A lot of times when fans make games they’re always told “don’t make fan-games based on licensed property!” It’s a maxim that rings true for each and every time a fan project gets shut down due to a cease and desist from an established publisher. Well, in the case of Aloft Studio, they decided not to rip assets from another studio, or make a game based on an established brand. Instead, they decided to build their own IP from the ground up called Haselnuss Bastille.

The 16-bit looking adventure game is obviously inspired by Die Legende von Zelda, but it has its own quirks and twists in there to make it its own thing. The combat is a lot closer to the likes of Das Geheimnis von Mana, but the dungeon setup and puzzles are a lot closer to Legend of Zelda.

You can see what the gameplay is like with the demo video below, showcasing what you can expect from the indie-made title, courtesy of Monkeystein Games.

Everything about the game screams retro classic. If you didn’t know any better you would probably have guessed that Haselnuss Bastille was some long lost RPG from the SNES era.

In reality, a trio of designers have put together the title in hopes of capturing an audience looking for a classically made adventure game.

Even the original soundtrack is designed to mimic the synthesized sound from the SNES. You can check out a small taste of the OST from composer Shannon Mason’s YouTube channel, with the video below.

The game consists of carrying out quests, collecting items, getting stronger, defeating enemies and conquering puzzles. There’s a story about mysticism and a larger than life journey sitting at the center of Haselnuss Bastille, so it seems as if this is the kind of game that might easily appeal to shoe looking for a bit of meat on the bones of their adventure games.

If that sounds remotely interesting to you, then feel free to grab the free demo from over on the offiziellen Website.