Samorost studio unveils the debut trailer for its new game, Chuchel

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Amanita Design, the developer of Samorost, Machinarium, and Botanicula, teased a new project late last year called Chuchel. It didn't reveal much at the time, except that the titular character looked very much like a furry acorn with anger management issues. Today the studio released the game's first proper teaser, and by all appearances that early impression was exactly right.

Amanita described the game's lead character, Chuchel, as "an angry hairball, basically, who is as pleasant as screaming kids and as intelligent as a potato." But he's also a hero, of sorts: He has an insatiable passion for cherries, and he'll do anything to get them.

"Chuchel looks and plays like a point-and-click adventure game—you point at things, you click on things and you solve problems—but there are no extremely complicated puzzles spread across multiple levels," Amanita said. "Although several stages are likely to squeeze Chuchel’s tiny little brain, the goal of this game is to keep you laughing (or at least smiling if you’re a grumpy person) until the very end."

It will also feature some "unconventional takes on classic games": Poor Chuchel will be "hunted by a swarm of savage Pac-Men, squashed by mean tetrominos, and threatened by invaders from space."

The teaser is very reminiscent of the outstanding Botanicula, and Chuchel will in fact be scored by DVA, the two-person Czech alt-rock group that created the Botanicula soundtrack. I think it's fair to say that it looks very much like Chuchel will remain true to the studio's well-known storytelling style: lighthearted, easy-going, and deeply bizarre. It's expected to be ready for release in early 2018.

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.