The Lonesome Guild

Developed by Tiny Bull Studios and published by Don't Nod Entertainment, The Lonesome Guild is a single-player action RPG. Players control Ghost, a ghost without memories who can possess other characters in order to explore the world of Etere and save it from a spreading miasma of loneliness. Together, Ghost and the party members must battle the miasma while forming bonds with six misfit champions.

Centring on themes of friendship, compassion and overcoming isolation, the narrative follows Ghost teaming up with animal characters who have profound backstories and moral dilemmas. These include the inventor bunny DaVinci and the cold fox Mr Fox. The latter, in particular, leaves a lasting impression on players. Emotional depth is explored through campfire conversations and personal side missions that reveal each individual's backstory. It is the characters and their stories that make the game so special.

As players form bonds with the characters, their power grows, unlocking new abilities and combos. During exploration and combat, players can seamlessly switch between the six characters to navigate Etere, solve puzzles, and defeat enemies. Exploration plays a surprisingly large and rewarding role in the game, too. Combat involves swapping between party members mid-battle to utilise their unique playstyles, basic attacks, dodges and charged skills, as well as logic-based light puzzles such as block pushing. While the combat system is solid to good, The Lonesome Guild's main attraction is its story and characters. It gets the job done, but it's nothing special and could be more refined. The same applies to puzzles.​

"At its core, The Lonesome Guild is a story about loneliness, that silent burden we all carry at some point in our lives. But it's also about hope: the hope that arises when we accept our loneliness, open ourselves up to others and realise that overcoming challenges is easier when we do it together. We've always been passionate about narrative-driven games, but this project allowed us to expand our ambitions and grow as a studio, thanks in part to the trust and support of Don't Nod. The road wasn't without its challenges, but it was the dedication and talent of our team that got us here. We couldn't be prouder to finally share The Lonesome Guild with players." - Matteo Lana, CEO of Tiny Bull Studios

The Lonesome Guild is the biggest game yet from Tiny Bull Studios. Based in Turin, they are one of Italy's most prominent game developers. Founded in 2013, the company specialises in narrative games but has also gained experience in other genres. These include Omen Exitio: Plague, Blind and Omen Exitio: Hunger.

The publisher is Don't Nod, an independent French developer and publisher with studios in Paris and Montreal. Specialising in narrative games, Don't Nod has created titles in the adventure (Life is Strange, Tell Me Why, Twin Mirror, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage), RPG (Vampyr, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden) and action (Remember Me) genres. Don't Nod also develops and publishes its own IPs, such as Harmony: The Fall of Reverie, Jusant, and Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. The company also collaborates with external developers whose creative visions align with its own. However, despite mostly positive reviews, many of the publisher's recent releases have not been particularly successful. These include Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, Jusant, and Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. This is why the company has undergone restructuring at both locations. Scheduled for release in 2026, Aphelion is an in-house development. This sci-fi adventure game combines action with exploration, environmental traversal, and stealth gameplay. Additionally, Don't Nod has partnered with Netflix to develop a new narrative video game based on a major IP. This project is currently in development at the Montreal studio and will be published by Netflix.

The Lonesome Guild was released on 23 October 2025 for PC (via Steam), Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, priced at €24.99.

Conclusion

Although the Lonesome Guild didn't receive much attention when it was released, its narrative and characters are truly outstanding.

Features

• Important topic and outstandingly well-created characters
• Charming game world
• Smart character switching system