1666: Amsterdam, the long-lost passion project from Assassin’s Creed creator Patrice Désilets, is officially back from the dead. A new reveal trailer dropped this week, and a short playable prologue is already live on Steam.
Désilets, who appeared visibly emotional during the announcement, is leading development at his Montreal-based studio Panache Digital Games. It’s a moment fans had basically given up on after more than 10 years of silence.
The trailer pitches 1666: Amsterdam as a dark historical fantasy action-adventure set in a supernatural version of 17th-century Amsterdam. Footage shows witchcraft-fueled abilities, combat, investigation, rooftop traversal across the city’s canals, and animal-based mechanics that look like they could include companions, possession, or transformation. Some sequences even hint at additional time periods beyond 1666.
Try it yourself but don’t expect fireworks
Alongside the trailer, Panache released a short playable prologue on Steam. Désilets described it as more of an “amuse-bouche” than a full demo. Players who jumped in found a roughly 30-minute slice focused on atmosphere, exploration, story setup, and a memorable sequence involving a cat. Combat, the flashy part of the trailer, isn’t really featured.
Early impressions are mixed. The setting and music are getting praise, while rough animations, performance hiccups, and janky NPCs have drawn some criticism. The game is heading to Early Access on PC, so the build is far from final. No console plans have been confirmed.
Comparisons to Ubisoft’s upcoming Assassin’s Creed Hexe are already flying given the witchcraft overlap, but the two projects are unrelated. 1666: Amsterdam is an independent Panache title and predates Hexe by a decade.
