Withering Realms Early Access: Ride a Horror Doll

Withering Realms, a standalone follow-up to the acclaimed dollhouse horror action-RPG Withering Rooms, has entered early access. The game tasks players with controlling a ghost child perched on the shoulders of a nightmarish marionette in a 1920s world reshaped by occult catastrophe that prematurely ended World War 1.

The marionette protagonist is deliberately unsettling—a skeletal frame of springs and hinges topped with a one-eyed grimace that evokes stop-motion horror cinema. Despite its grotesque appearance, the creature proves effective in combat. Developer Moonless Formless describes the gameplay loop as "top-down Zelda meets Bloodborne," with exploration spanning gothic environments including swamps, forests, caves, decaying mansions, and overgrown graveyards. Combat encounters pit players against creatures ranging from deranged servants to eyeball-constructed television sets. The doll's right arm can be swapped for various weapons—chains with rocks attached, candlesticks that launch fireballs—while the ghost rider casts spells from its perch.

For players seeking an alternative approach, the game offers a second playable character: Althea Crossley, a freelance investigator who trades combat prowess for stealth, lockpicking, and interrogation skills. Althea serves as the gateway to Penwyll, the game's central town hub, where merchants sell weapon upgrades and equipment. Her sections shift between isometric top-down perspectives and fixed-camera survival horror angles, creating tonal variety.

Each accessible location can be revisited during day or night cycles. Nighttime intensifies enemy threats but may reveal narrative secrets. The early access build already contains a complete campaign playable from beginning to end, with playtests suggesting 15 to 42 hours of content depending on playstyle. The current version includes approximately 50 weapons, around 70 talismans, and over 110 distinct monster types.

During the early access period, Moonless Formless plans to expand language support, add endgame content and additional game modes, and implement balance adjustments and bug fixes based on community feedback.