[PREVIEW] Rewilders: The Lost Spring – Healing a Broken World

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I’m a sucker for a good action-adventure, especially when the Steam description promises an open world with some roguelike elements. It’s always fascinating how many unique games you can discover on X, and that’s exactly how I came across Rewilders: The Lost Spring, a game that takes nature restoration and creature collecting to another level… well, mostly. Since there was a playtest available, I jumped right in to see what it had to offer.

The premise follows Abi, who is on a mission to save her family. Along the way, she must fight various creatures that have rendered the land uninhabitable and corrupted it. Your goal is to grow stronger, battle different bosses, and restore the land while pursuing your main objective. You also meet Rif, a strange bird-like character who helps you, while clearly taking a bit of advantage of you at the same time. The story wasn’t particularly deep in the playtest, but it sets up the foundation well enough.

Meet the Hântu, Your Adorable Allies in a Hostile Land

Right from the start, the game makes it clear that each run drops you into a dynamic open world filled with hostile enemies. I really liked the art style and overall vibe: muddy, corrupted areas feel dark and oppressive, while restored regions become bright. Exploration feels fluid thanks to mechanics like grappling hooks, wall-running, and gliding as you move through different biomes. Since you’re given multiple quests, everything takes place within this large, interconnected world.

A major gameplay loop revolves around reactivating springs to rewild corrupted areas. Doing so forces you into intense fights against swarms of enemies, each with unique abilities, some throw smudge balls, others are heavily armored, and many pose different challenges. As the world heals, its original inhabitants return: the Hântu, small and adorable native creatures that were once driven to extinction. They fly around you, attach themselves to you, and function like skill companions. You activate their abilities when they’re off cooldown, allowing them to heal you, weaken enemies, and more. It’s an idea I think most players will appreciate.

Once you fully restore a spring, you’re rewarded with a choice of cards. Some increase your damage or health, while others allow you to plant flowers or seeds that later provide resources. Resources also drop from defeated enemies and scattered junk throughout the world. There’s also a currency system, though it wasn’t fully explained in the playtest. We did get to use one type of currency to unlock skills like dash attacks and jump attacks, but there’s clearly more depth planned here.

A Work in Progress

One thing I definitely missed during the playtest was the ability to level up the Hântu and explore their abilities and stats in more detail, which was a bit disappointing, but there will be time for that later. Rif also mentions a skybase, where you’ll be able to grow plants from collected seeds, unlock permanent buffs, evolve companions, and prepare for future runs. Combat itself leans into a light Metroidvania style, combining Abi’s melee, ranged, and special attacks with Hântu abilities in creative ways.

Overall, Rewilders: The Lost Spring introduces some genuinely interesting ideas within a well-crafted world. While the playtest suffered from a noticeable lack of sound design and music, and even missing character voice sounds, I was still intrigued by what the game is shaping up to be. If you’re looking for an adventure that evolves over time, you can check it out on Steam, join the playtest, and try it for yourself.