
Ritual Tides
Ritual Tides is a story rich, psychological horror game set on the dark, atmospheric, isolated British island of Hortus. Explore the island, uncover its dark past, loot food, ammunition and supplies, evade the cult of the Fallow Parish, as you fight for survival against Lovecraftian horrors.
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10 itemsAbout the Game
The island of Hortus was not supposed to exist.
No record of it appears on any map. No ships pass it. And yet, washed ashore with no memory of who you are or how you arrived, you’re soon to find yourself on its coast.
Ritual Tides is a first-person psychological horror game set on a remote Victorian island off the British coast. Explore the island, survive its cult, and uncover the truth of what Hortus really is… and who you really are.
EARN YOUR SURVIVAL
Ammunition is scarce. Count your shells.
Climbing requires control of both of your hands. Find your next grip, don't fall.
Traversing a plank requires balance. Being chased will make this even harder.
Combat exists, but it does not make you powerful. On Hortus, a gun is not always reliable.
A STORY YOU WILL SLOWLY UNCOVER
You’ll wake up with no memory. A man named Malcolm will come to help you find your footing. The Fallow Parish speak of devotion, salvation, and a figure they call Mother Hortus. The creatures you encounter were not always creatures.
Every answer you find asks a harder question. Your truth is ready to be unveiled.
PAINSTAKING DETAIL
Every flower, wall, tree, and stretch of coastline in Ritual Tides was captured through high-fidelity photogrammetry scans taken on location across the moorlands of England and Scotland.
Every inch of Hortus has been built from the ground up, from close-up reference photography of real bark, stone, moss, and soil, rebuilt and placed by hand into a world that earns the weight it carries.
BUILT BY PEOPLE WHO NEEDED TO MAKE IT
Vertpaint are industry veterans making the game they could not stop thinking about.
The team that has spent years working on other people's projects, and is now pouring everything learned into making Ritual Tides a game that deserves to be made.
Fans of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Resident Evil Village, Silent Hill, and the work of H.P. Lovecraft, this game has been made for you.