A soulful adventure where trading becomes a puzzle, your soul is collateral, and rebuilding the world is the only way forward.
Rekindled Trails was made by the independent team Kiwick. It came out quietly but with confidence during Steam Next Fest and surprised everyone by ranking in the top 5% of demos and getting over 6,000 wishlists. Although it was initially designed for Windows, the developers ensured that it would also work well on Linux and the Steam Deck with Proton.
Due to limited funds, there will be no native Linux version; however, Rekindled Trails already works perfectly on both handhelds and Linux systems. A small team used Unreal Engine 5 to make it. It doesn’t try to be huge; instead, it tries to be meaningful, and it succeeds.
You wake up in a world that is going away. You have no memories and no soul. A strange flame that talks to you greets you and tells you two things: first, you made a terrible mistake; and second, your soul is now inside the lantern you carry.
There are no towns left in Aurteris because people have forgotten about the Flame that once brought life to the land. You need to fix the world by helping people remember, putting communities back together, and bringing back hope that has been lost.
The story slowly comes together as you talk to NPCs, look through your traveling scrapbook, and listen to the Flame’s sad thoughts. The story is about getting a second chance, trusting again, and facing the weight of sins you don’t know you’ve done.
Due to the fact that there is no combat, no enemies, and no timers in Rekindled Trails, the game is designed to be a relaxing experience. Knowing that your very being is at stake is the source of the pressure. Rekindled Trails focuses primarily on exploration, resource gathering, town construction, and goods trading through the use of puzzles.
After making your character, you are given a magical scrapbook. This single tool can serve as a map, encyclopedia, inventory, and quest log. In Aurteris, you’ll go through different areas and collect things like fish, minerals, herbs, and strange objects. There is a small item that goes with every tool you use, like a fishing rod, a pickaxe, or shears. These are quick and easy to use. They’re not revolutionary, but they’re relaxing and reliable.
You are constructing new towns while gathering resources at the same time. Every community has its own set of prerequisites for obtaining upgrades. Through the sale of items and the gathering of resources, you will acquire coins.
After that, you can use those coins to unlock buildings, services provided by NPCs, and most importantly, upgrades to your backpack collection. Mainly due to the fact that there is a very limited amount of space available for inventory here.
Trading items is what gives Rekindled Trails its puzzle-like quality, despite the fact that there is no combat. To sell something, it’s not as simple as clicking the “done” button. Instead of arranging your resources on a grid, you are required to do so when you engage in commerce with merchants.
There is a unique pattern overlay for each and every vendor. If you match certain symbols with items, you will receive bonuses; however, if you match other symbols with items, you will end up receiving penalties.
Due to the fact that the items themselves come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, the process of selling them is somewhat analogous to playing Tetris, in which you have to consider where things should go and how you can make the most of them.
There is no doubt that the trading system is one of the most ingenious and distinctive aspects of the game. Selling loot is transformed from a tedious task into an enjoyable logic puzzle that you can enjoy for a considerable amount of time.
Getting the most money possible is a fun way to progress through the grid puzzles because it directly helps you move forward. The other side of the coin is that if you are not a fan of micromanagement or spatial puzzles, this mechanic might become tedious quickly.
Due to the absence of battles, there is no experience point system, unlike in traditional games. Your progress is determined by how well you manage your inventory, how well you gather resources, and how well you improve towns. Regardless of how you define the term “slow burn,” it has the impression that it was earned.
Rekindled Trails isn’t trying to look like a real photo. Style and atmosphere are what make it do well instead. With foggy forests, crumbling towns, and soft lighting that makes the world feel like a painting or a dream, the journey is more emotional. The Flame companion glows warmly next to you, giving you a small but strong visual anchor.
Over time, zones become accessible, and the manner in which they transition from dormant to flourishing generates a powerful visual feedback loop. Seeing a town that had been forgotten come back to life as a result of your efforts is a very moving experience.
The music has a sense of melancholy, is ambient, and is exquisitely understated. Notes on the piano are heard drifting in and out as the story’s feelings fluctuate up and down. There is not a lot of volume in the sound effects, but they are effective.
Fishing, mining, and walking through windswept ruins all have a soothing rhythm. The Flame has few but powerful voice lines, and most of the dialogue between non-playable characters (NPCs) is written down. By doing so, the world is able to speak more loudly than the characters..
The goal of Rekindled Trails is not to become the next big open-world game in the industry. It’s an emotionally independent game that focuses on small wins, like rebuilding a town, finding a lost memory, or getting closer to redemption for your soul. Gathering resources, trading smartly, and upgrading towns create a relaxing gameplay loop that’s great for people who want a break from games with intense combat.
Some people might find the pace too slow or the mechanics too repetitive after a while, especially since there isn’t much to choose from and you have to go back a lot. Rekindled Trails will feel like a hidden gem if you like the kind of games that let you explore slowly, tell emotional stories, and play with care.
