Unfolded: Camellia Tales is now available on Steam, giving players a chance to explore the folklore and tragic history of Korea’s Jeju Island through puzzles, poetry, and hand-drawn art.
With Unfolded, South Korean indie studio COSDOTS aims to shed some light on the Jeju Uprising of 1948, when the violent suppression of protests against the division of Korea left thousands dead. The game mixes real-world history, folklore, poetry, and point-and-click adventure game puzzles to tell the story of Herman, an aspiring young poet as he struggles to survive and keep his loved ones safe from the growing conflict. But despite its grim background, Unfolded also promises to have its share of humour and lightheartedness.
“I’ve been experiencing the culture and history of other countries through games since I was young,” said one member of the development team. “I always find it delightful to know the people around the world have so many diverse cultures and values. So I thought it’s my turn to return the favour and let them know about my culture and history.”
As well as the full game, there’s also a free prologue demo for Unfolded: Camellia Tales on Steam, covering the first chapter. Here are some of the game’s key features, as outlined on Steam:
• A coming-of-age story set in 1948, Jeju Island, South Korea
• Sometimes dark, sometimes deep, but mostly lighthearted dialogues and characters
• Fully hand-drawn 2D graphics and animations
• Different Chapters with different sets of background
• Unique puzzles inspired by the history and folklore of Jeju Island
• Satisfying difficulty for adventure gamers
• English, Korean, Chinese, German, and Russian subtitles
Games can be a powerful, effective way of exploring and sharing history. As important as the Jeju Uprising is, it’s not well known outside Korea—here’s hoping Unfolded: Camellia Tales can at least do a little bit to change that.
