S (including Xbox Game Pass). There's no need to wait to feel the breeze on your face, however, as a new limited-time demo is available to download on Steam, but only until September 19th.