An upcoming indie game called Ancestral Harvest promises a combination of gameplay mechanics that seem reminiscent of Zelda, but in a creepy, dystopian setting and with a pacifist twist. A demo is currently available on Steam, but only for a limited time.
Ancestral Harvest is made by solo developer 1011, real first name Fred. Its Steam page went live in March 2025, describing a dystopian adventure centered on a child shaman searching for a way to cure a world ravaged by humankind.
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A month later, 1011 launched Ancestral Harvest‘s first demo, which can still be accessed via Steam as of mid-June 2025. The trial version of the game is technically a playtest, but comes with an unrestricted player pool, allowing anyone interested to download it while it remains available. Ancestral Harvest‘s sole developer will be closing the playtest soon, but then follow up on it with a full-fledged demo, having said as much in a recent social media post. The current plan is for the demo to launch on Steam sometime in July 2025.
Ancestral Harvest’s Combat Is All About Healing
Gameplay-wise, Ancestral Harvest promises a mixture of exploration, environmental puzzles, and combat—a formula that might appeal to The Legend of Zelda fans. One of its distinct twists lies in its pacifist approach to combat, as the shaman protagonist is primarily beating his drum instead of enemies, creating rhythms that heal rather than kill. Gameplay footage on Ancestral Harvest‘s Steam page suggests there may be minor exceptions to this philosophy, including a scene where the shaman drops a large boulder on an enemy—though the act is clearly portrayed as non-lethal.
Connect with the land, mend the wounds of the Earth, and witness its forgotten magic.
Ancestral Harvest‘s story appears to have an environmental message, with the protagonist seeking to connect with a devastated planet, “purge the evil that controls humanity,” and restore the world’s natural balance before nature itself collapses. Over the course of this quest, the shaman will need to break the vicious cycle of humans fighting darkness with violence. “Connect with the land, mend the wounds of the Earth, and witness its forgotten magic,” the game’s official synopsis reads.
In addition to regular enemies, Ancestral Harvest will feature boss battles. The protagonist’s shamanic powers can be upgraded using pollen collected from healed plants. Another gameplay mechanic involves mystical visions that provide players with puzzle clues and insights into Ancestral Harvest’s backstory. Expanding on this feature, the developer explained that it was conceived as an alternative to traditional UI and 2D art, which he chose to minimize due to a lack of confidence in his skills in those areas.
Ancestral Harvest is currently lacking a release date or even a release window. No pricing details have been announced either, and there’s still no word on whether the game is planned to make its way to more platforms besides PC.
- Brand
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Valve
- Original Release Date
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September 12, 2003
- Original MSRP (USD)
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N/A
- Weight
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N/A