Phantom of the Grove

From Humble Beginnings... During Pirate Jam 16, we built the demo for Phantom of the Grove in two weeks. We did it as a way to start the year strong, but the reception we received was like nothing we could have ever imagined. You see, we're a small band of three gamemakers from around the world 🇦🇺🇧🇷🇻🇳 and we've been making our dream game - a story about being lost in limbo and struggling to find meaning - for the past ten years. I know, that's too long to be making one game! But we've got a deeply personal and meaningful story to share and we know there's a long winding road to getting there. Needless to say, we've learned a tonne about making games and have created a HUGE backlog of art, story, and world building. But, like all heart-in-throat indies, we're now at the point where we HAVE 👏 TO 👏 RELEASE 👏 a commercial title this year, or we're out of money and everything goes into deep storage. So Phantom of the Grove isn't our deep & meaningful narrative - but it's the next chapter in our journey of delivering it. If you like what you see, please wishlist Phantom of the Grove - it's a small act of kindness on your part, but it travels a tremendously long distance for us. 🫶 Check out our Instagram page for more! To find out more about us, click the links to the right! 👉 - Website for our mailing list with the latest updates and dev notes - Instagram for our back-catalogue of gameplay videos, cover art, and screenshots - Bluesky for a peek into our digital meandering consciousness About the Game Your sacred grove is being desecrated! Phantom of the Grove is a colony survival sim where you possess enemies, reclaim the fallen, and weave a vast fungal network that fights back. Expand your sentient forest, guide the Seely to restore the land, and turn those who defile nature into the roots of something greater. Possess Your Enemies The Phantom cannot fight directly, but it can control those who would destroy it. Take over invaders, wield their weapons, and use deception to turn them against each other. Every second of possession drains your Aetherium reserves. When they run out, you must return to the Grove or risk fading into nothing. Expand the Fungal Network The forest does not waste the dead. As enemies fall, Mycelium spreads across the battlefield, feeding on decaying bodies and unlocking new structures to aid in your survival. Choose how your Grove evolves. Build defensive Blooms, explosive Puffballs, or spore-spreading towers to reshape the land in your favor. Guide the Seely Emerging from the roots of the Aya Trees, the Seely are the caretakers of the Grove. These fungal beings gather resources, reclaim the dead, and sustain the ecosystem. At night, they rise from the soil, collecting Spores and strengthening the forest’s defenses. Their survival, and yours, depends on how well you guide them. Defend Against Relentless Invaders The Drogs will not stop. With each passing day, they adapt, bringing torches, axes, and stronger warriors. If the Grove is not ready, they will burn it to the ground. Expand too quickly, and you may struggle to sustain your defenses. Grow too slowly, and the enemy will overrun you. Wishlist Phantom of the Grove now and prepare for the battle to reclaim the forest.