Foxes seem to be taking over the internet — becoming popular characters in several recent video games. With the latest announcement of TUNIC during E3 just yesterday, it is becoming clear that we will be getting to play as these adorable, fluffy creatures quite a bit in the near future.
TUNIC isn’t the only game currently in development where you can play a lovely little fox. As a matter of fact I have been seeing foxy games all year and can’t wait until they are released — here are five of them!
TUNIC
TUNIC, of course, has inspired this article. This isometric action-adventure game is about an adorable little fox who is exploring a huge world filled of dangerous and unique enemies. You start off washed-up upon a peaceful shore, but as you explore the land you discover that the world is not so peaceful. You’ll need to dodge massive enemies — some resembling other animals, some made of stone — and use your sword to defend yourself.
The world around you seems huge, full of houses to explore, chests full of coins to open, and ruins to get yourself lost in. You will need to pay attention to your environment to find a way into these new areas. Or you can just walk around slashing your sword and destroying the trees that grow in this world.
TUNIC looks absolutely amazing, providing a variety of enemies and wonderful areas to explore. There is a lot yet to be announced about the story of this little fox and the story of the land around them, however with the release date of 2019, we have plenty of time to soak up the new information from the developers as more and more information is revealed.
With a planned release for both Xbox One and PC, it is definitely a game to watch!
Bushy Tail
Bushy Tail has been winning awards left and right — even though it is currently just in alpha state!
In this brilliant narrative adventure, you play ‘Little Fox’ — a three legged fox looking for its mother. Three different aged children tell the story as it builds around you, talking about the various aspects of the world which you must adventure through. These children are telling a bedtime story — one which revolves around the Little Fox. Normally, this tale is told by the father of the children, but for whatever reason he is not around so the duty of storyteller falls to the sibling.
The children change their minds, twisting and turning the world around the fox, taking the tale down new routes. They bicker slightly and change direction, forcing you to listen and follow what they are staying. They take turns telling the story about what they see next, which is then built around the player — it is truly amazing to watch.
As the story builds and the different children speak up and remain quiet, you take on the challenges presented as puzzles before you. The story quickly takes a dark turn as the fox becomes trapped in the forest — where a dead bird is found.
We wrote about Bushy Tail when it entered the PC Indie Pitch earlier this year. You can read our thoughts on the demo here.
Although Bushy Tail has no solid release dates, it is picking up traction as it develops, and can be found at various events all over the world. You can find more information about Bushy Tail on it’s website here.
Vulpine
Vulpine, coming from a successful Kickstarter, is an open-world, procedurally generated game where you can play a variety of animals including, you guessed it, a fox!
You get to wander around a massive world, looking for food and resources, as well as exploring a lost civilization. The animal you choose (most likely a fox) is able to hold various weapons in their mouth — resulting in hilarious looking characters! I mean, animals wandering around with epic looking swords is enough to get me playing.
This world is full of a variety of different curiosities to be discovered, from unique shops to secret areas, all waiting to be explored. There are also giant enemies — other animals that you need to beat with your weapon. Attacking from the side the blade or bludgeon is sticking out of your mouth can prove to be a tricky task. If you need a little extra help, you can play in a pack with your friends – or you can try to discover the entire world on your own.
Vulpine is coming to PC, via Steam, in early 2019.
Tanglewood
Tanglewood is a brand new game for the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive, again coming from a successful Kickstarter.
In this 2D platformer, you play a young fox-like creature called Nymn who has been separated from their pack. You cannot find your way home, so instead you must survive the entire night out in the dark on your own.
During the day, you can find Fuzzls — small fluffy creatures that can be rolled back to their nests for some rewards. They also come with some epic abilities tied to their color which you can then gain by helping the little creatures out. While the night is dark and dangerous, the day is bright and full of harmless creatures much like yourself. Color is a very important part of the game, as it works as your life force and can also be used as currency.
At night, huge monsters start to come out — with massive teeth and a thirst for blood. Spirits start appearing, monsters are lurking in every corner. Being such a small and timid creature, you will need to evade and set traps for the monsters to overcome them. Your goal is to find a place to sleep for the night — or simply to survive it. Either way, it will be tricky to last that long.
You can check out Tanglewood on their website here, where there is a playable demo and the ability to pre-order a cartridge!
This Dead Winter
So, finding things in @ThisDeadWinter requires a little… Digging. #ue4 #screenshotsaturday pic.twitter.com/updFpGdpRs
— Rob Potter (@RobPotter) October 29, 2017
This Dead Winter is a dark, fantasy adventure game where you play as a lovely fox — exploring around a barren woodland in the middle of an eternal winter.
There are very few animals left in this world — although you do have a bird that guides you around, seeing the world from above. Your baby has been taken, you are not sure why or by whom, but you are looking for a way to get her back.
This world is much more than an abandoned forest, it is full of ruins that nod towards a lost civilization. Your fox is able to take on various puzzles — pushing buttons at the right time and jumping around ruins. The whole game continues to follow this mysterious theme as frozen robots line the side of clearings, disconnected, waiting to be reactivated. It is up to you to discover what triggered this endless winter and what happened to everyone from this civilization.
The world is full of mysterious — waiting for you to explore and solve them. There is so much yet to be seen and discovered.
We wrote about This Dead Winter earlier in the year when it was entered into the Big Indie Pitch. You can read our thoughts on it here.
Although This Dead Winter does not have a solid release date you can check out the game’s website, or follow the development on Twitter for some juicy fox-related gifs.
There will probably be several other fox-based games coming out in the near and distant future! I am not quite sure what triggered this fox trend, but I am so happy to be able to take on the adventures around these fluffy-tailed creatures.
I see Dead Winter almost every event I attend, it looks lovely. I didn’t know about Vulpine at all, that map randomizer is really nice.
Vulpine was a wonderful Kickstarter success story back while Greenlight was starting to wane. It’s come so far since then, I can’t wait to give it a go.
Don’t forget Foxyland! http://bigbossbattle.com/foxyland-review/
This is for unreleased games, but we’ve definitely covered enough released games to build a list of this size 😀