Kiipluu Hands-On at Gamescom: Why NIEKO’s Neolithic Adventure Deserves Your Attention

Gamescom is packed with flashy reveals and big-name studios, but it’s often the indie booths where you find the future cult classics. That’s why Kiipluu, NIEKO’s new adventure game set in a mystical Neolithic world, jumped out at me this year. If you’re heading to Cologne, trying this alpha build is a no-brainer, but even those following from home should have this title on their wishlist. Here’s what caught my eye-and why I think Kiipluu’s more than just another survival game set in prehistory.

• The game weaves player choice into the fabric of survival and leadership-potentially breaking the “illusion of choice” so many story games fall victim to.
• NIEKO is framing the Neolithic era not just as a backdrop for hunting and gathering, but as a space for meaningful player-driven storytelling.
• Hands-on impressions at Gamescom could shape development-something indie devs actually take to heart, unlike many AAA teams these days.
• If the combat and tribe politics live up to the hype, we might be looking at a spiritual successor to classics like Brothers or even the early Telltale titles, but through a unique prehistoric lens.

What Makes Kiipluu Stand Out From the Prehistoric Pack

Tribal drama in video games tends to get the cinematic treatment (think Horizon Zero Dawn), or it boils down to generic “hunter vs. beast” scenarios. But Kiipluu actually aims to dig deeper. You step into the shoes—or animal-hide slippers, I guess—of a young hunter whose tribe’s survival may hinge on every choice you make. This isn’t just hunting for food, but hunting for identity, legacy, and community—a genuinely fresh angle in a genre that hasn’t evolved much since Far Cry Primal tried to reboot club-and-spear gameplay.

What intrigues me is the balance NIEKO is promising between visceral combat and genuine moral quandaries. Will you try to unite the clans, or double down on “us versus them” to protect your own? Too many games give you “tough” choices that barely register, but if Kiipluu actually changes relationships, resource availability, or even the future of your tribe, that’s a level of consequence we haven’t had in a coming-of-age narrative set this far back in human history.

Alpha Impressions—Why Don’t More AAA Studios Listen Like This?

If you’re at Gamescom, the appeal is obvious: play the alpha, talk to the devs, and know your honest feedback could steer the final design. The indie-live testing feedback loop is something I wish we saw more often from bigger studios—there’s no PR filter, just direct reactions from experienced gamers who can spot jank, pacing issues, or missed narrative opportunities a mile away.

From the feature highlights, Kiipluu is aiming for:

• Varied combat mixing stealth, melee, and ranged tactics
• Real survival mechanics—gathering, crafting, and hunting that isn’t just filler
• Spiritual and supernatural elements grounded in tribal myth (not just the standard “magic forest” trope)
• A coming-of-age journey layered with baggage—think responsibility, loss, and high stakes

Gamer’s Perspective: Can Choice and Consequence Actually Matter?

Look, as somebody who’s spent way too many hours disappointed by “branching” narratives that always funnel back to the same cutscene, I’m cautiously optimistic. Indie studios sometimes overpromise on the weight of your decisions, but NIEKO’s pitch here is believable if they stay focused. It’s those small, persistent changes—like who trusts you, what resources your tribe has left, who survives—that build genuine tension.

And choosing a Neolithic setting? That’s no accident. It sidesteps the overused Viking and medieval tropes, giving us a shot at seeing prehistoric culture not as “primitive,” but as a complex web of spirituality, survival, and politics. If Kiipluu delivers even half of what’s promised, it’ll offer worldbuilding you just don’t see in most AA or AAA adventure titles.

Other Indies at the Booth—and a Sneaky VR Surprise

Not content to bring just one project, the Spanish indie scene is flexing this year. Attendees can also try Remembrance VR, described as a narrative puzzle game, and possibly walk away with a VR headset if you’re lucky (or clever) enough to ask the right questions. It’s a smart move—cross-pollinating two experimental projects and letting the indie dev community do what it does best: test, tweak, and iterate right in front of actual gamers.

TL;DR

Kiipluu isn’t just another survival adventure—it’s trying to tell a human story where choice and consequence actually matter. With a hands-on alpha at Gamescom and devs open to feedback, this is one indie to keep an eye on—especially if you’re tired of prehistoric games that don’t make your decisions count.