Just in time for winter up North, here’s some new information about action RPG Dungeons of Hinterberg

Xbox has been pushing action RPG (with social sim elements) Dungeons of Hinterberg pretty hard in the second half of 2023. First, it was featured in June’s Xbox Games Showcase. In October, the game’s social elements were shown off in an Xbox Partner Preview. Today, the developer streamed a video about the Glacier overworld, its magic skills, and the development process. Following the stream, an interview with developer Microbird Games’ Co-Founder and Art Director Regina Reisinger was posted to Xbox Wire; she speaks about Dungeons of Hinterberg’s different overworlds, the unique abilities they bestow upon the main character, and the inspiration behind the worlds.

The term “staycation” is often thought to be rather recent: it is commonly believed that it was first used in Canadian comedy show Corner Gas (it’s amazing, for real, watch it – it is about as Canadian as you can get) in 2005, but it can actually be traced back as far as 1944 when it was published in a Cincinnati newspaper. Dungeons of Hinterberg isn’t quite about a staycation, though – it’s more like a slaycation. The game is set in Hinterberg, a village in the Austrian Alps that has become a new tourist hotspot with the sudden appearance of magic around it. Players take on the role of Luisa, who has become burnt out as a law-trainee and wants to take a break for corporate life in order to conquer the Dungeons of Hinterberg.

In a 16-minute stream, Regina and Philipp of Microbird Games show off one of the four overworlds in the game, a snowy glacier called Kolmstein. It is the third world players will be able to access. The worlds are all inspired by Austrian landscapes. The first thing you do in each area is pick up your magic skills; each location has its own pair of magic skills. These skills can be used in battle and to solve puzzles. In the forest, you get wind-based powers. In the Glacier overworld, you get a magic hoverboard and a light ray. Soon after getting the magic, head to a little cave. There are little tutorials along the way to help teach the newfound skills. Down here, you can cut down giant icicles with your light ray to use as stepping stones. In this overworld, there are hilly areas to slide down using your hoverboard like a snowboard. Go far enough in and there’s a shop where you can stock up on things and talk to locals or other tourists. The video tour ends at the entrance to the world’s dungeon.

Each day starts with a hearty breakfast, and then Luisa must decide which overworld to visit. Overworlds are mid-sized area, each distinct from the last and with lots of room to explore, battle, uncover secrets, or just enjoy the beautiful landscape. There are four overworlds. Three of them have been shown off to date: Doberkogel is home to lush green mountain meadows, Hinterwal is a picturesque forest, and of course there’s Kolmstein which is seen in the above video. Some places in the overworlds may only be accessible with a good reputation or a powerful friend, keeping up the importance of socialising back in the village of Hinterberg.

The Glacier overworld changes how Luisa moves thanks to the magic hoverboard skill, with the developers trying to capture the feeling of sliding down a slope of fresh powdery snow surrounded by a view that stretches miles around. It’s not just about moving around, though: Luisa can use the hoverboard to knock over enemies or draw a flaming barrier behind her. The second skill is that light ray, used to solve puzzles, hit enemies, or manipulate the environment (as shown with the icicles). This overworld is rather non-linear, so players will need to explore, solve puzzles, complete challenges, and revisit it throughout the game.

Developed by Microbird Games and published by Curve Games, Dungeons of Hinterberg will be released for PC and Xbox Series in 2024.

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