Tunic creator Andrew Shouldice admits that there are secrets yet to be discovered in the action-adventure game, but perhaps not in a material sense. Heavily inspired by The Legend of Zelda franchise, it's no surprise that Tunic is rich with hidden collectibles and treasures. Tunic isn't just inspired by Zelda, though. It's also a commentary on the franchise. It doesn't just have secrets. Its secrets have secrets, and the reasons behind those secrets are the reason Tunic was made.
When players begin Tunic, it seems much like any classic The Legend of Zelda or fantasy action-adventure game. Playing as a small fox, players explore and seek out more powerful abilities and equipment. There's even a story of a powerful hero and a victim in need. While exploring, however, there's a strange in-universe manual that the player can gather. This manual reveals secrets that stretch the fourth wall leading to questions regarding what Tunic is really all about.
Speaking with IGN, Shouldice was asked if there are any secrets yet to be discovered in Tunic. Before answering the question, Shouldice qualifies his answer quizzically. He says that "at a certain point, what qualifies as a secret changes." He explains that while eventually there just won't be any more treasure chests to be discovered, there's still "meaning and connections" that players haven't put together. In that regard, Shouldice says that there could still be secrets left.
Some of those secrets, Shouldice admits, are just for him. He says that they aren't content to be found in the game, but rather things that "have some special meaning" as the game's developer. Having spent years of his life on Tunic, largely working on his own, Shouldice could likely share endless stories about why certain things are the way they are in Tunic.
But Shouldice isn't saying that all of these remaining secrets are for him alone. He explains that the "gift that keeps on giving" for Tunic will be "reinterpreting stuff that exists that isn't just the bits on the disc." While he doesn't elaborate, he's perhaps talking about the ideas behind the game. Or, further, about ideas in real life that Tunic is intended to provoke thought about.
Whether players go into Tunic with the intent to fully unravel its secrets or just to have fun, what makes the game so special is that Shouldice poured so much heart into its development. It's been seven years since Shouldice first started working on Tunic. As rich of an experience as Tunic is, it likely will never mean as much to a player as it does to Shouldice. But, with time, perhaps players can understand more of what Tunic means, whether it's as Shouldice intended or otherwise.
Tunic is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: IGN