Tuniccreator Andrew Shouldice admits that there are secrets yet to be discovered in the action-adventure game, but perhaps not in a material sense. Heavily inspired byThe Legend of Zeldafranchise, it’s no surprise thatTunicis rich with hidden collectibles and treasures.Tunicisn’t just inspired byZelda, though. It’s also a commentary on the franchise. It doesn’t just have secrets. Its secrets have secrets, and the reasons behind those secrets are the reasonTunicwas made.
When players beginTunic, it seems much like anyclassicThe Legend of Zeldaor fantasy action-adventure game. Playing as a small fox, players explore and seek out more powerful abilities and equipment. There’s even a story of a powerful hero and a victim in need. While exploring, however, there’s a strange in-universe manual that the player can gather. This manual reveals secrets that stretch the fourth wall leading to questions regarding whatTunicis really all about.
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Speaking with IGN, Shouldice was asked if there are anysecrets yet to be discovered inTunic. Before answering the question, Shouldice qualifies his answer quizzically. He says that “at a certain point, what qualifies as a secret changes.” He explains that while eventually there just won’t be any more treasure chests to be discovered, there’s still “meaning and connections” that players haven’t put together. In that regard, Shouldice says that there could still be secrets left.
Some of those secrets, Shouldice admits, are just for him. He says that they aren’t content to be found in the game, but rather things that “have some special meaning” as the game’s developer. Having spent years of his life onTunic, largely working on his own, Shouldice could likely share endless stories about why certain things are the way they are inTunic.
But Shouldice isn’t saying that all of these remaining secrets are for him alone. He explains that the “gift that keeps on giving” forTunicwill be “reinterpreting stuff that exists that isn’t just the bits on the disc.” While he doesn’t elaborate, he’s perhaps talking about the ideas behind the game. Or, further, aboutideas in real life thatTunicis intended to provoke thought about.
Whether players go intoTunicwith the intent to fully unravel its secrets or just to have fun, what makes the game so special is that Shouldice poured so much heart into its development. It’s been seven years sinceShouldice first started working onTunic. As rich of an experience asTunicis, it likely will never mean as much to a player as it does to Shouldice. But, with time, perhaps players can understand more of whatTunicmeans, whether it’s as Shouldice intended or otherwise.
Tunicis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
