Scarlet Deer Inn has Kevin curious with its charming medieval look. But he didn’t expect a dark story twist.
I just wanted to deliver cake!
I want to shout at the man who is menacingly approaching me with his sword drawn. But instead, my character Elise slowly backs away, suddenly stumbles and falls down a dark shaft. This escalated quickly!
But it all started so harmlessly. I discovered Scarlet Deer Inn as a free demo at the Steam Next Fest and was immediately enchanted by the screenshots.
They promised an idyllic medieval village populated by hand-stitched (!) people and animals. And an emotional story with fascinating characters. None of that was a lie, but I still hadn’t expected the sudden turn the story took.
A deceptive medieval idyll
At the beginning, my impression seems to be confirmed. As a tavern owner and mother, I take care of some everyday tasks, talk to villagers and the local priest, get annoyed with a stubborn donkey and take care of my daughter. The meanest here is the granny, who makes everyone run errands.
In the first few minutes, I particularly enjoy the well-executed medieval atmosphere. I walk through the alleys of my small village, which fortunately are not full of dirt, as the cliché would have it, and look at the half-timbered and wooden houses.
I’m not just out here sightseeing, though, because Grandma wants me to deliver some cakes to her friends and acquaintances. I also have to think about things like making sure I deliver the baked goods without a crispy crust to the right neighbor – he’s an alcoholic and, on top of that, an easily irritated fellow.
This is where it becomes clear that not everything is fine in my village. But I don’t think anything of it. That’s just how life is sometimes.
A grisly discovery
When the stubborn donkey finally cleared the way, I venture out of the village, because the next cake is for the beekeeper. When I don’t meet him at his farmstead, but I hear noises from the cellar, I decide to have a look – after all, Granny should be satisfied.
Unsuspecting, I walk into the vault, which is surprisingly large, and keep walking. Slowly, an oppressive feeling creeps up on me. I step into a room filled with blocks of ice – and at the end, on a kind of altar, lies a child, motionless and with closed eyes. Before I can think about what is happening here, I hear a sword being drawn behind me…
A Witcher game from the perspective of a tavern landlady?
From that moment on, Scarlet Deer Inn really does remind me a lot of The Witcher. This is due to the combination of an Eastern European medieval setting and an apparently very dark story, in which monsters from Slavic folklore also lurk. The songs on the soundtrack, played on traditional instruments (by the two developers themselves), reinforce this impression.
After my encounter with the murderous beekeeper,my idyllic morning quickly turns into a fight for survival In the corridors of an old mine, I hurry from fire bowl to fire bowl – because deadly creatures await in the darkness. My only help is a lousy torch that barely burns for half a minute before I have to relight it.
So I look for hidden passages and levers to slowly make my way forward. The little puzzles don’t get too hard, I just have to interact with objects around me. Using certain items from the inventory in the right place, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be an option. It’s questionable whether the gameplay will become much more varied.
Nevertheless, Scarlet Deer Inn is already exciting with the beginning of its story, which leaves many questions unanswered. Who knows what dark secret lurks in the mountains awaiting discovery?
The editorial team’s conclusion
Like the other 20 or so demos I wanted to try out at Steam Next Fest, I didn’t take a close look at Scarlet Deer Inn before playing it. But I’m glad I tried it and I’m already looking forward to the finished game, which doesn’t yet have a release date.Because the adventure just feels very much like The Witcher to me, which I also love for its great and unique atmosphere. Scarlet Deer Inn also combines a sober and gloomy medieval world with eerie stories and Slavic myths.
Of course, the question remains as to how long and how well the adventure can tell its story and maintain the great atmosphere of the beginning. Since the game is being developed by only a two-person development team, you probably shouldn’t expect too much scope. But Scarlet Deer Inn could make up for that with how lovingly it is designed.
