What are they feeding indie game artists these days? One look at the gorgeous visual design of the upcoming indie platformer Scarlet Deer Inn, and you’ll know you’ve never seen anything like it before.
With hand-painted backgrounds and embroidered character animation stitched frame-by-frame, it’s no wonder that Attu Games‘ masterpiece was the winner of Game Access ’24’s Best Art Award.
You read that correctly — every frame of animation was physically embroidered to better spin the yarn of a medieval folk tale. Scarlet Deer Inn is a story-forward sidescroller, where an authentic soundtrack rings across the stunning landscape.
Scarlet Deer Inn is planned to release on July 21st, 2026, for PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series S|X.
Here’s some more information from the developer, plus a trailer:
Scarlet Deer Inn is an embroidered dark medieval folk tale. While life in a seemingly ordinary village is all about simple chores and idle gossip, sinister secrets hide below.
Story
Elise is a a mother of two. She is not exactly extraordinary, and there are no heroic epics written about her. Her circumstances will make her explore places full of interesting and unusual, as well as dark and terrifying situations.
Features
Beautiful hand-painted backgrounds and traditional animations crafted from physically embroidered frames.
A world filled with colourful characters.
Hidden shortcuts in the dark that make each walkthrough easier.
Folk music inspired by the Middle Ages and performed on traditional instruments.
The Team
Attu Games is a husband-and-wife team from the Czech Republic. During development of Scarlet Deer Inn, their duo expanded into a trio with the birth of their baby, bringing a whole new level of chaos to the development.
