The developers of Indie hit Strange Horticulture proudly present\u2026\n\nSTRANGE ANTIQUITIES\n\nA note from the shopkeeper: \n\nDear Applicant,\n\nI'm pleased to offer you the role of Apprentice Thaumaturge at Strange Antiquities.\nYou show promise \u2013 a sharp mind and a strong stomach \u2013 exactly what this work demands. I need you to run the shop while I attend to other pressing matters. You will need a keen eye for detail as you provide the townsfolk of Undermere with occult objects for their arcane needs.\n\nUndermere might seem unassuming at first \u2013 a serene little town on the edge of a grand lake. But it also sits at the edge of our world and the world beyond \u2013 and it falls on us to preserve reality\u2019s frayed edge.\nPermit me now to outline your duties \u2013 you\u2019ll need to be up to speed from day one.\n\nOn Your Duties in the Shop (Gameplay Mechanics)\n\nEvery day, you will welcome new customers into the cosy, candle-lit interior of the shop. Their needs are unpredictable and often alarming, but never dull!\nStudy and Identify: Examine, identify and catalogue strange artefacts. Observation, deduction, and careful reference to our collection of illustrated tomes will serve you well. Mistakes can be\u2026 costly.\n\nHelp\u2026 Or Hinder: When dealing with powerful items, your choices matter. Will you help someone with their problem, or curse them with a horrid affliction? In a small town like this, people remember your misdeeds.\n\nExplore and Discover: From time to time, you will have to leave the safety of the shop. Whether investigating rumours or retrieving artefacts, my well-loved hand-drawn maps will guide you to where you need to go.\n\nSolve and Uncover: Your day-to-day might already feel like a puzzle, but this store holds many more. Few know how old this building is, and fewer still know what secrets lie within its walls.\n\nTending the Familiar: And, of course, Jupiter, the shop\u2019s cat, demands daily affection. In return for his company, please oblige him with the occasional scratch behind the ears.\n\nAbout my Absence (Narrative & Setting)\n\nThese ravens are an omen. There is a sickness in this town and I intend to investigate it.\nBarton Potter told me that his bad eye has been aching again. That can\u2019t be a good sign. And a creeping dark has set up in Jack Hungerford\u2019s house. I have business in Ravenglass but I will consult with the occult scholar, Verona Green, before I leave.\nThere are always forces at play that would see our beloved Undermere unmade. We stand between them and the threshold. If events take a turn, you may be called upon to take a stand.\n\nIn Conclusion\n\nThis shop is my life\u2019s work. And, for the most part, it has been good to me. May it now offer you equal parts reward and mystery! But remember: some curiosities are best left untouched, and some visitors are not what they seem.\nI look forward to your arrival.\n\nYours,\n\nEli White\nThaumaturge & Proprietor\nStrange Antiquities, Undermere\nPurveyors of the Arcane since 1683\n\nA Note from the Developers:\n\nWe are two brothers from the UK who have been making games together for over a decade. In 2022, we released our occult puzzle game Strange Horticulture, and the response has been incredible; from amazing reviews and award nominations to appearing in numerous best-of-the-year lists. Most importantly, it has been a joy to read the kind words left by so many of our players on Steam, where we are still rated Overwhelmingly Positive after close to 12,000 reviews!\nStrange Antiquities is not a sequel, not a direct one, at least. You\u2019ll see some familiar faces, and maybe some plants will pop up, but it\u2019s a brand new story. If you have a fondness for Strange Horticulture and the dark, but welcoming world we\u2019ve created, know that you\u2019ll feel right at home.\n\nWe want to thank everyone who has played Strange Horticulture, left us a review, told their friends, or supported the game in any way. It has been an amazing journey and we can't wait to share the next chapter with you.\nMany thanks,\nRob & John