Lost Ember studio reveals its next game, and dang, it's got some really good snow

IKUMA - The Frozen Compass | Official Reveal Trailer | Coming 2026 - YouTube

You never know what'll catch your eye when you're watching a trailer for a new game: Glitzy graphics, great character design, hot gunplay—or maybe something a little more subtle, as is the case in today's trailer for Ikuma: The Frozen Compass. "Dang, some really good snow in this game," PC Gamer's Tyler Wilde said, a comment that made me curious because really, how good could the snow be? But you know what? Dang, that is some good snow.

Ikuma is a coming-of-age story about a cabin boy named Sam and his sled dog Ellie, who find themselves trapped on an uncharted island in the Arctic in 1864. Venturing through unfamiliar terrain and harsh weather, Sam and Ellie will use the few tools they can find on the island to fish, forage, and try to stay warm and alive. They'll also "find fading traces of a long lost expedition and uncover a dark secret," which I sincerely hope isn't cannibalism. You know how these things go, though.

After taking a moment to appreciate the snow (right around the 32 second mark) and the overall visual style of the trailer which I quite like, I started to get a feeling that this wasn't the first I'd heard of developer Mooneye Studios.

Sure enough, I was right: Mooneye is also the developer of Lost Ember, "a wonderful, unique, and unforgettable experience with a love for nature" that earned a 90% review score in 2019. That's an impressive indie pedigree, and it took me from "yeah, good snow" to genuine interest in what Ikuma is all about.

"We're ridiculously nervous, yet thrilled, to finally be able to talk about what we've been working on in secret for the past five years," Mooneye Studios CEO and story writer Tobias Graff said. "We cannot wait to hear what people think of Ikuma."

Wait they will, though, and so will we: Ikuma isn't expected to be out until sometime in 2026. It's available for wishlisting now on Steam.

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Ikuma: The Frozen Compass screenshot — (Image credit: Mooneye Studios)

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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