Strange Antiquities Demo Drops: Why Bad Viking’s Occult Puzzle Sequel Has My Attention

I’ll be honest: I’ve had Strange Antiquities on my radar ever since Bad Viking teased a return to Undermere. As someone who lost hours to the botanical mysteries of Strange Horticulture, the idea of cataloguing eldritch artifacts instead of plants is both familiar and just fresh enough to be genuinely exciting. The demo landed today on Steam, inviting us to poke around the town’s oddities shop and, if the vibe’s right, scratch a cat named Jupiter behind the ears. That’s my kind of cozy horror-and I needed to see if the magic’s still there.

Strange Antiquities Demo: A Familiar Yet Fresh Dive Into Occult Puzzles

Here’s what actually matters about Strange Antiquities’ demo, and why I think it’s a sequel worth your time (even if cozy occult games aren’t usually your thing):

• Sequel pressure is real – “Cozy occult puzzle” hits are rare, and Bad Viking now has a passionate fanbase to satisfy. There’s real tension between fan expectations and keeping things innovative.
• Artifact gameplay offers new twists – Swapping plants for magical curios gives the deduction systems new life, with the promise of less repetition and higher stakes.
• Your choices have bite – The demo teases genuine player agency: help the townsfolk, or, if you’re feeling spiteful, doom them to supernatural headaches. Small-town grudges never die in Undermere.
• Atmosphere is everything – The combination of tactile puzzles, mysterious lore, and the ever-present shop cat is still an unbeatable formula for fans of narrative immersion.

Key Takeaways

• Bad Viking leans into their strengths-tactile puzzles and rich atmosphere-but are they risking becoming a one-trick-pony?
• The artifact cataloguing mechanic feels deeper than Strange Horticulture’s plant sorting (at least in the demo).
• Choices have more narrative weight, but we’ll have to see if the consequences pay off in the full game.
• Strange Antiquities aims to expand the cozy occult genre—but can it avoid getting lost in its own lore?

The biggest question with Strange Antiquities is whether Bad Viking can recapture the magic of Strange Horticulture without falling into the trap of feeling like a glorified expansion. The good news: the demo is more than a reskin. The act of identifying bizarre objects and piecing together their stories with cryptic tomes feels much more varied than endlessly matching up leaves and petals. There’s a sense that every artifact could kick off a mini-mystery, or, if you’re feeling mischievous, a minor curse on your favorite (or least favorite) NPC.

What stands out most is that your choices matter—at least, that’s the claim. The developers aren’t shy about touting branching outcomes based on whether you help or hinder the townsfolk. But I’ve played too many games where apparent choices evaporate into a single “correct” path, so I’m reserving judgment until the full release. Still, the demo’s writing and incidentals (like the always-watchful cat, Jupiter) do give Undermere a lived-in vibe. It’s the kind of setting that rewards attention to detail—exactly what you want in a narrative puzzle game.

From a genre perspective, Strange Antiquities is riding the wave of “cozy horror” that’s become a surprise indie success story. Games like Dredge and Book of Hours proved that a little darkness goes a long way, as long as the core loop is meditative and satisfying. Bad Viking seems acutely aware that players want chill vibes with just enough danger to keep things interesting. The demo delivers on that front, balancing puzzle-solving with just a hint of dread. But the question remains: can the full game keep things fresh over the long haul?

For returning fans, the return of Undermere and its cast of oddballs feels like coming home to your favorite haunted bookstore. The Donkin brothers clearly know how to craft a setting that’s equal parts comforting and unsettling. But if you’re new to the series, the demo does a decent job onboarding you without assuming you’ve already pored over every page of Strange Horticulture’s flora guide. That’s critical for expanding the audience—and with the cozy occult genre now more crowded, Bad Viking needs to keep onboarding smooth and the puzzles meaningful.

Ultimately, what excites me most is the potential for Strange Antiquities to deepen the “puzzle as narrative” approach that made the first game such a cult hit. If the full game’s mysteries are as layered as the demo suggests, and if the choices really do shape the town’s fate, we could be looking at another indie darling. But if the demo is the high point, and the full release gets bogged down in repetition or lore dumps, expect the community to call it out—myself included.

What This Means for Puzzle Fans and Cozy-Mystery Gamers

If you’re the kind of player who loves poring over clues, piecing together oddball stories, and sinking into atmospheric worlds, Strange Antiquities is shaping up to be a must-play. The demo suggests Bad Viking has learned from the pacing missteps (and the runaway success) of Strange Horticulture, doubling down on what worked without resorting to lazy copy-paste design. For those skeptical of the “cozy occult” trend, this is a good barometer: if you find the Undermere shop’s vibe appealing, you’ll probably click with the full experience. If not, there’s no shortage of other narrative puzzle games vying for your time.

As someone who’s spent a lot of time in digital shops that promise more than they deliver, I’m cautiously optimistic. The demo is a strong proof-of-concept, but the real test will be whether Strange Antiquities can keep surprising us after the first dozen artifacts. Either way, it’s a great time to be a fan of weird, wonderfully-written indie puzzles.

TL;DR: The Strange Antiquities demo is out, and it nails the cozy occult vibe with richer artifact puzzles and more meaningful choices than its predecessor. Bad Viking has something special brewing, but whether the full game avoids repetition and delivers on its narrative promises remains to be seen. For now, Undermere’s mysteries are definitely worth a visit—just keep your wits (and your tomes) about you.

Source: Iceberg Interactive via GamesPress