Bramble: The Mountain King

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Chase your sister's kidnapper through the trolls and monsters of Nordic folklore.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Stores: Steam, GOG
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (95% of 8,062 reviews); Metacritic 80 on PS5 from 10 critics; 4.46 of 5 on the PlayStation Store from 6,861 ratings
Length: about 4 to 5 hours
Players: 1
Controls: Keyboard and mouse or a controller; full controller support on PC.
Made by: Dimfrost Studio
Released: 2023

On GOG: one of the GOG horror games.

No. 22 of the fairy tale horror games · No. 9 of the swamp horror games

Get it on Steam PlayStation Store (PS4, PS5)Xbox Nintendo Switch GOG

What frightens A fairy-tale forest of gnomes and toadstools turns into a land of trolls, drowned spirits and plague, where a small boy hides in the grass from hungry beasts and faces grotesque creatures from Nordic folklore in bloody, frightening encounters.
Content: gore, violence, partial nudity, jumpscares, dead animals.

Bramble: The Mountain King is a third-person horror adventure set in a world drawn from dark Nordic fables. As the boy Olle you go after your sister, taken by a troll, sneaking past creatures, climbing and jumping through forests and caves, and facing monstrous folklore beings.

About Bramble: The Mountain King

Bramble: The Mountain King was made by Dimfrost Studio and first published by Merge Games; the stores now list it under Maximum Entertainment (Max Ent Games). It came out on April 27, 2023 on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5 and Nintendo Switch, and on June 27, 2023 on Xbox One and Series X|S. Its creatures come from Scandinavian folklore, and their look draws on the fairy-tale painter John Bauer.

You play Olle, a young boy whose sister Lillemor is carried off by a troll. To get her back he travels through the land of Bramble: bright meadows of gnomes and giant mushrooms at first, then dark woods, swamps and caves where things are not what they seem. A glowing Spark of Courage lights his way and gives him the help he needs at key moments.

Most of the game is a linear walk and climb from scene to scene, with light platforming, a few puzzles and many passages where Olle must sneak past an enemy or slip along narrow ledges. Now and then the story stops for a large boss encounter with a creature of legend, played out in several phases.

The horror lies in the turn from wonder to cruelty: a pretty storybook world that keeps showing its teeth, with hungry, spiteful beasts, dead creatures in the forests and some real gore. Its ratings reflect that: PEGI 18, ESRB Mature for blood and gore, intense violence and partial nudity. It suits players who liked Little Nightmares and want a longer, grimmer fairy tale.

How to play Bramble: The Mountain King

Buy it on Steam, GOG, PlayStation, Xbox or Switch (a free demo is on Steam) and start the story.
Guide Olle through each area by running, climbing and jumping along the path.
When a creature is near, hide in tall grass or behind cover and wait for the moment to move.
Use the Spark of Courage to light dark places and when the game calls on it.
Solve the occasional puzzle to open the way on.
Learn each boss's pattern over its phases to get past it.

Screenshots

Bramble: The Mountain King screenshot: a huge mossy stone troll in a flower crown leans over a meadow of dandelions as a small Olle walks toward it

Bramble: The Mountain King screenshot: Olle stands on a lily pad in a dark pond while a long-haired figure waits in the water ahead

Bramble: The Mountain King screenshot: Olle clings to a wooden cage hanging on chains over a misty drop

Bramble: The Mountain King screenshot: a child seen from behind faces a scarecrow-like figure in a dress across a field at sunset

Bramble: The Mountain King screenshot: Olle jumps between giant red toadstools in a mossy forest

Bramble: The Mountain King screenshot: a small Olle in a misty forest with a hulking creature among the trees ahead

Bramble: The Mountain King screenshot: Olle holds up a glowing light on a plank in the dark, surrounded by shapes with glowing eyes and clawed hands

Tips

Watch a creature's route before you leave cover; rushing gets Olle caught.
Bosses change between phases, so expect each fight to shift.
Take a moment to look around: much of the story is told by what lies in the forests.
Nintendo Life advised against the Switch version because of its performance; PC and the newer consoles are the safer choice.

Questions

Is Bramble: The Mountain King a horror game?

Yes, though not only one. It is a dark fairy-tale adventure with real scares, gore and frightening creatures, and some beautiful, gentle scenes between them.

How long is Bramble: The Mountain King?

HowLongToBeat puts the main story at about four and a half hours, about five with extras and seven and a half to see everything.

Is it like Little Nightmares?

Critics compared it to Little Nightmares for its mix of cute and creepy, a small child hiding from monsters, but it is in third person in a wider world and has boss fights.

What platforms is Bramble on?

PC (Steam and GOG, Windows only), PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. It is also part of PlayStation Plus Extra.

Is Bramble: The Mountain King too gory for younger players?

It is rated PEGI 18, USK 18 and ESRB Mature, with violent and bloody boss scenes, dead animals in the forests and some semi-nude creatures, as the Steam page warns.