The Lonesome Guild Celebrates the Strength of Friendship

You ever get lost in a world full of, I dunno, animal pals and ghostly whatevers — kinda like you’re dreaming but don’t wanna wake up ’cause it’s just too quirky to leave? So, there’s this thing, The Lonesome Guild, right? It’s coming from these indie champs over at Don’t Nod. And let me tell ya, it’s way different from Tiny Bull Studios’ usual stuff. They’ve done, like, VR magic and some spooky Lovecraft biz before. But now? It’s like, “Hey, here’s a bunch of talking animals and a friendly ghost. Enjoy!”

It all kicks off with a shooting star, if you can believe it, dashing through some place called Etere. It’s like, full-on emo star, lonely and whatnot, ends up splattering in a forest. Misty gloom follows — and a ghost pops out. It’s not your average “boo” kind, more of a “let’s hug it out” vibe. Enter Davinci — not the artist, but a bunny inventor dude. He stumbles upon the ghost — who he just calls Ghost, ’cause why complicate things? They start this journey to probe into the whole mist mystery, which seems like a big deal, with Ghost having zero memory of, well, anything.

Soon enough, they run into Mr. Fox — yeah, that’s really what he’s calling himself. Or maybe that’s his actual name — who am I to judge? He adds this third layer to the demo pie, which lasts about two hours. Picture Davinci, bouncing around with his goofy “Gee Willikers!” energy, trading his potty words for “Sparks!” Meanwhile, Mr. Fox is more the grumbly type. Still, you sense they’re headed for a tight-knit bromance.

Friendship — feels like it’s the heartbeat of The Lonesome Guild. These three comrades make a beeline for Davinci’s “pal,” Ran, who’s supposed to guide them outta the woods. Surprise, surprise, they bump into an automaton instead and, in proper dramatic fashion, it attacks them. Turns out, this Ran buddy? Davinci’s never even seen their face, just some friendly pen-pals. You get this sneaky feeling he’s exaggerating the depths of their bond. Loneliness in disguise, maybe?

Between forest strolls, they chill around campfires — classic bonding time. Here’s where, if this were a game, it’s like it “gamifies” the buddy thing. Chat around the flames, earn Relationship points for Ghost, and unlock cool powers. Yeah, tons of games do this, but I’m holding out hope that The Lonesome Guild dives deep — beyond the “let’s just boost stats” thing — into real, emotional connections.

When it comes to fighting, you better bring your game face. These enemies? They hit hard, especially the annoying little dudes in pots. Picture Over the Garden Wall’s Greg, but feistier. It’s your usual dodge-roll combat (imagine Tunic or Death’s Door), but here’s the twist: Ghost can leap into others, jazzing up their power, giving them this crazy aura. It’s fun swapping characters mid-fight to keep the energy alive. Just keep those reflexes sharp, or you’ll find yourself controlling a sitting duck amid enemy chaos.

But, beyond the thrill of combat, what wraps you in is this whole friendship thing. Playing the demo on Steam, the layers unravel, and these characters stick with you. Can’t wait to meet more of these quirky, maybe-lonely, critters when the full adventure hits PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X later this year. Bring on the animal buddies and ghostly high-fives!