About This Game

Mysteries of Hoia Baciu Forest is a first-person horror game inspired by the real Romanian legend, and the first chapter in the Dark Realms series.

Story

You are Alex, a solitary traveler who ventures into the shadowed depths of Hoia Baciu Forest, drawn by a mysterious voice that echoes through his dreams.

Haunted by unanswered questions surrounding the death of his former lover, Isabella, Alex presses deeper into the woods. Along the way, he encounters unsettling figures lurking between the trees—only to be captured by the enigmatic Cult of the Root and forced into a dark ritual where he is chosen as the sacrifice.

In a forest where dawn never breaks, Alex must fight to escape the curse that binds him there. As he searches for a way out, he begins to unravel the truth behind the voice in his dreams—and the secrets surrounding Isabella’s death.

Confront unspeakable horrors: relentless beasts stalking the undergrowth, fanatical cultists twisted by devotion, a malevolent Witch who shadows his every move, and the haunting apparition of the woman he once loved.

Game Progression

The main story consists of Alex trying to understand what is happening inside the forest and finding a way out. This progression will be tracked through a system of objectives, which can be accessed from the player's HUD.

Hide or Escape

The core gameplay revolves around survival—players must either hide from terrifying creatures or find creative ways to escape them, depending on the level. The environment offers multiple hiding spots, including tables, bushes, barrels, and other objects that can conceal you from danger.

Players can explore and collect useful items to store in their inventory, such as a lighter, flashlight, torch, and even weapons capable of harming certain enemies. Progression also requires solving environmental puzzles that unlock new areas and advance the story.

Hidden throughout the world are collectibles that reveal deeper lore and may unlock additional endings, encouraging exploration and multiple playthroughs.

Exploration

Throughout the game, you will explore the eerie expanse of Hoia Baciu Forest, freely roaming across a variety of haunting locations. In each area, your goal is to survive the dangers that lurk within and uncover a path forward by reaching the next key story destination.

Along the way, you can solve environmental puzzles, discover hidden collectibles, and examine interactive objects that reveal deeper lore about the forest and its dark history. Uncovering these secrets may unlock special endings, rewarding thorough exploration and curiosity.

The Forest's inhabitants

Different parts of the game offer unique gameplay mechanics. Every level has intense encounters with the Root cultists, the Witch or monsters from the forest. Each type of enemy has a different mechanic and behavior, giving the player a new flavor of fear.

Mature Content

The video game contains mature content or themes such as gore, death, extreme violence, that some players might find sensitive.

This game is a work of fiction inspired by real-world folklore. No real locations were harmed in the making. Please respect all real-world private property.

Mature Content Description

The developers describe the content like this:

The video game contains flashing images, mature content or themes such as gore, mutilation, gruesome death, extreme violence, that some customers might find sensitive.