Darkwood is getting a sequel. Publisher Hooded Horse dropped an announcement trailer revealing Darkwood 2, with a significant twist in the development lineup.
Ice-Pick Lodge is now handling development. The Russian studio behind the brutal Pathologic series takes the reins from original creators Acid Wizard Studio, who remain attached as consultants. Hooded Horse, known primarily for strategy games like Manor Lords and Against the Storm, is publishing.
The trailer shows a dramatic visual overhaul. Darkwood 2 switches from the original’s hand-crafted 2D top-down perspective to full 3D. The footage suggests a new location entirely, with imagery pointing toward a dried seabed or industrial wasteland. Some viewers noted visual similarities to the Aral Sea region.
The first Darkwood launched in 2017 from Polish studio Acid Wizard. It built a cult following through oppressive atmosphere, a unique cone-of-vision system that limited what players could see despite the top-down view, and a punishing day-night cycle. Players scavenged during daylight hours, then barricaded themselves and survived nighttime assaults.
The game earned praise for environmental storytelling and sound design that created dread without relying on jump scares. Acid Wizard famously uploaded their own game to The Pirate Bay as a “safe” pirated version, cementing their reputation among indie fans.
Ice-Pick Lodge brings its own reputation for uncompromising survival design. Pathologic and its 2019 follow-up, Pathologic 2, are notorious for resource scarcity, time pressure, and bleak narratives. The studio also created surreal horror experiments like The Void and Knock-Knock.
The developer swap makes creative sense. Both studios share a design philosophy centered on atmosphere over spectacle and systems that create tension through scarcity rather than combat.
When the woods get polygons
Hooded Horse confirmed the trailer footage comes from an early work-in-progress build. Expect significant changes before release.
No release date or platform list was provided. The shift to 3D has already got fans of the original’s distinctive art style talking, though the survival-horror core appears intact.
The original Darkwood featured multiple endings with ambiguous narrative threads. Whether Darkwood 2 serves as a direct sequel or explores similar themes in a new region remains unclear. The apparent setting change suggests the latter approach.
