In 2017, an adventure game was shown to the world for the first time at The PC Gaming Show at that year’s E3. Then initially known as Secret Legend – shorthanded by certain players as ‘Fox game’ – it was given new life under the name of Tunic. Numerous showings of Tunic at various events and multiple trailers have given it many comparisons to The Legend of Zelda with an adorable fox.

But Tunic director Andrew Shouldice wants you to come away with the thought that it’s more than merely just its Zelda inspiration.

“Occasionally, you’ll see someone say like, ‘Oh, I sat down to play this cute game and I was pleasantly surprised that it was not what I was expecting,” says Shouldice. “‘It is challenging, it is mysterious, it is not putting all its cards on the table at once’. And that’s great. That’s what we want.

“Occasionally, people will see it and be like, ‘Oh, I thought that this would be a game that I could sit my four-year-old in front of and just have them have no problem with it’ and they might be a little bit disappointed about that.

“I wonder if people will see it and think, you know, ‘breezy Zelda clone’. And what I hope is that they are able to experience it on its own merits and be excited to explore a challenging, mysterious world full of secrets around every corner.”

Ahead of its impending launch soon…ish – a release timeline isn’t forthcoming when we talk – Shouldice talks in part of how Tunic intends to charm the world through adventure, mystery and more.