Strange Antiquities is an intriguing welcome back to Undermere

A red-headed woman approaches the counter with a problem. She’s paralyzed by the cruelties of life. By her own admission, she’s got no job, no friends, no prospects. Her green eyes — the same shade as her heavy cloak — plead for help: She wants a horned shackle, a pendant that’s said to help people overcome their own demons.

In Strange Antiquities, the follow-up to Bad Viking’s 2022 game Strange Horticulture, I’ve taken over as the stand-in shopkeep for a shop full of occult objects when the Thaumaturge, who runs the place, steps out to investigate a spreading darkness. (Strange Horticulture, the titular shop from the original game, is just down the street in the bleary, clouded city of Undermere.) The books hidden in the shop’s dusty shelves have become essential to my work. What’s a horned shackle? I’ve got to consult my books. The entry for “horned shackle” has the clue I need to identify the object: not only is it horned, but the horns are worn smooth because wearers often rub down the texture with their fingers. 

I click through the objects on my shelves and investigate the details of each; descriptions hover on screen via overlaid text boxes to describe materials, smells, and, yes, texture. I pass the horned shackle to the woman, and she disappears.

If you’ve played Strange Horticulture, you’ll recognize the structure of Strange Antiquities. With a tap of a bell, a new customer arrives with a new request, and it’s back to the books to puzzle out just what they need. Sometimes, a single entry or book is not enough, and I must seek hints elsewhere — I have books to consult for symbols, gemstones, and curses, too.