The top-down survival horror game Darkwood is getting a sequel, according to Hooded Horse Publishing. The original started in early access for several years under its developers, Acid Wizard Studio, and did not fully release until 2017. However, upon Darkwood’s full release, it received glowing reviews from Steam Users, and the current rating of the game stands at 94% positive. Players praised the game’s bleak environments and surrealist Eastern-European setting, and attested to its challenging gameplay bolstering the horror it delivered. Based on this feedback, it makes sense that the indie gem would get another entry in its stark world, but it is unexpected that the original developers are seemingly not at the helm of production for Darkwood 2. Hooded Horse, the sequel’s new publishers, announced the sequel as being developed “in consultation” with Darkwood’s original developers in a tweet posted yesterday.
The new developers for Darkwood 2, the Russian-based Ice-Pick Lodge, most famous for the similarly surrealist survival game Pathologic, confirmed in a tweet reposted by Hooded Horse studios that they are heading development for the game.
In the Steam news event linked in the tweet, Ice-Pick Lodge cites Acid Wizard Studio as being “a team whose work we deeply respect.” Additionally, they praise Hooded Horse’s publishing record, recognizing the success of other indie titles Empires of the Undergrowth, 9 Kings, and Against the Storm. Both sides of Darkwood’s new production team seem enthused to work on the project, but neither provide an explanation of why Acid Wizard Studio does not have a larger role in the making of the sequel. However, looking at the developer’s Twitter history, there are a string of posts dated to August of 2023 that offer some answers.
Acid Wizard Studio explains that following the release of the 1.4 update for Darkwood, the studio will be “going on hiatus for the foreseeable future.” The developer’s Twitter bio also currently reinstates their “hiatus.” Also of note, in the fourth of the string of posts, Acid Wizard Studio says that “We have been talking to some amazing people who could make a sequel for Darkwood…” which could have signaled the beginning of the relationship with the sequel’s new developers and publisher.
As of right now, there is no release date for Darkwood 2, but it is available to wishlist on Steam. Regardless of the sequel’s shift in development, the creative muscle and proven background of both Ice-Pick Lodge and Hooded Horse Publishing is a good sign that Darkwood 2 will prove just as memorable as the first one.