A group of ex-Piranha Bytes developers have banded together to found new indie studio Brainlag Games, and the developer has also announced its first game in physics-based adventure Rootbound.
Per its new official website, Brainlag was founded with the goal of "bring[ing] back what gaming was meant to be" and "creating immersive worlds with gameplay you haven't seen a hundred times".
That would certainly fit in with the development ethos of the studio founders' former outfit Piranha Bytes, whose name you might know best from the likes of Gothic, Risen, and Elex. The studio was shuttered last year, although neither Piranha Bytes nor parent company Embracer Group officially announced its closure.
That brings us to Brainlag, which was founded by Piranha Bytes veterans Markus Kloß, Maki Dieffenbach, Amadeus Weidmann, and André Hotz. Like Piranha Bytes, the studio is based in Essen in Germany.
Brainlag's first game Rootbound is, according to its Steam page, a "physics-based action adventure about a plantling's quest to save its home from a mysterious blight". Rather than being a fully-fledged 3D action RPG like Gothic or Risen, it's a Zelda-style isometric affair.
Together with your sentient backpack, you will journey into the world of Akara, discovering "ancient puzzles" and fighting "dangerous monsters" as you seek to uncover a long-lost civilization's secrets.
By the looks of the debut trailer, the physics element of the game comes in a sort of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom-style environment manipulation mechanic whereby you can build bridges with planks, knock down stone walls, and interact with the world in other fun ways.
Unfortunately, Rootbound doesn't yet have a release date, but if you'd like to keep up with the game's progress, you can wishlist it on Steam right here.
As for Piranha Bytes, the studio may be dead, but its debut title Gothic lives on in the form of the upcoming remake (developed by Alkimia Interactive), which is now scheduled to launch in 2025.
