If you’ve been craving a return to the golden age of tabletop gaming, your next obsession is right around the corner. Developer Digitalis Publishing and publisher 15 Industry have officially released the final pre-launch trailer for Veritas Tales: Witch of the Dark Castle—and it looks like an absolute dream for classic fantasy fans.
Described as a “reading-style” fantasy adventure, the game heavily channels the spirit of The NeverEnding Story, tasking players with interacting with a living, breathing digital gamebook.
Check out everything you need to know about this unique indie project ahead of its impending launch.
Watch the Final Trailer
The final trailer offers a stunning look at the gameplay highlights and the immaculate care poured into the title. It features atmospheric Japanese voice narration with English subtitles, perfectly setting the mood for a dark, choice-driven fantasy.
A 100% Handmade Passion Project
What makes Veritas Tales truly special is the incredible human story behind its development. The game is the brainchild of Yoshio Nishimura, a 30-year industry veteran who served as Chief of Background Art for the original Monster Hunter at Capcom before working on gorgeous Vanillaware classics like Odin Sphere, Dragon’s Crown, and 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.
Nishimura left the bustling studio life behind, moving to a remote Japanese mountain village to tend to fields and craft this game entirely on his own over the course of six long years.
- No Generative AI: Every single one of the 300+ illustrations was meticulously drawn by Nishimura’s own hand.
- Legendary Music: The soundtrack is composed by the legendary Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story), ensuring a sweeping, nostalgic auditory experience.
- Pure Human Soul: The developers proudly state that the game “has a soul that can only be found in something truly handmade.”
“Once you open this book, you are no longer just a reader.”
Gameplay: Nostalgia Meets Modern Design
Inspired by iconic gamebooks like GrailQuest, Sorcery!, and Fighting Fantasy, Veritas Tales blends visual novel storytelling with old-school RPG systems.
You aren’t just reading passive text; you are actively shaping the narrative. As you turn the pages, you’ll roll dice, track your stats via an on-screen pencil and eraser UI, and make critical choices. Whether you want to charge in with a sword, talk your way out of a terrifying encounter, or completely ignore the danger and keep walking—the choice is entirely yours.
| Feature | Details |
| Playtime | 20+ Hours of core gameplay |
| Replayability | Heavily branching paths with new outcomes on second playthroughs |
| Text Volume | Over 15,000 words of rich story |
| Friction | Old-school design means true danger; wrong choices can lead to sudden death! |
Launching Very Soon!
If you want a taste of the magic early, a “Very Positive” rated demo is currently available on Steam, allowing you to play the first 30 minutes as either Havelock the warrior or Paneri the mage.
The full digital gamebook opens its pages on July 8th (PT) / July 9th on PC via Steam. Head over to their Steam page, check out the trailer, and get your digital dice ready!
Find out more here
#VeritasTales #WitchOfTheDarkCastle #IndieGames #PCGaming #SteamNextFest #Vanillaware #Gamebook #TabletopRPG #DigitalisPublishing #15Industry #RPG #HandcraftedArt
