Failbetter Games, known for titles like Sunless Sea and Mask of the Rose, announced Mandrake, marking their debut project outside the Fallen London series. This rural life simulation unfolds in a realm where ancient, untamed forces prevail, and gardening is strictly banned. A PC release is planned.

Drawing from British lore and history, players assume the role of the final descendant in a lineage of botanical mystics, returning to their ancestral home in the enigmatic village of Chandley after years of absence.

Core activities include cultivating plants, fishing, foraging, and crafting home furnishings. Exploration spans forests, coastal areas, and mines, alongside building relationships with villagers to unravel their tales.

Beneath its pastoral facade lies a world of peculiar secrets. Players may barter vegetables for enigmatic seeds, commune with a river, converse with spirits, or share wine with a deity residing in their fireplace. Chandley’s eerie nights at the Butcher’s Oak serve as a stark reminder: “The darkness is unwelcoming.”

The village teems with oddities: a hunter bound to the forest by pact, a girl haunted by oceanic whispers, and entities like Granny Jakes—guardian of a hidden orchard—and Hroame, a being oscillating between stone and flesh. Not all inhabitants are benign, heightening the need for caution.

While no launch date is confirmed, the studio emphasizes iterative development with player feedback due to Mandrake’s unconventional mechanics. Plans include multiple playtests before release.