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Fan decodes language of Tunic

A recent post over on the Tunic Subreddit has dug deep into the symbols in the game to decipher what they mean and how the in-game written language works.

TJ Denzer

April 4, 2022 11:15 AM

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Tunic is a pretty fantastic game full of adventure and whimsy. It’s also quite a challenge for a cute game about a cartoonish little fox person going on an adventure with sword and shield in hand. However, some intrepid fans have taken on a different kind of challenge with the game: deciphering the game’s runic written language. Recently, a dedicated fan posted their work on figuring out exactly how Tunic’s language fits together and what it says.

Spoiler Warning: Obviously, there are some spoilers involved in picking the language apart, so those who wish to keep the game’s story elements a surprise are advised not to dig in too much further.

It was over on the Tunic Subreddit that user oposdeo shared their efforts to decipher Tunic’s runic language. The user went through many of the guidebooks to piece together how the symbols were used and in what context. Based on that, they began piecing together various sounds the characters are meant to represent.

“I've translated maybe 10 guidebook pages to find all these symbols, so I'm quite confident in them, though maybe there's a couple rare ones missing,” oposdeo wrote.

This is quite a bit of work, but if oposdeo’s research and results hold up, it might just speak to what much of the runic language in Tunic says, giving fans and players another way to interact with and learn the secrets of the game. As oposdeo points out, it’s not entirely complete, but should be a pretty solid breakdown of the game’s language nonetheless. Even still, it’s cool to have another way to interact with what has turned out to be quite a fun game.

Want to check out more Tunic? Check out our Shacknews review of the game to see our full thoughts, as well as how surprisingly challenging Tunic is. You can also check out our other Tunic coverage for guides and further updates on the game.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.