“Tiny Bunny (Episode One)” by Saikono, Evgeni Sokarev, Maksim Kabir, Vladimir Bulaev, Nikita Kryukov, Dmitry Petyakin, Eichon, Nikita Lagunov, Nik-O, Pavel Ryabinin, Ruzura Interactive, Olga Apalchuk, Kurjategija & Insane Chronos.
“[This forest] leaves behind bizarre rumors of voices, calling you into the thicket, of faces, looking into your windows, of mysterious prints in the snow and… [A] bunch of “child missing” posters. Those, who have heard the voice of the forest, are beyond help. Their only option is to sink deeper and deeper into the cold embrace of horror to face their final choice in that icy darkness: [To] stay alive or to stay human?”
The first of five planned episodes for the interactive horror novel game series “Tiny Bunny” proved to be a wonderful little gem. With its beautiful panchromatic art style, its arc of suspense and delightful dialogue writing, it just captivated me. As players, we guide a twelve years old boy named Anton through his upcoming adventure. It all starts with a breakfast: While Anton is staring at his porridge, his little sister Olya starts to talk about an owl that appeared on her window. However, Olya describes it in a scared manner, mumbling about its big eyes and enormous body. The parents claim that it is just a product of her imagination, and so does Anton at first. That will change soon.
In the middle of the night Anton looks out of his window, as he is not able to sleep. Some song played by a flute wanders into his ears. As he stares outside, he sees a bunch of animal-like figures dancing around. Suddenly they stop and stare back at him. One of them rushes right towards their house, and Anton is fantasizing about the shadow creature sneaking up on him. The next day, a police officer comes to the family’s door. He searches for a boy named Vova who went missing. Of course, Anton did not see him, but now he plans to search for Vova on his own. Little does he know about the secrets that are hidden in the forest, which is covered up in snow. [PLAY]
