Norway, in the year 965. Shipwrecked on an island after a summer storm, you need to find out what happened to the abandoned village nearby. Its inhabitants seem to have left in a panic and something feels odd. Might be the ice, might be the creepy ghost lady, might be the feeling of impending doom. Time to click on stuff and solve some puzzles, then!
The Frostrune is the first game made by Grimnir, a small Norwegian studio which is positively obsessed with Norse culture and history. It is immediately apparent that a lot of research went into getting small details right and historically accurate. Artworks and items from everyday life are present, and all the voiceovers are in genuine ancient Norwegian.
This creates an incredibly atmospheric experience, which makes the constant backtracking as painless as possible. Moreover, the authentic setting feels like it hasn’t been done to death. Usually, games about Viking culture are all about battle axes, mead, and conquest. The Frostrune lacks all these things and feels altogether more spiritual, for lack of a better term.
It also sets it apart from similar games that offer a static point & click experience and relatively short playtime. I puzzled my way to the end in less than three hours, but it felt quite satisfying and just right. The game isn’t too difficult, but if you find yourself stuck, you can use the in-built hint system.
Overall, The Frostrune is a short, enjoyable adventure game. The love and care that went into creating it is almost tangible, and this should be reason enough to give it a try.
You can purchase The Frostrune from Steam and The Humble Store for $ 9.99 and from the iOS Appstore and Google Play for $ 5 or thereabouts. For more information, visit the game’s website or follow developer Grimnir on Twitter or Facebook.
