Cozy Souls-Like The Sacred Acorn Launches on Steam

Souls-like and cozy don’t really go together in theory, but a new game now on Steam from Australian developer A Few Dragons is debunking that misconception. The deceptively cute top-down action game The Sacred Acorn is available now and stars a squirrel named Ima, who is tasked with saving the whole world. Here you thought you were having a stressful day, huh? Here’s a rundown of what to expect in The Sacred Acorn.

“An evil presence is creeping into the [once-peaceful] Tansira, infecting the land and corrupting everything it touches… and it’s up to a small but mighty squirrel to save the land and its inhabitants,” the press release notes. Players control the adorable squirrel Ima as they explore Tansira, meet new companions, and customize combat approaches with a skills tree that offers players room for strategy and eventual success despite the odds.

Developer A Few Dragons does note that the art style doesn’t match the difficulty here. Like a true Souls-Like, you’re faced with challenging combat, including enemies that move in mysterious ways and dangers like poisons and spikes in unexpected places. As you gain companions, they’ll help motivate you to push forward through these challenging foes and puzzles as you seek to save Tansira for good.

I think my coverage here at Phenixx Gaming makes it clear I’m pretty invested in the popularity of cozy titles. Like Cult of the Lamb or Another Crab’s Treasure, plenty of developers are proving that the aesthetic of an attractive, colorful game doesn’t need to pigeonhole its genre or gameplay. The Sacred Acorn appears to be another wonderful title seeking to expand what we consider to be cozy and Souls-like games, and you have the chance to play it now.