Among the Trolls Release Date

24 Jul 2026Developer post

Between Realities: Devlog #13

Over the past few months, we've talked to you more than once about the work we're putting into building the atmosphere of Among The Trolls as close as possible to our vision. And how could we do that without paying close attention to what your ears will hear while exploring the i

Over the past few months, we've talked to you more than once about the work we're putting into building the atmosphere of Among The Trolls as close as possible to our vision. And how could we do that without paying close attention to what your ears will hear while exploring the island?

Music and sound effects play a key role in telling the story of every corner of the archipelago, alongside the emotions of Anna and everyone she meets on this journey. So we took the chance to ask a few questions to Daniele Carmosino, Music Composer, and Marcello Radice, Lead Sound Designer at AvantGarden Games. After all, who better than them to tell you about the notes that will accompany you through the forest of Among The Trolls?

Here's your exclusive first listen to Endless Exile, the track you loved in the demo!

Watch on YouTube

Between Two Worlds: Composing the Music of Among The Trolls

A conversation with Music Composer Daniele Carmosino

The game lives on the border between two realities: Anna's real, contemporary world and the ancient world of Nordic myth. How do you translate that duality into music?

The music doesn't illustrate the two worlds from the outside, it doesn't describe them. It focuses on Anna's inner vision, on what she feels and experiences throughout her journey and her discoveries, from family tragedy to desperate loneliness, all the way to her bond with the world and, above all, with nature. So the duality isn't painted, it's embodied in the sound itself, at a timbral level even before a harmonic or thematic one. The palette starts from real, concrete instruments (piano, cello, voices: Anna's tangible, contemporary world) that, through electronic manipulation like extreme repitching, distortion, and layering, become almost unrecognizable while still keeping their organic nature. That's the game's inner, mystical world. The source is always acoustic and "real," but what reaches the player is often a sound they can no longer place: the same disorientation Anna feels, recognizing her grandparents' island but no longer recognizing what she finds on it.

Finnish mythology and landscape are at the heart of the setting. Did you draw on Nordic or Karelian instruments, scales, or musical traditions to shape the soundtrack, or did you prefer a freer way of evoking that atmosphere?

No, and that was a decision we made from our very first conversations with Giorgio Macellari, our creative director: the music wouldn't use anything ethnic or traditional. No kantele, no runolaulu, no philological quotes from Karelian chant. We wanted to give the soundtrack a modern, cinematic feel, with a contemporary, personal sound palette. The music builds a narrative that runs parallel to the game's: it describes events from an emotional point of view and deliberately avoids any concrete, instrumental reference to Nordic mythology. At the same time, it fully absorbs its darkness and tragedy, which in the Kalevala, just like in the game, aren't seen as anomalies but as fundamental parts of the structure of reality.

In a game where tension and loneliness matter as much as action, what was the biggest challenge in composing music that accompanies the player on their journey? Is there a track or a moment in the game you're especially proud of?

These days, when it comes to physical and virtual instruments, you're spoiled for choice, so the hardest challenge was probably the opposite of piling things on: describing a huge variety of scenes and moments, from exploration to cutscenes, from dungeons to combat, with a deliberately limited palette. I tried to use as few instruments as possible: piano, cello, a Sequential Prophet 10, strings, and voices. It's a self-imposed constraint, but it's what gives the soundtrack its identity and consistency across so many hours of gameplay.

The track I'm probably happiest with is "Endless Exile," which plays at the very start, when the player crosses the forest before reaching the house. It began as an idea and a lyric by Giorgio, which I then adapted and set to music, and it's sung by Maria Chiara Argirò, a great Italian artist based in London who's been moving between jazz and electronic music for years. I met her almost by chance through friends, and her artistic path turned out to be perfect for this game. In fact, after that first collaboration, she went on to contribute to three more tracks on the soundtrack.

A game soundtrack isn't linear the way a film score can be, because it has to react to the player's choices and actions. How did you approach the adaptive side of the music (exploration, narrative, dungeons, combat), and how much did that shape the way you compose?

I don't know if it works this way for every composer, but for me music naturally works on multiple layers. There's a base, sometimes the root notes of the chords, sometimes a pad, a sustained cello note, or percussion, and depending on what's needed, I add elements on top of that base before changing it. That's basically the same logic as adaptive music, so moving to the vertical layering system implemented in Wwise was almost painless: I was already composing in overlapping stems. A concrete example: when lykky, the islands' life energy, rises or falls, the music adds or removes layers in real time. When combat starts, another set of layers gets stacked on top of the lykky layers, using the same harmonic structure and tempo as a base, with transitions quantized to the rhythmic grid. The player never notices a change or a cut, yet the music keeps growing in intensity in step with the danger and tension of the game, moment by moment. More than changing how I compose, the game forced me to make explicit an architecture that was already implicit in how I write.

Was there a reference (a composer, a soundtrack, an album, or even a memory or a place) that inspired you while working on the ATT soundtrack?

Yes, there were months of research before production even started. Jóhann Jóhannsson and Hildur Guðnadóttir were constant references. What interested me most about Hildur's work was her method, that idea of starting from real, concrete sources to build abstract sound worlds. But plenty of more electronic stuff went into the brainstorming pot too: Apparat (especially "Goodbye" with Soap&Skin), M83, and some of Low Roar's work tied to Death Stranding. What really defined the sound of the soundtrack, though, was months of free recording and experimentation: the Prophet 10, voices, acoustic and electric cello with the great Chris Unterberger, my Soviet upright piano, a Lirika played by maestro Mark Aanderud, and other musicians who passed through the studio. Everything was then pitched and/or reamped through guitar pedalboards, distortion, and effects chains, until the source material stopped sounding like itself.

The Forest Is Watching: Sound Design in Among The Trolls

A conversation with Lead Sound Designer Marcello Radice

The forest in Among the Trolls is almost a character in its own right: "the forest is watching." How do you build a soundscape that makes the player feel watched, immersed, and potentially always exposed to risk?

My goal with the forest's sound in Among the Trolls was to create a living soundscape, one that constantly adapts to what's happening around Anna. Each biome is defined by the calls of different animal species. Birdsong changes from day to night, and how present the birds are depends on weather conditions: they're noisier when it's sunny and quieter when there's strong wind or rain.

The forest, on its own, isn't threatening. It's present, it's alive. But things change once a Rift opens. As the world grows corrupted, the soundscape gets quieter and quieter, and the animal calls take on unsettling, menacing tones, telling the player it's urgent to restore nature's balance and save it from Hisii's corruption.

Between the natural and the supernatural, portals, dungeons, and creatures, what was the hardest or most fun sound to create? How do you give a voice to something that doesn't exist in the real world?

Without a doubt, the most exciting and fun challenge was designing the monsters' voices. The goal was to create harrowing screams for zombie-like creatures that still let their wooden nature come through. To get there, I recorded vocalizations from Gabriele Gramaglia, a death metal singer and musician. I then layered recordings of wood objects and surfaces being manipulated on top of his screams and growls, to add the characteristic texture and resonance of that material. Everything was then processed further to get the final result.

The game alternates between moments of total quiet and moments of pure danger. How do you use silence as a tool? Can taking sound away be scarier than adding it?

Absolutely. Like I said before, when a Rift opens, the forest transforms: birdsong fades and silence takes over. The sense of loneliness and threat becomes so intense that you can even hear Anna's breathing.

The forest and the dungeons are designed as places with their own identity and their own story. How does your sound palette change from one environment to another?

If the forest is a living, open place, full of nature, animals, and plants that shape its atmosphere with their sounds, the dungeons are places of death instead. Their soundscape is dominated by silence, broken only by distant echoes, the sound of dripping water, and Anna's footsteps, all of which help build a claustrophobic, oppressive atmosphere.

From chopping down a tree to the crackle of fire, from an arrow being shot to meat sizzling over the campfire: how much does the sound feedback of objects and actions matter for making the experience feel believable, and how do you work to make every action feel real?

Working on foley for Among the Trolls was a lot of fun, and the sound feedback for different actions plays a key role in the gameplay. There's a wide range of interactions, and working with the animation team to nail a convincing result for every gesture was really exciting.

The biggest challenge, though, was giving effective feedback to actions that don't have a dedicated animation. Picking up items from the ground, discarding them, combining them in the inventory, eating, or building a bridge are all actions that, for pacing and gameplay reasons, aren't animated. In these cases, sound becomes essential: it fills in what's missing visually and lets the player stay fully immersed throughout the experience.

Everything you'll hear across the archipelago comes from these choices, the hush of the forest, the silence of the dungeons, the sounds in between. All of it exists to keep you close to Anna and the world she no longer recognizes.

Original post

05 Jun 2026Developer post

Between Realities: Devlog #12

Welcome back Adventurers, We’re back with another Devlog after the big announcement regarding our journey to full release. After reorienting the game to a more single-player and storytelling experience, we revised the essence of survival next: crafting . Crafting is the key to pr

Welcome back Adventurers,

We’re back with another Devlog after the big announcement regarding our journey to full release. After reorienting the game to a more single-player and storytelling experience, we revised the essence of survival next: crafting.

Crafting is the key to progression; not only for the basics like weapons, buildings, and cooking, but in Among The Trolls, you’ll brew special magical potions to help you survive dungeons, enemies, and the effects of bad Lykky (more about that here). The use of potions throughout the game is a small adjustment that, we hope, will make the player feel more in between the realities Anna is living in.

Crafting will become your way to fight back in an archipelago filled with monsters who want you dead, becoming your trustworthy aid to reach the end of the story. Craft ammunition, potions, shelters, and fight to uncover the truth.

Additionally, as those who played and completed the demo know, there will be craftable bridges to reach the smaller islands with two variations: magic bridges and normal ones. The magic bridges, in particular, will be needed to repair some mysteriously broken ones. The bridges serve as a great example of how crafting lets you unravel the story one bridge – one island – at a time.

Dev Pills

We have something new in store for you. We worked on a series of short videos, a behind-the-scenes where the developers share their workflow and reasoning behind Among The Trolls. Like Devlogs, but much more than that, as it’s a great opportunity for us to better interact with the players by visually showing our progress and efforts as a team.

Dev Pills #1 and Dev Pills #2 are already out on socials, and they focus on introducing the philosophy of making Among The Trolls, Finnish mythology, and crafting in more depth.

Dev Pills #1

Watch on YouTube

Dev Pills #2

Watch on YouTube

As always, we invite you to follow us on our social media channels (X, Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok) and join our official Discord to share your feedback and stay up to date on our progress.

Take a look inside the minds of the developers and let us know what you think.

See you soon!

Original post

15 May 2026Developer post

AMONG THE TROLLS @ ENDIX Showcase

Hello Adventurers, We have exciting news today… Among The Trolls will be part of the ENDIX Indie Showcase ! We will be taking part in this playable expo on May 23-24 . At the event, you’ll be able to walk through virtual booths , watch trailers and sneak peeks, all while using yo

31 Mar 2026Developer post

Between Realities: Devlog #11

Family is always a sensitive topic, but when a loved one goes missing , everything changes, leaving you with a scar too deep to ignore and a world you don’t recognize anymore. For her family, Anna leaves everything behind, bidding farewell to the life she had built for herself in

10 Feb 2026Developer post

Between Realities: Devlog #10

Hey adventurers, It’s been another hectic month for our dev team. Since our last update, we’ve been hard at work behind the scenes, digging into all the insightful data and feedback from our recent private playtest (a huge thank you to everyone who participated on our official Di

Hey adventurers,

It’s been another hectic month for our dev team. Since our last update, we’ve been hard at work behind the scenes, digging into all the insightful data and feedback from our recent private playtest (a huge thank you to everyone who participated on our official Discord!). Watching you all step into Anna’s shoes for the first time has really helped us figure out what’s next and push forward towards our next big goal.

Today, we’re super excited to share that Among the Trolls will be part of the upcoming Steam Next Fest, and along with that, we’re releasing our very first public demo for everyone to try out.

Crafting... the Demo 🔨

Preparing a demo for a game like Among the Trolls is, to be honest, a bit of a challenge. Unlike a traditional sandbox where every tool is handed to you from the start, our world is a slow burn. The forest doesn’t give up its secrets easily - neither does the story.

We ran into a pretty tough challenge: how do we capture the full feel of the experience in just a small snippet?

A lot of our key features - like the NPC interactions, complex survival and creating mechanics, and the way we tie in both natural and supernatural elements - are actually woven right into the story itself. In the full game, these mechanics are introduced gradually as Anna discovers her roots and learns the old ways of her grandfather.

We therefore had to carefully consider how to build a demo experience, keeping in mind that if we give you everything at once, we spoil the mystery, and if we give you too little, you’ll miss the “soul” of the game.

What to Expect in the Demo 👀

To solve this, we’ve carefully curated a section of the archipelago that highlights the pillars of our survival-adventure. You’ll be able to play non-consecutive sections of the game to experience:

The atmosphere: Experience the raw beauty and tension of the Finnish wilderness. You’ll come across some mysterious landmarks - some of them will be interactive in this demo (others won’t).

Survival and crafting: Collect resources, make your own tools and weapons, dive into the inventory system, and manage your physical needs.

The story: Jump into Anna’s early journey as she looks for her family, and you may meet some colorful characters along the way.

A taste of the supernatural: While we’re saving the biggest mythological encounters for Early Access, keep your eyes peeled. The forest is watching, and your actions will begin to stir the spirits.

Reflections from the Playtest 🎮

The private playtest taught us that you value immersion above all else. We heard your feedback on the “vibe” of the forest and the weight of the crafting systems. Because of that, we’re using the time between now and Steam Next Fest to carefully polish the feel of the world.

If you participated in the playtest, you’ll notice improvements to several features - crafting, tutorials, orientation, hitboxes, and more - as part of our ongoing effort to directly integrate your feedback into the game.

Important Dates 📅

February 12th: Our first public demo goes live

February 19th: Check out the Indie Fan Fest Showcase 👀

February 23rd: Official start of Steam Next Fest (demo update with bug fixes & resolved known issues)

We understand the wait has felt pretty long, but as we gear up for our 2026 launch, this demo marks a really important step forward. It’s a great chance for us to collect even more of your feedback and ideas. That’s why we’re inviting you to join our official Discord - we’ll be creating dedicated channels just for demo discussions, so you can easily share your thoughts and experiences with us!

We can’t wait to see you in the woods. 🌲

Original post

22 Jan 2026Developer post

Between Realities: Devlog #9

In the stories told close to the fire, Portals have never been “convenient doors.” They are oaths of stone , carved with runes and guarded by silences as long as winters. People say the forest swallowed them, then spat them back out when someone speaks the right word. Dungeons ,

In the stories told close to the fire, Portals have never been “convenient doors.” They are oaths of stone, carved with runes and guarded by silences as long as winters. People say the forest swallowed them, then spat them back out when someone speaks the right word.

Dungeons, instead, are places that remember. Stepping inside is like putting your foot into an ancient tale… and finding out that the fairy tale, sometimes, bites.

In the past few months, we’ve talked a lot about the forest that gives life to Among The Trolls. but it won’t be the only place you’ll get to explore.

Scattered across the archipelago are ancient structures resembling portals - gates leading to dungeons you’ll need the courage to face if you want to uncover what truly brought you here. Places with weight, ritual, and personality.

Gates engraved in the Kynnykset

Among birches and lichens, you may catch sight of solitary arches made of ancient stone, marked by a symbol Anna has the unsettling feeling she’s seen somewhere before. Where, is a question only you will be able to answer. These structures - almost out of place - are the portals.

They are not carved into the rock, nor rooted in the earth. They stand in a place called kynnykset, the Threshold. It was the tietäjät - the shamanic keepers of these islands - who forged them with arts few still remember.

Some of these portals lead very far away, others to places that demand careful preparation. You’ll be called to uncover why they exist - and, above all, what they protect. Just keep in mind that the Threshold does not forgive those who cross it carelessly.

Once you’ve located them, opening these gates will require Portal Pages. Think of them as pages bound to a destination… and to its “word.” By using them, you’ll open true passages into Dungeons.

Dungeons, places with their own story

We’ve designed dungeons as places with a distinct identity, each telling a specific story. Without major spoilers, one thing is certain: they are not all the same. Some will be shrouded in mystery; in others, you’ll feel constant tension and be forced to find a way to survive; and some will feel like places someone truly used.

Once you’ve completed their exploration, you’ll be faced with two options: return to the same place where you entered, or emerge somewhere else.

When the exit leads elsewhere, one of our favorite ideas comes into play: an alternate way out - a stone opening, a “different” fissure, a passage that feels like it has been waiting for you forever. But even here, exits aren’t always immediately usable. You’ll need something else before you can change your route.

Each time you find a new page, you’ll know that you’ll be able to open a passage - one that may hide knowledge, treasures, or take you where no other path could ever reach.

Original post

28 Nov 2025Developer post

Between Realities: Devlog #8

" Every hunt is an ancient ritual, a step within a fragile balance. Before drawing the bow or following the tracks of a prey, one must listen to the will of the forest - and honor it. My grandfather used to say that only those who showed respect earned the grace of Mielikki, the

"Every hunt is an ancient ritual, a step within a fragile balance.

Before drawing the bow or following the tracks of a prey, one must listen to the will of the forest - and honor it.

My grandfather used to say that only those who showed respect earned the grace of Mielikki, the goddess of the woods and animals.”

As we prepare to open the doors to the world of Among The Trolls through the Closed Playtest starting in two weeks, many aspects of the game are passing under our radar. Among the latest is one of the pillars of survival within the archipelago: hunting. Recently, we’ve been working on its systems and polishing a few details, and today it’s the star of our deep dive into the game’s features in this month’s devlog.

HUNGER AND FAITH

While we want players to perceive traces of old beliefs and traditions throughout the world, hunting is designed foremost as a practical tool for gathering resources and managing hunger. But the choice of the bow or, later, the spear talk about a very physical relationship with nature. It takes time and energy to gather materials and craft your hunting tools. So, you need to be most efficient as your hunger grows and you get exhausted. You affect nature and nature affects you.

You’ll begin your adventure with the bow’s handle already in your pocket. Like all weapons, the bow is subject to breakage, but even then, this piece to which Anna is so emotionally attached will never disappear from your inventory. You’ll keep it with you and will need to search for resources in the world to rebuild it. We want the bow to feel like a long-term companion rather than a throwaway item, tying weapon progression directly into exploration and scavenging.

Like a lot of things in Among The Trolls, weapons – like the bow – are tied to crafting. Arrows are a resource, and you’ll be able to craft them using the sticks you collect. They allow you to adopt a stealthy, ranged approach, particularly useful for studying your target and hunting highly alert animals like deer, which are a good food source.

You can crouch and move slowly to keep animals from spotting you. This lets you get in position and take a good shot instead of just running in.

If you feel the need to practice your aim, we’ve got you covered: you’ll find Grandpa’s target range behind his cabin. It’s a spot where you can mess around with the bow, see what distances work, and get used to aiming before you head into the woods to hunt for real.

That’s it for this month, and our next - and final - update of 2025 will be all about our closed playtest! We can’t wait to gather your feedback, and we’d like to remind you that you have until December 1st to send in your application and try to join the first wave of testers. Thank you to everyone willing to support us in this journey.

Original post

24 Oct 2025Developer post

Between Realities: Devlog #7

" Grandfather has disappeared, and he has left me this backpack. I remember when I was a little girl: I was fascinated by it. With him we could remain away for two whole days, far from home, thanks to that backpack alone. Inside there was everything we'd need... to make a fire, t

"Grandfather has disappeared, and he has left me this backpack.

I remember when I was a little girl: I was fascinated by it. With him we could remain away for two whole days, far from home, thanks to that backpack alone. Inside there was everything we'd need... to make a fire, to build a shelter, to cook what nature gave us...but also it held some special ingredients for those strange rituals only Grandfather knew about. He said it was old, that it had belonged to his father, perhaps to his ancestors.

Each of them, over time, had added something useful, a small fragment of themselves.

He would open it and lay a cloth on the ground to arrange each object with care: everything found its place, as if in a mysterious and perfect order. As a child he would let me watch, but he always warned me not to touch the Vaky box -"not yet, Anna".

He never parted from that backpack.
It is strange to think that he set out without it."

We’ve talked a lot in previous devlogs about how survival is key in Among The Trolls, so it won’t be hard to imagine how important this month’s focus is for our protagonist, Anna: her inventory.

Every explorer knows how essential it is to have the right tools with them - their backpack becomes an indispensable adventure companion. That’s why we spent quite some time designing and developing the inventory system in Among The Trolls, which is likely one of the elements you’ll use the most throughout your experience.

Instead of the traditional slash eternal 2D inventory management, we opted for the versatility of 3D to allow players to physically interact with their resources. Being able to open Anna's backpack within the game world itself - with the same dynamic lighting and weather effects - felt like the best way to provide you with a better sense of immersion.

Opening the backpack, you'll be able to interact with all you've discovered thus far, and a simple 2D overlay will display the contextual information you need. In addition to managing your resources, the inventory will also allow you to craft tools, weapons, and additional materials by dragging the necessary items to the crafting space, with the help of Anna's journal for recipes. Similarly, you will be able to cook meals by taking items out of your inventory and placing those items in a certain area (the campfire, for example). Stay focused, though - your dinner could burn to ashes in the blink of an eye.

We hope that our blend of a 3D inventory with just the right amount of 2D elements will make your experience both immersive and intuitive, giving you all the information you need to move through it easily - and the freedom to experiment, succeed, fail, and learn.

Original post

22 Sep 2025Developer post

Between Realities: Devlog #6

The world of Among The Trolls is steeped in mystery - some gradually revealed through the story, others more deeply hidden within the forest. Uncovering them is a task for the most attentive explorers, who will slowly piece together details and tales from a distant past. A lot of

The world of Among The Trolls is steeped in mystery - some gradually revealed through the story, others more deeply hidden within the forest. Uncovering them is a task for the most attentive explorers, who will slowly piece together details and tales from a distant past.

A lot of the characters in Among The Trolls are based on the stories in the Kalevala, an epic poem that Elias Lönnrot put together in the middle of the 19th century. He used traditional songs and folk poetry to put together the historical memory of the Finnish people, combining the cosmogonic origins and the mythological cycle into one work. These fascinating writings have been the focus of our in-depth study, to which - in some cases - we have added our own artistic interpretation, as many descriptions of certain entities leave plenty of room… for imagination.

Below, you’ll find some examples of the kind of notes you’ll be able to discover while exploring. Think of them as a small taste - full versions will be waiting for you directly in Among The Trolls. We hope these will spark your curiosity and evoke the sense of wonder we felt while we turned the pages and got lost in those mystical tales.

Ilmatar

The air had a daughter: her name was Ilmatar. Weary of her days and lonesome in the wide halls of the gods, Ilmatar dove down into the wide, gleaming world below. When she descended from the high heavens into the sea, the waves embraced her, and in their union she became the Water-Mother, heavy with a child not yet born.

For nine ages Ilmatar drifted, her womb full, her spirit aching. She lifted her knee above the waters, and a goldeneye laid its eggs upon her. The heat of the nesting grew fierce: Ilmatar, wincing, shifted her knee, and the eggs tumbled into the waves. They shattered not into ruin, but into becoming. From their shards came the world.

The Birth of Väinämöinen

From the darkness of Ilmatar’s womb, the unborn Väinämöinen wept and spoke to the gods, but they would not open the path. And so he opened it himself. For nine years he floated on the waves, old though newborn, until at last he touched land.

A sage from the moment of his first breath, with beard white as river-fog and eyes that had seen the shape of stars from within the womb. He wandered the newborn land alone, until he met Sampsa Pellervoinen, the Son of the Field.

Together they carved space for the seeds of life - cutting trees, sowing grain, calling forth the first harvests of the human age. And so Väinämöinen, son of the sea and of sky-born Ilmatar, became not just witness to the world, but its maker and its memory.

Original post

07 Aug 2025Developer post

Between Realities: Devlog #5

“ It is said that in the waters around the islands, the Aallottaret are hiding. Water nymphs who were once women drowned, consumed by envy for the living. They grab you and drag you down without mercy. I still haven’t figured out whether they do it to keep people from reaching th

“It is said that in the waters around the islands, the Aallottaret are hiding. Water nymphs who were once women drowned, consumed by envy for the living. They grab you and drag you down without mercy. I still haven’t figured out whether they do it to keep people from reaching the islands… or to make sure they never leave.”

Over the past month, we’ve focused on bringing life (and danger) to the waters of Among the Trolls. In today’s devlog, we’ll take a closer look at the swimming system in the archipelago, how it affects exploration - and your survival. Ready to take the plunge?

INTO THE CURRENT

The sea surrounding the archipelago - the one Anna used to secretly swim in during summer as a child, without her grandfather knowing - no longer feels the same. Something is off, and those clear, calm waters that once filled her memories now seem unfamiliar: the water that laps the shore no longer seems to follow the rules of the real sea, as if her swimming skills mean nothing against its hostility. Swimming here has become excessively - and unnaturally - exhausting for Anna.

The islands of the archipelago are home to a variety of environments, but one thing they all share are the sandy shores that stretch into deep waters. Choosing to swim there can be risky - it’s up to you to weigh the dangers.

Movement in water is slower, and can be extremely tiring for Anna. While swimming, stamina drains quickly, and if you push yourself too hard, you'll soon run out of energy and run the risk of drowning.

But not all waters are the same. Swimming in island lakes is certainly less dangerous than swimming in the ocean. Out there, as you move away from the coast, you'll find the dark Deep Sea. If you cross into it, stamina depletes even faster, the world begins to distort and turns hostile. A true boundary, as solid as any wall. You can’t cross the open sea without building a bridge - because some waters are too dangerous and must be avoided at all costs.

And exhaustion isn’t the only threat. Enemies can chase Anna all the way to the shoreline - though they probably won’t follow you into the tides. Still, keep in mind that tools are useless in water: axes, bows, and spears can’t be used until you’re back on land. If Anna falls in with a heavy load, she’ll have to let it go in order to survive. One missed handhold, one misjudged jump, and the current claims another secret for the Aallottaret.

We’re working hard to make the waters of Among the Trolls as unpredictable and mysterious as the landscape. Whether you're wading between islands or simply hearing the wave crashing in the distance, remember: sometimes, it's not what you can see on the surface that you should fear - but what's down below.

That wraps up today’s devlog. The next one will be coming in September!

Original post

20 Jun 2025Developer post

Between Realities: Devlog #4

“These passages… I've never laid eyes on them. Spires of solid stone corridors, built with an architecture I don't comprehend, carved by hands that shouldn't be possible. Did my grandfather hide them from me? Etched on these walls, somehow, I recognize the ancient myths he used t

“These passages… I've never laid eyes on them.
Spires of solid stone corridors, built with an architecture I don't comprehend, carved by hands that shouldn't be possible. Did my grandfather hide them from me?
Etched on these walls, somehow, I recognize the ancient myths he used to speak.
Who built this place - and where does it go?
Perhaps the crow knows more than it's letting on. Time to get some answers.”

Over the past month, we’ve ventured deeper into the mysteries surrounding the dungeons of Among the Trolls, the focus of our fourth Between Realities devlog!

Ready to descend into the depths and uncover more?

INTO THE DEPTHS

Hidden behind thick stone walls and away from prying eyes, deep within the forests that stretch across the archipelago you’ll explore in Among the Trolls, lie places as ancient as the world itself. Here, some secrets are carefully kept out of sunlight.

It’s in these strange - and far from safe - places that the protagonist’s story begins to intertwine with old legends and long-buried truths. With every step, every exploration, you’ll uncover something new.

Work-in-progress screenshots. Assets are still subject to change.

As we craft our dungeons, atmosphere remains foremost in our minds. We want players to have that unique sensation of being lost - of venturing through halls carved by invisible hands, where curiosity alone is the compass. We want you to feel absolutely present in a place outside of time, where a faint glow, your tools, and your keen intuition will be your only guides.

Of course, as you might expect, not all of the encounters will be friendly. The secrets buried deep below have guardians of their own, and these have made the darkened corridors their home. These combat encounters will test your fighting skills and resource management - and you'll need to keep your wits about you to find your way back to the world you once knew.

Work-in-progress video. Assets are still subject to change.

We're working hard to bring all of these elements together, buffing lighting, sound, and all the tiny details to make each dungeon a unique exploration experience. Things are moving along steadily, and we can't wait for you to lose yourselves in the depths - to discover the hidden pieces of story that we've left behind these ancient walls.

As always, we invite you to follow us on our social media channels (X, Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok) and join our official Discord to share your feedback and stay up to date on our progress.

Original post

08 May 2025Developer post

Between Realities: Devlog #3

Another month of intense work has gone by, and it's time for our third " Between Realities " devlog 🪓 This time, we want to update you on the progress we’re making as we move closer, day by day, to the Early Access release. We'll give you a glimpse into some crafting and buildin

Another month of intense work has gone by, and it's time for our third "Between Realities" devlog 🪓

This time, we want to update you on the progress we’re making as we move closer, day by day, to the Early Access release. We'll give you a glimpse into some crafting and building dynamics, with a special focus on something that will allow you to explore areas that initially seem out of reach: bridges!

THE WAY OF THE LUMBERJACK

Over the past month, the team has focused on several core aspects of the gameplay experience. We’ve introduced new crafting logic, defined basic behaviors for various types of monsters, and enriched the game world with assets, atmospheric dynamics, and dungeons. The world of Among the Trolls is coming to life more and more each day, and in such a dense forest, a large number of towering trees is a must - they’re an extremely valuable resource for anyone trying to survive under their canopy.

Naturally, you'll be able to cut down trees on the island and use the wood in many ways, but this action won’t be purely functional: it reflects the relationship between humans and nature - a give and take that must be done with respect.

This month, we’ve worked on improving tree physics and animations - for example, how the trunk falls and splits into different parts. We’ve also refined the look of the logs (which Anna can physically carry), as well as the branches and twigs that can be collected and used for crafting and environmental interactions.

Work-in-progress screenshots. Assets are still subject to change.

Cut wood can be used in a variety of ways, but today we’re focusing on one in particular: building your ticket to explore previously unreachable areas... sturdy bridges.

ALTERNATIVE PATHS: BRIDGES

In the wild world of Among the Trolls, you won’t just find pre-marked roads or convenient trails - sometimes you’ll need to find alternate paths to reach your goals, or even create them yourself.

We recently introduced the bridge-building system, which allows you to use the wood you've gathered to construct custom connections - whether it’s to reach a distant island or to cross a challenging path.

Using a ghost placement system and smart anchor points, you’ll be able to preview where each part of the bridge will go, with full control over the rotation of each piece so you can build around any obstacles. We've worked on feedback systems that will always ensure the structure you’re building is "valid," so you never risk reaching the end only to find you can’t place the final piece.

Thanks to these constructions, you'll gain access to new islands, secrets, and - who knows - maybe even forgotten creatures. Bridges will also require maintenance, and you’ll be able to dismantle the ones you no longer need to recover valuable materials. We can't wait to see all the creative ways you'll use them!

Work-in-progress clip. Assets are still subject to change.

We’ve reached the end of this devlog and, as always, feel free to share your questions with us, they’ll help shape our future devlogs!

We also invite you to follow us on our social media channels (X, Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok) and join our official Discord to share your feedback and stay up to date on our progress.

Original post

Among the Trolls

Updates & announcements