Think Grimm’s fairy tales meet horror games.

Calling Bramble an action game doesn’t quite do it justice. Developed by Maximum Entertainment (previously known as Dimfrost Studio), this game is a stunning blend of action, puzzles, horror, suspense, and Nordic folklore.

In Bramble: The Mountain King, you play as Olle, a very, very young boy (I’d say about ten years old, if not younger), who wakes up in the middle of the night to find his older sister, Lillemor, has snuck out once again to explore the forest.

Despite being afraid, Olle decides to follow her. After finding her, the two begin climbing over rocks and wandering through a forest filled with baby gnomes, and other adorable little creatures.

But it doesn’t take long for a troll to find them—he stuffs Lillemor into a sack and disappears into the woods, leaving Olle behind. That’s the moment, in my opinion, that Bramble becomes something special. Just when you think this might be a sweet little adventure game with cute gnomes and the odd non-spooky boss, it tears your expectations to shreds and throws you into a spiral of dread, grief, graphic horror, and lots of gore.

Obviously, I won’t go into too much detail (no spoilers here), but I will say that the first time I died as Olle—in the lair of a butcher troll—I was genuinely in shock.

It’s wild how a game I had zero expectations for quickly climbed into my top ten of all time.

As a horror fan who loves ghost stories, mythical beasts, folklore and all things a bit dark, I honestly can’t stress enough how beautiful Bramble is. With a gorgeous, cinematic soundtrack and jaw-dropping, ethereal, magical (and sometimes nightmarish) landscapes, Bramble guides you through a tale full of heartbreak, tragedy, and adrenaline—but also joy, wonder and hope.

Bramble: The Mountain King carries that childlike familiarity of Grimm’s tales—that warned us about wandering too far into the woods or trusting strangers—but adds quite a heavy dose of darkness.

Treat yourself to this absolute gem, straight from Norway with love, available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Steam Deck (thank goodness!).

And if you, like me, end up falling in love with the soundtrack—click here to enjoy it on Spotify.