I have just completed Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream, clocking in at about 13 hours of playtime.
Eriksholm’s a realtime stealth game, in the vein of classics like Desperados or Shadow Tactics (both the by the now closed Mimimi Games (https://www.mimimi.games/our-final-game/).
Compared to those games, Eriksholm will feel much less complex and also significantly shorter, which honestly is one of the main reasons I picked it up. I wanted a game for the weekend that I cound finish in under 15 hours.
The other reason the game first caught my eye, was the fact that it is absolutely beautiful. The steam-powered industrial revolution world of Rosmark is lovingly modelled, resembling a tilt-shift model train diorama at times. It’s an absolute delight to look at!
Though simple at heart and with a limited cast of up to three characters, the game mechanics felt interesting and challenging to me (though I have to admit, I’m no stealth game afficionado) and the character abilities were diverse enough to allow for some decent and intriguing puzzle action.
Still, if you’re looking for deep mechanical complexity and a really tough nut to crack, I’m not sure this is one’s for you.
What Eriksholm does beautifully tough, is the wordbuilding and storytelling. River End Games found a great way to weave information and lore into the game through experiencing both PC and NPC dialogue while exploring the levels or by uncovering collectibles and notes. I especially enjoyed how the story grows on me as a player as it grows in significance to the world.
I think I was never deeply invested in the character, even though the way the game depicts character relations, especially between the two female protagonists, was well done and always felt organic. There’s a little caveat for Sebastian here, whom we haven’t really met, until he shows up in the last third of game.
Unfortunately, compared to its overall game time, the game’s price (40 Euro on Steam) feels quite expensive, even though the overall production value definitely justifies the price. Still, if you’re not willing to pay that hefty price, better wait for a sale.
In summary: I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, especially due to the fact that it was short and sweet. Does it sometimes feel like a showcase of the studios capabilities in the hopes of gathering attention? Definitely, but I personally wouldn’t mind if Eriksholm allowed River End Games next game to be a big one…