Hela: Heartwarming Mouse Adventure from Unravel Creators

Knights Peak and Windup Games have released a new gameplay trailer for Hela, their third-person open-world adventure from the creators of the Unravel series, launching in 2026 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. This cooperative experience casts players as mouse familiars assisting an ailing witch whilst maintaining her assistance to local folk during recovery.

Witch’s Familiar Gameplay

Players assume the roles of brave, agile mice possessing magical abilities as they search for a cure whilst maintaining the witch’s community aid operations. The narrative centres on reversing traditional helper dynamics, where the familiars must independently manage responsibilities typically overseen by their magical patron.

The newest trailer, voiced by a Windup Games team member, reveals gameplay blending exploration, puzzle-solving, action, foraging, and brewing mechanics. This combination creates varied activities beyond single-genre focus, potentially appealing to players seeking diverse interactive challenges within cohesive narrative frameworks.

Flexible Multiplayer Options

Hela accommodates solo play, split-screen cooperation with one friend, or online sessions supporting up to four players. This flexibility addresses different social preferences without forcing specific multiplayer configurations, allowing seamless transitions between solo exploration and collaborative problem-solving.

The split-screen functionality combined with online support enables local and remote friends to participate simultaneously, creating hybrid cooperative possibilities uncommon in contemporary releases that typically segregate these modes.

Northern Scandinavian Setting

Beautiful Nordic nature provides the environmental foundation for this healing experience. The Scandinavian backdrop distinguishes Hela from generic fantasy settings whilst establishing visual identity through recognisable landscapes and cultural aesthetics.

The focus on “pleasant, healing experience” positions Hela within the growing cosy gaming movement emphasising relaxation and positive emotional engagement over challenging difficulty or competitive mechanics. This approach targets audiences seeking therapeutic gaming experiences following stressful workdays or anxiety-inducing news cycles.

Player Agency and Exploration

Players choose their own narrative and exploration paths through vast worlds filled with secrets. This freedom suggests non-linear progression structures accommodating different playstyles and curiosity-driven discovery rather than rigidly structured quest chains demanding specific completion orders.

The traversal mechanics appropriate for mouse protagonists likely emphasise vertical exploration and environmental navigation scaled to diminutive perspectives, potentially creating environmental puzzles leveraging size advantages unavailable to human-scaled characters.

Gamescom Recognition

Hela received two gamescom 2025 awards for “Most Entertaining” and “Most Wholesome,” indicating positive industry and press reception during preview demonstrations. These accolades suggest successful execution of the game’s tonal ambitions and engaging core gameplay loops.

The “witch business” maintenance premise provides ongoing objectives beyond simple cure-discovery quest structure, ensuring players remain engaged through community assistance tasks that reinforce the witch’s positive relationships with local inhabitants.

Hela targets players seeking cooperative adventures emphasising exploration and crafting within heartwarming narratives when it launches next year.