Reka: Everything We Know

Have you ever wondered, “to what end,” somewhere in the middle of nowhere in an open-world game? For some, it always seems like the same recipe. Collect things. When you have enough, turn them into useful tools and items. Then, use them in some way, whether in battle or building cool things. It's a recipe that seems to have worked for millennia. However, you will frequently come to a fork in the road. The point at which you're either carrying too much unnecessary stuff. Or you've run out of cool things to make. 

Imagine you were moving around and dragging your house with you. That you can bring as much “stuff” as you want into the house. Then, from within it, create the useful tools you need. It's like interior design—the art that never stops. One morning, you wake up and want to tear the whole house down. The next morning, you simply want to put up a new painting on a boring wall. Reka is, for the most part, like that. It's exciting, strange, and definitely, a game you'll want to mark your calendar for when it comes out. 

In anticipation of launch day, here’s Reka: Everything We Know, so far.

What is Reka?

Reka is an upcoming open-world, adventure-building game. It has piqued many interests because of its unique perspective on exploration. While most games focus on survival and action adventures, Reka simply adopts an atmospheric trek across an eerie world. 

Gamers will presumably adopt a more relaxed playthrough that tags them along on an intriguing story of a loner witch. Along their journey, they will discover villagers in need of help. All along, your chicken-legged house will follow closely behind you, constantly needing you to decorate its rooms and make the house your own.

Reka is currently being developed by Emberstorm Entertainment. It will be published by Fireshine Games and released sometime in 2024.

Story

The story of Reka revolves around a young aspiring Slavic witch and her chicken-legged house that follows her around. She starts her journey as an apprentice to the legendary Baba Jaga. Then, Jaga sets her off into the wilderness to nurture her talents and become the witch she is meant to be. 

The world around our young Slavic witch crawls with mystery and adventure. An eerie, mysterious air looms over it. Most of her journey is curated around wandering through mysterious, natural landscapes. However, once in a while, she does run into villagers. Some are friendly, others not so much.

Reka is set in late 19th-century rural Europe. Although specific details of the story remain a mystery, the premise alone is intriguing. I certainly can’t wait to find out more over the coming months.

Gameplay

Reka is a third-person narrative that tells the story of an aspiring Slavic witch. It fits into the RPG, indie, casual, and adventure genres. 

The most interesting part of the gameplay is the chicken-legged house that follows her around. Literally, everywhere she goes, the house is just a few steps back. You can set up the house anywhere you want, walk into it as you would any building, and decorate it however you want. Oh, yes, the house is fully customizable. I’m talking furniture, rooms, crafting stations, mementos, and the works.

You’ll need supplies, which you can find all across the open world. Then, use these supplies to craft tools and equipment for your house. Here’s where you can also practice magic by harnessing the power of earthly spirits and the nature around you. And at opportune times, what you have learned so far will come in handy.

While there are no survival or battle playthroughs, there’s still some level of challenge in the form of side quests. Some villagers will ask you for help, and you can craft potions for them. Or, brew poison and curse them, too, if they prove hostile to you. 

There’s no limit to how far you can go or how many items you can craft. The world is procedurally generated, diverging into forests, swamps, and villages. Plus, you can tame wild animals and bring them home with you. How cool is that?

Finally, you’re free to customize your character however you like. And, as you find your way around the world, so will your inner witch blossom from your experiences, too.

Development

As of now, all we know is that Reka is an upcoming game currently in development. Also, the studio, Emberstorm Entertainment, is developing Reka and Fireshine Games has partnered with Emberstorm to publish it. There is certainly excitement over the idea of a living, colossal, ever growing, chicken-legged home, with a few gamers already speaking out on their expectations about the game. 

While many details still remain a mystery, including when exactly Reka will launch, Fireshine Games, affirms that “more news will be announced later this year.” They have also expressed their excitement about being a part of the Reka team, stating, “The whole team at Fireshine are thrilled to be working on this game, and we can’t wait to be a part of REKA’s journey!”

Trailer

Emberstorm Entertainment has released a teaser trailer. From the trailer, you can see the young witch exploring, crafting supplies, and interacting freely with the environment. You may be called upon to help those in need using your magical powers. Also, the trailer suggests that Reka’s narrative could be text-based. Feel free to check it out here.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Reka is scheduled to be released sometime in 2024. As of now, we don’t have a specific release date just yet. However, you can add Reka to your wishlist on Steam as early as now. You can do so here. Adding Reka to your Steam wishlist means that the game will launch on PC platforms. However, other platforms remain unconfirmed, as well as whether there will be any editions available.

According to Fireshine Games, more updates on the game will be made sometime later this year. For now, though, you can keep track of any fresh news via the Emberstorm Entertainment official Twitter handle here.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Reka when it eventually drops? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.