Dark Realms: Mysteries of Hoia Baciu Forest
Release date: May 30, 2025
Developers: Vlad Stoica
Publishers: Vlad Stoica
Genres: Adventure, Indie, Early Access
Categories: Single-player, Playable without Timed Input, Stereo Sound, Family Sharing
Supported languages: English

Mysteries of Hoia Baciu Forest is a first-person horror game inspired by the real Romanian legend, and the first chapter in the Dark Realms series. Story You are Alex, a lone traveler that dared to venture into the dark and eerie Hoia Baciu forest, only to get lost and wake up in a real nightmare. As he tried to reach the forest rangers for help, only to find them slaughtered like animals, Alex are kidnapped by the mysterious Cult of the Root and dragged into a ritual where you are the sacrifice. As the morning never comes, our protagonist tries to uncover the secrets behind this cursed forest, as they may hold the key of escaping alive. Face terrifying creatures—from the relentless SplitJaw to the grotesque Slither , twisted cultists , and a malevolent Witch who haunts your every step. Manage your sanity carefully; as it slips, so does your grasp on reality, plunging you into distorted realms that may hold the key to your past… or your end. Game Progression The main story consists of Alex trying to understand what is happening inside the forest and finding a way out. This progression will be tracked through a system of objectives, which can be accessed from the player's HUD. Hide or Escape The core gameplay lets the player either hide from various monsters or escape in various ways, depending on the current level. Various objects can be used for hiding, such as tables, bushes, barrels. The player can also interact and acquire objects in the inventory: lighter, flashlight, torch, weapons that can harm some enemies. Keep your sanity...or not Being poisoned at the start of the story, Alex has a sanity meter that can drop in different situations: Reaching a certain location on the map Within the main story When he stays in critical damage for too long When the sanity meter reaches a critical state, the player starts to hallucinate and strange things can happen, such as: Hearing abnormal sounds out of nowhere Inversion of controls or camera view Changes within the environment Visions of haunted locations (subway, hospital, etc.) Some of these visions will play a key role in uncovering the mystery of Hoia Baciu. Exploration Thorough the game, you will have the chance to explore the Hoia Baciu Forest by roaming around in various location. Here, you will try to survive and find a way to escape the forest by reaching the next main story location. Additionally, you might find secondary encounters or places, that will not help you progress through the story, but instead will reward you with various items that the player can use. The Forest's inhabitants Different parts of the game offer unique gameplay mechanics. Every level has intense encounters with the Root cultists, the Witch or monsters from the forest. Each type of enemy has a different mechanic and behavior, giving the player a new flavor of fear. Mature Content The video game contains mature content or themes such as gore, death, extreme violence, that some customers might find sensitive. This game is a work of fiction inspired by real-world folklore. No real locations were harmed in the making. Please respect all real-world private property. 


Notes: The video game contains flashing images, mature content or themes such as gore, mutilation, gruesome death, extreme violence, that some customers might find sensitive.