Scarlet Deer Inn’s hand-embroidered look hides a sharp twist

Try the demo on Steam and play it for about 20 minutes — there's a specific moment that’s hard to describe without spoiling. That early scene is what convinced me this game has real substance, so it’s worth experiencing firsthand. Scarlet Deer Inn is a side-scrolling adventure platformer from Czech husband-and-wife team Attu games, notable for an "embroidered" art style.

The backgrounds are hand-painted, while the characters and every frame of their animation were created with a sewing machine and then scanned into the game. The introduction leans into a cosy medieval life: rolling fields, sun-dappled woods and villagers trading gossip, with protagonist Elise presented in an idyllic light and much of the humour arising naturally from character moments.

Then the game takes a sharp turn — it becomes one with teeth and bones, an effective dramatic twist that appears very early and leaves you wanting more. A release date of July 17 has been announced and a new trailer is available, though it reveals a fair amount.

scarlet deer, attu games, embroidered art, hand-painted, sewing machine, side-scrolling, platformer, steam demo, release date, july 17