Valheim Meets Fable in This Dark New Open-World 2026 Release

Dark Point Games has officially unveiled Brightfall, a new horror open-world survival roguelite designed for one to four players.

Set on a “cursed Celtic island”, Brightfall has a rather unique feel.

Its open-world survival gameplay will most definitely appeal to Valheim fans, a forerunner in the genre.

As for bringing horror and roguelite elements in the mix, I can’t really say any other titles out there are quite doing that.

The trailer personally, despite the horror, reminded me of Fable; perhaps it’s just that feeling of being whisked away to a fantastical world.

The idea of the game is to explore, craft, and fight back as you attempt to survive a world plagued by “living darkness”.

“In Brightfall, light isn’t just a resource, it’s a weapon. Every torch, lantern, and bonfire pushes back the spreading gloom, restoring corrupted ground and revealing the island’s lost secrets,” teases a press release.

“But as light fades, the darkness grows bolder. Monsters emerge. Sanity slips. And even your allies may fall to the Dark Madness, a creeping affliction that twists the mind and body until nothing human remains.”

Intriguing premise, right? It has certainly grabbed my attention.

Should you lose a friend to the darkness, don’t worry; you’ll gain a Resurrection Token which can be used to pull them back from the brink for a second shot at survial.

If all players succumb to the darkness, the run draws to a close and the island will reshape.

As such, you’ve likely gathered that no two runs will feel the same.

You can’t master Brightfall’s map due to its changing landscape.

You will, however, unearth blueprints, skills, and upgrades on each run and these do carry over so there is most definitely a sense of development in Brightfall.

With each run, you should be able to push deeper away from your base where players can “cleanse corrupted biomes and raise sancturies that endure through resets”.

Before long, you’ll have built a network of safe light-filled outposts.

As for enemies, the trailer seems to feature some undead pirate looking fellas, and I’m sure they’re not the only threat.

Enemies will respond to changes in brightness, “forcing players to adapt their strategies as the darkness grows”.

Brightfall release date and launch platforms

There’s no precise release date for Brightfall just yet, but it is confirmed for 2026.

Next year, the game will arrive on PC via Steam.

Dark Point Games then plans on launching the game on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, but they will follow the PC launch with no disclosed window or date yet available.