News
Mandrake: Failbetter Games Ventures Beyond Fallen London with a Mysterious Rural Life Sim
<p data-start="91" data-end="537">Failbetter Games, the studio behind cult hits like <em data-start="142" data-end="155">Sunless Sea</em> and <em data-start="160" data-end="178">Mask of the Rose</em>, is stepping away from the eerie, labyrinthine world of Fallen London to bring us something quite different — and intriguing. Their new game, <em data-start="321" data-end="331">Mandrake</em>, is a rural life simulator set in a world where old, wild forces linger and horticulture is outlawed. It promises to mix the cozy with the uncanny, aiming for a PC release that’s already stirring interest.</p>
<p data-start="539" data-end="1079">Mandrake’s premise feels familiar at first glance. You play as the last of a line of horticultural sorcerers, returning to your family’s abandoned home in Chandley, a “small, complicated” village. The game’s rhythm involves gardening, fishing, foraging, cooking, and crafting furniture to decorate your house. The environment invites exploration — the woods, beaches, mines — while local villagers offer stories and friendships that weave you deeper into the fabric of the community. Sounds like your usual life sim, right? Well, not quite.</p>
<p data-start="1081" data-end="1608">The village of Chandley isn’t your everyday quaint town. It’s steeped in folklore and the strange, filled with characters and creatures that feel pulled from British myth and shadowy fairy tales. Failbetter hints at a darker, mysterious layer lurking beneath the pastoral surface. As you tend your garden, you’ll start swapping typical crops for stranger seeds. You&#8217;ll find yourself befriending a river, eavesdropping on ghosts, and even sharing drinks with a god living in your chimney. And that’s just scratching the surface.</p>
<h2 data-start="1610" data-end="1651">A Village Wrapped in Myth and Mystery</h2>
<p data-start="1653" data-end="2128">Chandley’s locals aren’t your usual NPCs. They’re quirky, unsettling, and wrapped in their own secrets. Take the hunter who makes deals with the forest, or the girl rescued from the sea who still hears calls from beneath the waves. Spirits roam the village, too — from Granny Jakes, a long-armed figure hiding in an orchard, to Hroame, a creature shifting between stone and flesh. It’s clear Failbetter’s hand in crafting strange and eerie settings is very much at play here.</p>
<p data-start="2130" data-end="2490">And if you thought the village’s oddities were just charming quirks, the game warns you plainly: &#8220;Don’t go out after dark.&#8221; Nighttime brings dangers that are decidedly not for the faint of heart. The hint alone conjures images of creeping shadows and unseen threats, promising a tension that contrasts sharply with the daylight chores of gardening and cooking.</p>
<p data-start="2492" data-end="2782">This mix of mundane and magical feels like Failbetter Games tapping into their niche for storytelling that’s equal parts weird and immersive. You’re not just growing plants; you’re coaxing life from the forbidden, interacting with ancient powers that might not take kindly to your presence.</p>
<p data-start="2492" data-end="2782">
<p data-start="2492" data-end="2782"><a href="https://www.theibulletin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Failbetter-Games.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-57638" src="https://www.theibulletin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Failbetter-Games.jpg" alt="Failbetter Games" width="1182" height="816" /></a></p>
<h2 data-start="2784" data-end="2842">What to Expect From Gameplay and Community Interaction</h2>
<p data-start="2844" data-end="3216">Gameplay-wise, <em data-start="2859" data-end="2869">Mandrake</em> is shaping up to be more than a simple sim. It combines the comforting routine of rural life games with a narrative layer that asks players to engage with the village and its mysteries on a deeper level. Exploration isn’t just for resources — it’s about uncovering stories and piecing together the village’s complex web of relationships and lore.</p>
<p data-start="3218" data-end="3632">Failbetter also plans to involve players early and often. The studio acknowledges <em data-start="3300" data-end="3310">Mandrake</em>’s complexity and “very unusual features” mean it needs player feedback to shape its final form. They’re aiming to run several playtests before the official release, encouraging those intrigued to wishlist the game on Steam. It’s a smart move to build a community that can help polish the game and deepen its storytelling.</p>
<p data-start="3634" data-end="3695">Here’s a quick glimpse of what you’ll be up to in <em data-start="3684" data-end="3694">Mandrake</em>:</p>
<ul data-start="3697" data-end="4029">
<li data-start="3697" data-end="3748">
<p data-start="3699" data-end="3748">Gardening and cultivating rare, mysterious plants</p>
</li>
<li data-start="3749" data-end="3798">
<p data-start="3751" data-end="3798">Fishing and foraging to support your daily life</p>
</li>
<li data-start="3799" data-end="3852">
<p data-start="3801" data-end="3852">Crafting furniture to make your home uniquely yours</p>
</li>
<li data-start="3853" data-end="3911">
<p data-start="3855" data-end="3911">Exploring varied landscapes: forests, beaches, and mines</p>
</li>
<li data-start="3912" data-end="3971">
<p data-start="3914" data-end="3971">Building relationships with a cast of eccentric villagers</p>
</li>
<li data-start="3972" data-end="4029">
<p data-start="3974" data-end="4029">Encountering and surviving the supernatural and unknown</p>
</li>
</ul>
<h2 data-start="4031" data-end="4096">Early Impressions and What This Means for Failbetter’s Future</h2>
<p data-start="4098" data-end="4373">Failbetter has carved out a niche in the indie scene for delivering story-driven, atmospheric games rich with lore and strangeness. <em data-start="4230" data-end="4240">Mandrake</em> represents their first real leap outside the <em data-start="4286" data-end="4301">Fallen London</em> universe, which is exciting and a bit nerve-wracking for longtime fans.</p>
<p data-start="4375" data-end="4696">Switching genres to a rural life sim with a dark twist is ambitious. On the surface, it might seem like a step back from the gothic horror and urban weirdness of <em data-start="4537" data-end="4550">Sunless Sea</em> or <em data-start="4554" data-end="4572">Mask of the Rose</em>. But digging deeper, <em data-start="4594" data-end="4604">Mandrake</em> looks like it might capture the same unsettling magic by placing it in a different setting.</p>
<p data-start="4698" data-end="4960">Failbetter’s focus on community feedback could also indicate a more open development process than usual, giving players a chance to influence how the story and mechanics evolve. It’s a fascinating approach that could help <em data-start="4920" data-end="4930">Mandrake</em> stand out in a crowded genre.</p>
<p data-start="4962" data-end="5198">For now, we don’t have a release date, but the promise of a PC launch and multiple playtests on the horizon keeps interest high. If you’re into games that blend everyday life with a dash of the eerie, this one’s worth keeping an eye on.</p>

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