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Tunic 2022
Tunic is a 2022 action-adventure video game created by Isometricorp Games and released by Finji. The game takes place in a broken fantasy realm where players control an anthropomorphic fox tasked with freeing a trapped fox spirit contained within a crystal. Exploration plays a central role, as players uncover the world’s mechanics and history through environmental storytelling and physical in-game manuals filled with illustrations, notes, and cryptic text. Most of this writing system is fictional and not meant to be understood by the player.
Andrew Shouldice, who designed the game, worked on Tunic alone for seven years before bringing on collaborators. He started development in 2015 aiming to blend difficult gameplay with soft visual and sound design. His inspiration stemmed from early experiences playing Nintendo Entertainment System titles such as The Legend of Zelda (1986), and the challenge of interpreting manual content without full context. During production, Shouldice was joined by composers Terence Lee and Janice Kwan, audio designer Kevin Regamey, developer Eric Billingsley, and producer Felix Kramer. Finji entered the project in 2017 and officially unveiled Tunic at E3 2017.
Released in March 2022 for macOS, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, Tunic later came to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 in September. Critics praised its style, structure, and player experience, though some noted inconsistent challenge levels and moments where players could become trapped. The game earned the Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game award at the 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, along with Artistic Achievement and Debut Game honors at the 19th British Academy Games Awards.
Trailer
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Crew
- Designer
- Andrew Shouldice
- Artist
- Andrew Shouldice
- Music
- Terence Lee (Lifeformed), Janice Kwan
Details
- Developer
- Isometricorp Games
- Publisher
- Finji
- Platforms
- macOS, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Modes
- Single-player
