New indie game studio NEARstudios announces debut cozy fantasy game Hawthorn

NEARstudios, a newly launched indie game development studio, has announced its first game. Hawthorn is “a nostalgic co-op sandbox RPG village sim” created by former Bethesda Game Studios, BioWare and Naughty Dog developers. On Tuesday, NEARstudios shared the charmingly Redwall-esque first gameplay trailer for Hawthorn.

“Inspired by Victorian-era European fairytales and the spirit of 80s and 90s adventure stories featuring anthropomorphic animals, Hawthorn offers a rich fantasy world where woodland creatures and fairy beings coexist in a complex, layered sandbox,” reads a synopsis from NEARstudios. “Players will have the opportunity to build a village, forge relationships with endearing NPCs, and explore a world that is both familiar and refreshingly new.”

NEARstudios was co-founded by CEO and Creative Director Heather Cerlan and Game Director Jason Richardson, working with a team of developers whose previous experiences include Mass Effect, Dragon Age, The Last of Us, Ultima Online, League of Legends, and Fallout, among others. The studio was founded on the idea that there “needed to be more co-op games that catered to couples and families who want to play together in an immersive world.” With that in mind, Hawthorn was developed with the goal “to blend the charm and accessibility of cozy games with the depth and visual appeal of hardcore games,” per the studio’s release. 

Hawthorn doesn’t yet have a release date, but the studio is “committed to involving players and creators early in the development process, offering unique insight into the challenges and triumphs of bringing an ambitious game to life.” In a statement, Richardson said, “In Hawthorn, everything—from crafting to adventuring—is centered around a living village of NPCs and your co-op friends. We want to evoke the nostalgic joy and wonder of shared adventures, much like the timeless stories and simple pleasures that connect us across generations.”