The Outerhaven checked out Dying Light: The Beast:

Dying Light: The Beast Gameplay Preview – Hands-On Impressions From Summer Game Fest 2025

Thanks to a hands-on opportunity during Summer Game Fest 2025 Play Days, I was able to play Techland’s Dying Light: The Beast, an upcoming action-adventure set in the Dying Light universe and starring returning character Kyle Crane. In Dying Light: The Following, players had to choose Kyle’s fate, either by nuking the city he tried to save or sacrificing himself to protect the citizens of Harran. Dying Light: The Beast reveals that Kyle chose the latter, which led to him being captured, tortured, and experimented on by a figure known as “The Baron” for the next 13 years.

By some twist of fate, Kyle eventually escaped and has now returned to exact payback on The Baron for everything he did to him. Something along the lines of “Revenge is gonna hurt you a lot more than it hurts me.” Or at least that’s how I think that’s how the saying goes.

[...]

Failbetter Games announced their new RPG Mandrake:

Mandrake || PC Gaming Show 2025 Announcement Trailer

You are the last of the Mandrakes, a sorcerous line of gardeners. At long last, you’ve returned to your family's abandoned home. Make friends, tend your gardens, and put down roots. Fish, gather and delve in the wilds. Make a place for yourself, and uncover the mysteries your family left behind.

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The Turn Based Lovers checked out the tactical RPG Ex Sanguis:

Ex Sanguis, the New Tactical RPG from Othercide’s Developers Looks Equally Stunning

Othercide Developers are back with new Tactical RPG Ex Sanguis

Othercide was undeniably one of the most stylish tactical RPGs in recent years. It stood out with an impressive blend of graphic design, a unique concept, and a setting that was far from ordinary.

Now, Lightbulb Crew, the Franco-Swedish studio behind the 2020 roguelite that had players commanding The Daughters as humanity’s last line of defense, returns with a new RPG titled Ex Sanguis, which looks to be equally stylish.

Details are scarce for now, but the Steam page is already live, offering a few screenshots that unmistakably echo the developers’ earlier work. The maps bear a strong resemblance, as do the stylized character designs.

[...]

PC Gamer reports that Dying Light: The Beast is back on track:

Techland boss says Dying Light 2 'forgot' what made the series special, but Dying Light: The Beast gets back on track: 'For us, this really is Dying Light 3'

The Beast is not the standalone expansion I thought it'd be.

My first surprise of Summer Game Fest came with the very first game I played. Dying Light: The Beast looked excellent in my hour-long demo, which I did not expect coming off Techland's previous disappointing sequel, Dying Light 2: Stay Human.

The Beast is leaving everything distinctly Dying Light 2 behind—its crowded city, characters, and wonky dialogue choices—and instead making a direct follow-up to the original Dying Light, with its main character Kyle Crane returning. In an interview with PC Gamer at Summer Game Fest, Dying Light franchise director Tymon Smektała was humble about Techland's missteps with Dying Light 2.

"With [Dying Light 1], we really managed to create a game where every piece fit together, and maybe we didn't appreciate it enough," he said.

[...]

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Learn more about Atomic Heart 2:

Mundfish Summer Games Showcase’25 Extended | Atomic Heart 2, The CUBE, ILL

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Learn more about supernatural creatures in Nightborn:

Creatures of the Night, Part 1

Supernatural Creatures

Vampires may be one of the more numerous Supernatural creatures that stalk the Night, but one of the reasons Nightborn are such social animals is for the protection their numbers grant against the other threats in the darkness.

Nightborn are not alone. Some Nightborn may trade, traffic, or make deals in Underworld markets while other creatures make war with Vampire-kind. Some may be controlled with the powers of the blood or dark ritual magic. And still there are others which are too mysterious or incomprehensible to engage and walk away in one piece.

Therianthropes

Werewolves, Weretigers, Wereboars, and far stranger Human-Animal amalgamations can hide amongst mortals almost as well as Vampires. Therians, often call Lycans or more informally Werewolves, have powers to change shape, camouflage with their surroundings, fog memories, and cover their tracks.

Their closeness to humanity often puts Werewolves at odds with Nightborn, though sometimes treaties and pacts get made, usually with provisions for dividing lines for territory and resources. Even so, some of the more infamous supernatural wars have happened between Werewolves and Nightborn.

Werecreatures can take many shapes, but the most commonly observed is the hybrid human/wolf form, which is deadly to mortal and Vampires alike. Nightborn see lore on Werewolves as highly valuable, and as Nightborn try to keep their own secrets about their weaknesses, Werewolves do the same and keep their capacities and limitation close to the chests.

Cryptids

Bigfoot, the Chupacabra, and about every Creepypasta you've ever heard of might actually exist in the world of Nightborn. From ancient legend to modern internet viral horror stories, the things which go bump in the night are here and best avoided.

Many of Cryptids do not distinguish between Vampires and mortal humans, so their dangers, curses, and horrors could be as dire to Nightborn as the legends tell. Luckily, as a Nightborn, you have a suite of powers to help thwart your doom from these relics of the past and future.

Not much is known to the Nightborn about Cryptids, in general. They seem to each be different and follow their own logic and rules or lack thereof. Nightborn scholars seek a unifying theory behind the nature of Cryptids, if such a thing is even possible.

Magicians

Witches, Wizards, Warlocks, and even magical practitioners whose titles don't begin with "W" are another consistent group of competitors/collaborators which Nightborn will tolerate or battle depending on their interests and circumstances at the moment.

Magicians are no conjurers of cheap tricks. Their studies, rituals, and bargains charge them with magics which makes them more than human and should be treated as such. Those of the Arcane Arts are cornerstones of the Underworld, conducting trade between Supernatural creatures or jailing those who are too troublesome in eldritch wards or pocket dimensions.

There are many paths to magic, and many Nightborn covet the powers of these Sorcerers as they resemble Vampire magics, yet seem unattainable and irreplicable for the Nightborn. Nightborn-Magician relations are often strained, yet both sides have a difficult time hiding their fascination with the other.

Undead

Revenants, Ghouls, and Ghosts haunt the cursed places of the Earth. Nightborn are technically Undead, yet bare very little similarity to the other varieties. Shambling corpses rarely show any other motivation than eating brains and specters don't have physical bodies which makes for a difficult social life.

Zombies hunt in areas cursed by Necromancy, particularly Graveyards, Crypts, and Catacombs. Spirits of the dead linger in areas of importance to their life and the trauma of their death. Incorporeal Undead are notoriously hard to get rid of as they lack a physical body to destroy.

Nightborn often deal with Undead either via their own Necromantic Rituals or those of their adversaries. Revenants make for cheap guards and intrusion deterrence for areas you don't want others lurking.

Faeries

Masters of Dreams and Nightmares, the Fae come in many shapes and sizes. Some are recognizable as Elves, Trolls, or Goblins, yet others appear more absurdist or surreal. One thing is for certain: they are not here to lead you on an adventure in a magical land, and are more likely to steal your mind, life, or face.

Nightborn do their best to avoid Fairies, as they have been at odds for centuries, with some Vampires and Immortal Fae being old enough to remember why. The Fair Folk don't play fair, but there is always a tale in a book somewhere hinting on how to deal with them.

The only common ground that can be found is in a Goblin Market found in only impossible spaces. Even there, Vampires should be wary, as it is the Fae's home turf, though it is know Fae must honor any deal they make. Make sure to read the fine print.

Horrors

Unspeakable things lurk deep in the oceans, far in the wilderness, and beyond the stars. Horrors are monster that even monsters fear. Horrors cannot be reasoned with, those some may be appeased through odd nonsensical and rituals which often resemble atrocities rather than sacred rites.

Lesser Horrors include Krakens and Leviathans, and they only get harder to comprehend from there. Some Horrors are made from a thousand stitched together corpses while others only can exist half-way in our reality with their other half existing in a dimension of pain & terror. Glimpsing such an abomination can drive mortals and immortals alike into a gibbering madness.

Trying to traffic or bargain with Horrors is pure folly. Running is the best course of action in the rare time is an option. Some long-lived Nightborn argue it is better to observe a Horrors appeasement ritual at great cost rather than risk a Horror running free in the world. Thankfully, Horrors are exceedingly rare.

Mythics

Djinn, Devas, and Demons are some examples of some creatures Nightborn have categorized as Mythics. Mythics have ties to Gods & Demigods of the Ancient World. Only the Eldest of Vampires know if the Gods ever truly existed, but some of their alleged servants and enemies can still be found in modern nights.

Mythics have their own motivations, cultures, and creeds. Their true purpose, weaknesses, and needs often don't match up with the tales about them. Figuring out their specific patterns is a dangerous task, yet often necessary to gain any advantage.

Mythics are known for their willingness to bargain, barter, or bet. Nightborn have learned to be as clear as possible with terms of a deal, as a careless trader could have been better off dealing with the Fae. Shrew operators can make out ahead with contracts, as what is valuable to a Mythic might be of no consequence to a Nightborn. It is not like Vampires value their souls anyway.

In the next section of Creature of the Night, we will go over those who fight back against the Creature of the Night: Monster Hunters.

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Farflame spotted a trailer and demo for Lustra: Lachea's Tale:

LUSTRA: Lachea's Tale Reveal Trailer

Guide Lachea, a young mage rebuilding life among the clouds. Grow a village, master spellcasting, and make choices that shape not just a world, but a person in a story about connection, self-discovery, and the quiet power of doing the right thing.

Couchpotato spotted devlog #4.1 for Pathbreakers: Roaming Blades:

Devlog #4.1 - The Clansmen

Greetings Mercenaries!

Following from our previous devlog, we are publishing a series of blogs related to the enemies of Pathbreakers: The Roaming Blades. The aim is to highlight all of the opposing factions that we will encounter during our journey.

Today, we are taking a deep dive into the Clansmen, a set of barbarian tribes that have inhabited the Stormtossed Isle for a very long time. Although they may seem like wanderers of the uncivilized lands, we will discover that there’s a lot more to them than meets the eye.

[...]

Couchpotato spotted a new Dying Light: The Beast interview:

Guns In The Dying Light Franchise Has Been A Tricky Balance, Until Now

Kurt Indovina sits down with Tymon Smektała, the Franchise Director of Dying Light, to discuss the upcoming survival game DYING LIGHT: THE BEAST.

Solasta II is switching to the 2024 D&D ruleset:

Solasta II is switching to the 2024 Ruleset

Well folks, this is it. Big changes are coming!

Ever since the announcement of Solasta II, many of you asked us if we would ever consider updating our game’s ruleset from D&D 5e’s original 2014 version described in the SRD 5.1 to the new 2024 version. To which we answered - let’s wait for the new SRD to be released… which did eventually happen on April 22nd, a little more than one month ago. Since then we’ve been working tirelessly to see if we could make that change happen! Verdict? Well, it’s today’s entire article!

[...]

Thanks Henriquejr!

The action RPG Atomic Heart 2 has been announced:

Atomic Heart 2 - Announcement Trailer I SGF25

Atomic Heart 2 is an action-adventure role-playing game that brings you back to a retrofuturistic universe, full of new dangers. The sequel features a living world rich with possibilities and places a heavy emphasis on story, role-playing elements, and player freedom.
The story unfolds in an alternate-history world, with events now expanding to a global scale. Return to the magnificent world of science and technology, and find out what the next chapter has in store for you!

Rain Tactics got a demo:

Rain Tactics Demo is Live - time to explore the tower city of Shavanath !

Finally, Rain Tactics Demo is Live !!

Hello everyone,

Very excited to let you know that Rain Tactics is taking part to the 2025 edition of the Turn Based Thursday Fest, starting this Monday June 2nd. And to celebrate this milestone, I am releasing the demo of Rain Tactics today ! So please enjoy it and provide me with tons of feedback !

The demo is building upon the input received during last year online playtest, and is set basically in two parts:
Part 1 consists of a first level that serves both as a small tutorial and as overall setting for the game plot.
Part 2 is actually the beginning of a standard "run", where you get access to your team of Avowed (unique characters with their own distinct classes, four available for now) and can start the exploration of the first levels of the Tower city of Shavanath.

So join Winter in his attempt to reach the Gate of Oblivion and make your way through the Tower City of Shavanath !

Cheers
Ervya

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Dying Light: The Beast will be released this summer:

Inside the Studio

Are you ready to explore a little part of Castor Woods? Check out our 'Inside the Studio' video and do just that! This set has been created to be used in our upcoming The Beast-related videos and streams.

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Couchpotato spotted a new trailer for Scourge of the Reptiles:

Scourge of the Reptiles - Trailer #2

The tactical RPG Never's End has been announced:

Never's End | Announce Trailer

Never's End is a turn-based tactical RPG where you return from death into the midst of a global cataclysm. Possess townsfolk to use them as living weapons, wield the forces of nature to reshape the battlefield, and lead mankind back from the brink of extinction.

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Couchpotato spotted a teaser video for Scribe RPG:

Scribe RPG is packed with action

This is just a showcase of the kind of action you can expect to encounter in Scribe RPG.
We’re working hard to fine-tune all the systems and enemy AI to deliver a fully playable demo in the highest possible quality as soon as we can.

Please spread the word about Scribe RPG and add it to your wishlist.
We truly appreciate any support.
Thank you!

Learn more about Nightborn's vampire society:

Vampire Society, Part 1

Lineages, Affiliations, and Circles - Lore Breakdown

In many Vampire Stories, Vampires are social or even political creatures.

In Nightborn, Vampires organize themselves into groups for both categorization and relationship purposes.

What is a Nightborn?

Nightborn is term Vampires use to refer to themselves. Some see "Vampire" as a term used by Mortal Humans to refer to their kind, though many modern Nightborn embrace the term Vampire, with its relatively recent (for an immortal) conceptual romanization.

That is not to say all creatures which a Mortal might call a Vampire is considered Nightborn. The word Nightborn is in reference to a Vampire indoctrinated to a Lineage by their Maker, the Vampire that made them.

Nightborn blood is born of dark magics and the turning of a new Vampire is a ritual which results in a compulsory Pupil/Mentor bond. For this reason, it is custom for a Nightborn to refer to their Maker as Mentor and the Maker to refer to their Spawn as Pupil.

What is a Lineage?

That's a secret. No really, the Lineages all guard their origins with tight lips and ferocious denial.

What is taught to fresh Nightborn, is that their Lineage akin to a Family or Line of Succession where Mentors train their Pupils. Mentors are responsible for their Pupils and Pupils are beholden to their Mentors. By extension, all within a Lineage have some minor semblance of responsibility over each other.

You might ask what enforces these customs and this sense of responsibility. There is magic in the blood and Spawn feels the pull of their Maker. It is this psychic connection that grows into a compulsion to obey, serve, and give everything to your Lineage. Of course, Nightborn may attempt to resist this urge, but doing so would result in cutting ties with the only kin have in a dangerous world which sees you as a monster.

Serving in a Lineage has its perks. Each Lineage has an Inheritance, a suite of Dark Powers handed down and taught through the Blood of their Makers. While Inheritances are unnervingly powerful, they come with trade-offs are Nightborn advance. These Powers are discussed in the Vampire Powers announcement in other sections.

There are Ten Lineages with certain Reputations, as follows:

Lamia - Sly and Cunning Faustian Dealmakers
Strix - Otherworldly Doomsayers and Sages
Marra - Morbid Deathdealers and Ritualists
Bruxo - Mystical Cultists and Revelers
Draugr - Grim Wardens and Warriors
Barabbas - Mysterious Troublemakers and Revolutionaries
Orlok - Ruthless yet Pragmatic Cartel
Carmilla - Artful and Spacy Dilettantes
Dracul - Controlling Bureaucrats and Soldiers
Ruthven - Romantic yet Tragic Idealists

[...]

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Gideon's Gaming reviewed Together in Battle:

Together in Battle Review

Gideon’s Perspective
Back in 2022, I reviewed a game called Telepath Tactics: Liberated. It was an excellent tactics RPG in the vein of Fire Emblem. I loved the combat to such an extent that I was able to enjoy the fact that it was a linear game, rather than a procedural sandbox in the vein of X-COM or Battle Brothers, which I prefer. Yet, I had deeply wished to have that combat system in such a setting anyway.

Together in Battle is almost exactly that. It’s set in the same world as Telepath Tactics with the same combat system, but it’s much less on rails. You engage in numerous procedural arena battles with a roster of ever-changing characters, alongside scripted story elements and random events.

[...]

The combat portions are chased with neat camp interactions for some organic storytelling, a fun card game, and scripted plot segments. There’s a ton of classes to play with as well, with numerous ways you could build out your roster, a variety that very much reminds me of the good old days of Final Fantasy Tactics.

Together in Battle has a couple of rough spots on an otherwise exceptionally solid tactics game. It’s a great example of a developer taking an existing system that already worked great and building on it with a new idea. Not every game needs to reinvent the wheel; in fact, a lot of them probably shouldn’t. Together in Battle is a poster child for why building upon one’s past can be a great thing.

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RPGamer reviewed Toward Dawn:

Toward Dawn Review

Hen Gymru Fynyddig, Paradwys y Bardd

Toward Dawn is the debut title of solo developer Devi Serene. While very much built on a traditional RPG base, the game distinguishes itself through both its narrative’s heavy influence from Welsh mythology and the tweaks to its ATB-style battle system. While not a particularly deep game, it’s a very strong debut offering that provides an enjoyably rewarding ten-hour-or-so experience.

Toward Dawn follows Carys, an Incanter at the temple of the Two Dragons and follower of the red dragon Ddraigoch and white dragon Ddraigwen. One day in the night, the temple is assaulted by an unknown force and all of Carys’s fellow Incanters are killed. Carys is saved through an encounter with a local Gwyllgi, Bleddyn, who helps her escape and offers her a place to rest at his forest home. Carys sets out with Bleddyn to find people to help, which leads the pair to a journey that ultimately uncovers their interconnected pasts while they deal with their shared traumas.

[...]

While Toward Dawn certainly tempers some of its ambitions, it is nonetheless an impressive debut title from a solo developer. It displays a fine understanding of what makes RPG tick, and its efforts to showcase and raise interest in its Welsh mythological inspirations are effective. The game is a fun and worthwhile spending of time, and I look forward to seeing what Devi Serene has in store next.

Score: 3.5/5

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The tactical RPG Titans of the Past got a demo:

Demo Live Now

Play the Demo!

Hello,

Alex 13 here.

We've released the Demo, you can play it now.

Two weeks ago we've started a closed test with content creators, and this was a good experience. Based on their feedback, we were able to fix a lot of bugs, polish the UX, improve the UI, and make the balance much more engaging and playable.

Thank you people who helped to shape the Demo! A shoutout to the following content creators:

• Falagar
• Games Video UA
• Magic Game World
• Dark Skye Gaming
• Ecko_Ray
• Wizard Worm
• AllGamesWorldHd
• Milenio Oscuro Games

If I post a full changelog, it will look like a small novel, so I won't.
So here's the TLDR one:

• Replaced the whole HUD artwork;
• Made the balance more enjoyable - please note that the game is intendedly hard;
• Added ambient sounds;
• Added UI sounds;
• Added gameplay sounds;
• Added Ukrainian localization (we're from Ukraine);
• Increased player resource income;
• Buffed Assassin and Berserker classes;
• Improved lighting on all Demo maps;
• Nerfed the traps damage;
• Removed Cleave ability from enemies for now, that was too much;
• Added resource pickables to all Demo maps;
• Tweaked the speedrun timers and rewards.

[...]

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The card-based RPG Pirates Outlaws 2: Heritage has been announced:

Pirates Outlaws 2: Heritage - Gameplay Trailer

Pirates Outlaws 2 is a swashbuckling roguelike deckbuilder. Collect & fuse cards, gather powerful relics and adapt your strategy during each run. Become a reputed pirate, loot the Sea Masters, challenge giant creatures and triumph in the great Arena!

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The expansion Mount & Blade II: War Sails will be released this autumn:

War Sails now releases in early Fall 2025

Greetings Warriors of Calradia,

We’re excited for each of you to set sail in War Sails, the upcoming expansion for Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. However, after taking a hard look at where things stand, it became clear we won’t be ready by the originally planned release date of June 17th.

The title is currently on track for an early Fall 2025 release window.

We came to this decision after a lot of thought (and a few long meetings), because we need more time to reach the level of quality you rightfully expect. The extra development period will give us more time to apply additional polish, and continue making progress on the improvements to the base game that are already in motion – We believe this short delay will ultimately lead to a better and more enjoyable experience for all players.

The team is currently working on a revised timeline, and we’re aiming to share the new release date with you in the upcoming weeks.

In the meantime, we’re excited to keep you updated — with regular developer blogs, behind-the-scenes glimpses, fresh gameplay footage, and brand-new War Sails content as we head toward launch.

Thank you for your patience and support.

The TaleWorlds Team

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Learn more about the game design / programming process of Travelling At Night:

The Skeleton Light

Sixteen years of design leading up to Travelling At Night

"It's not a loop - it's a spiral!"

That's Alan Wake, in Alan Wake 2. If you try to attribute the quote in the normal way, you get this:

"It's not a loop - it's a spiral!" - Alan Wake, Alan Wake 2

which looks ineluctably like a typo. Anyway, spirals. Tomorrow is the seventh anniversary of the release of Cultist Simulator. A couple of thoughts about how we got here from there, and how we got there from somewhere else.

When I started making Cultist, I'd never coded anything in Unity at all. hadn't done any actual coding since I built the Fallen London CMS (once nicknamed 'Jonathan' and later rechristened StoryNexus). Once that was up and running, I focused on writing interactive narrative inside that CMS. Which did have loops, ifs, variables, a lot like a programming language - but a very soft-cornered, simple, limited one.

It occurs to me that it might seem odd for a programmer to go from using a versatile and powerful programming language to using a soft-cornered, simple one. One reason is that I wanted, from the start, to build a system that let a team work on expanding a big organic narrative - hence 'storylets' - and I knew that most people who wrote for Fallen London wouldn't be programmers. But there are two other reasons I want to talk about.

[...]

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The roguelike Successor has been released into Early Access:

Successor Early Access Announcement Teaser

A rogue-lite adventure in which you assemble a Warband to conquer fractured kingdoms in challenging real-time-with-pause tactical combat, reinvented. Create custom campaigns, complete challenges, and expand your miniature universe with new gear, heroes, and rewards.

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Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 has been released - the series alread sold 500K copies:

Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 | Official Trailer

The dramatic RPG Fuga: Melodies of Steel series is now complete!

Couchpotato spotted a major update for Erannorth Renaissance:

Sea Travel, Lacris Island and more...

Content Update 8 - Patch Notes - 26/05/25 # 0.7.45

Hi folks,

Lacris, our 8th major content update, is now live for everyone. Ok, technically, you already received part of the Lacris update earlier in May with the updated portraits and improved graphics across various in-game events. But at its core, this update is all about the sea.

So the main highlight is, of course, the ability to travel across ocean tiles. Whether that sounds like a big deal or not, it is really important in the long run. This feature expands the map beyond the borders of Doven's domain, connects cities through naval routes, and sets the stage for continuing story arcs in locations that were previously unreachable. It also required expanding and rewriting several systems, from enemy spawning to movement logic and pathfinding. So if you come across anything odd, like enemies following or ambushing you in the water, they really shouldn't be doing that at the moment.

[...]

Mortismal Gaming checked out Sector Unknown:

Check Out: Sector Unknown (Upcoming CRPG)

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Couchpotato spotted a new trailer for Chronicles of Vaeltaja:

Chronicles Of Vaeltaja: In Search of the Great Wanderer Feature Trailer