Trollheim: Gnomes Aims to Bring Nordic Folklore's Mystery and Allure to a Survival-Crafting Game

Trollheim: Gnomes, a new PC survival-crafting game rooted in Nordic folklore that IGN previewed as part of IGN Fan Fest, comes from a team of former Mojang developers who grew up playing in the forests of northern Europe and hearing tales of the Sprýg Gnomes and other creatures, and they want to build a game around them. I got an early look, and there is one key element that may set it apart in a genre that is very, very...

Trollheim: Gnomes, a new survival crafting game for PC based on Nordic folklore that IGN unveiled as part of the IGN Fan Fest, comes from a team of former Mojang developers who all played in the forests of Northern Europe and heard folk tales of Sprýg Gnomes and other creatures and wanted to make a game about it. I've had an early look at it, and there's one key thing that might set it apart in a very, very crowded genre: combat is optional.

You collect building materials and as you level up, you can not only build more and more complex structures, but you can do it in higher and higher trees. It's best to imagine living in a dark forest version of a high-rise apartment: the best unit is the penthouse. And you'll face opposition in the form of Väsen, who are significantly larger than your three-inch gnome. It all sounds like it, right? But this is where the optional grappling hook comes in. Väsen will not attack you when seen. If you antagonize them, they will, but interestingly, you can also befriend them by bringing them food or other items they need.

"If you want to sit down and make it cozy, that's up to you," said game director Joje Dalvand. "You can always achieve the same goals with a friendly approach as you can with a hostile approach." Studio founder Björn Larsson added, "We want combat to be intentional. It's a choice. You'll always know you're stepping into something you might not be able to handle. You can only use time." Have fun with your friends and experience the coziness of this Sprýg Gnome."

Two pleasant Trollheim features add to Trollheim's cozy charm: collaborative and procedural production. No matter how many people are playing with you (up to eight players in a single world), the Dark Forest - which the developers call the "main character" in Trollheim - is procedurally generated every time you start a new game, which should help the forest always feel new and mysterious.

But even if you don't participate in the fight, you still have to survive. Cold, dampness, and hunger are all very real threats to contend with. Your craft goes beyond housing though. You can also build things like wingsuits to help you get around the dark forest faster and easier. You have a life bar to worry about which includes health and stamina in a meter for you to manage. I also saw some stealth elements in the demo I gave, which I was happy to see.

Again, it won't be easy for Trollheim: Gnomes to stand out in the crowd of its fellow survival crafting games. But developers, if nothing else, are committed to building their own worlds. In addition to a Trollheim video game, they are "creating an interconnected narrative that spans books, games, collectibles, movies, and lifestyle." The first of those media transfer experiences is a 288-page book available now called Trollheim: Tale of Sýstir. If you're interested, you can bookmark Trollheim: Gnomes on Steam.

Ryan McCaffrey is the executive editor of IGN Previews and the host of IGN's weekly Xbox podcast, the Unlocked Podcast, and co-host of the next console Watch. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Ham Taylor," not "Pig Roulette." Discuss him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.