Get Ready to Dive into Skarven: The Weird FPS from the Creator of Backwater Gospel!

Welcome to the World of Skarven!

Animator Bo Mathorne, the creative mind behind the wacky and wildly popular animated short, The Backwater Gospel, is up to his old tricks. He’s teamed up with developer Thomas Mygind to bring us a fresh game adventure titled Skarven. Now, this isn’t just any shooter; it’s a lo-fi FPS, and I mean lo-fi in the best possible way, drawing inspiration from those quirky guns-a-blazing, story-rich first-person shooters we all adored back in the late ’90s and early 2000s, including a little gem called Half-Life.

What’s Cooking in Skarven?

Skarven recently dropped a trailer that’s more about the vibes than high-speed action, and honestly, it’s a mood! Imagine wandering up to this eerie old farmhouse with an industrial mill hovering ominously in the background. In the trailer, a Danish TV anchor lays down some juicy background info as you sneak around the house. Apparently, the work world is experiencing a major shift, with retirement ages climbing higher and automation taking over jobs, a situation reminiscent of the chilling dystopia in Children of Men.

As you explore, you pick up what looks like a chunky pistol that could’ve come straight out of Fallout. But just when you start to breathe easy, the TV screen fizzles out, and bam! A freaky creature pops out to mess with your day—talk about a plot twist!

Visually, I’m all about the oppressive vibes of this Northern European setting, which mesh beautifully with Mathorne’s unique style, reminiscent of the artsy yet gritty PS2 era. It’s got a touch of nostalgia that’s both haunting and exciting, like an old memory wrapped in pixelated charm.

If you haven’t seen The Backwater Gospel yet, you’re in for a treat! This nine-minute animation from 2011 is not just a quirky little short; it somehow became a cult classic with over 4.6 million views on YouTube! Seriously, it’s a freaky tale of a supernatural undertaker who brings death wherever he goes—except in this story, he just shows up and lounges around, which is pretty darn unsettling!

But wait, there’s more! Skarven is still in the works, with no demo or release date just yet. However, you can get ahead of the game and wishlist it now on Steam!

Feeling like your wishlist is looking a bit bare? Head on over to the 2025 PC Gaming Show Most Wanted Steam page to check out the exciting titles that gamers (like you) are buzzing about, as well as other games that will be showcased this year.

Stay tuned for more updates on Skarven, and make sure you don’t miss out on all the quirky adventures that await!