There are probably few folk that I have less in common with than heroic, rugged, manly Canadian lumberjacks. I talk my way out of trouble instead of admonishing it with shovel-sized fists, I’m softer than freshly fallen snow, you couldn’t fill a thimble with my daily testosterone output and I’d rather write a poem about a tree than chop one down. Oh, and even though I really like Canada, I’m definitely not Canadian and don’t live there. Sang-Froid doesn’t care about that though, it’s going to plant me in the boots of an outdoorsman anyway and then it’s going to ask me to kill werewolves and other devilish denizens of the night. Part defence game, part action, it looks rather spiffy. Look at the lengthy video below and see if you agree.

The planning area, for the laying of traps and distractions, looks to be a good size and the setting is at least fourteen million times more interesting than The Dreadful Goblin Castle of Goblin-Castle Mountain. Castle.

Two things make the idea stand out to me, apart from the setting and characters. First is the ‘fear factor’, captured in the scene where the hero reloads by a fire, knowing that the wolves won’t be intimidated by its flames for long. Because he is weaker than his enemies, as well as outnumbered, the traps must not only kill, but frighten and maim. The nightmares must believe you are stronger than them.

Then there’s the senses of the creatures, which should add to the hunter/hunted dynamic. Sound, smell and sight can all be used to lure the monsters toward traps, and all can give away the player’s position at an inopportune moment.

There are more videos and details at the game’s site and it’s also made an appearance on Steam Greenlight. It’s looking good to me, the only disappointment being that there are two brothers but no co-op. Maybe later?