- A one-person development project started at the 2020 Game Jam, aiming for a Steam release in 2027.
- Searching for the crown of a dwarf who lost his memory due to a hangover… Voice update featuring Brock Baker revealed
Hidalgo Code, the development studio of Ukrainian solo developer Volodymyr Mikhav, has added voice acting to the free Steam demo of the comedy puzzle adventure ‘Olaf and the Crowning Hangover ‘.
This update, released on October 6 (local time), features voice actor Brock Baker, famous for his impersonations and character acting. Baker voiced three roles: the protagonist Olaf, the grumpy Orc carpenter Grimlark, and the Narrator.
‘Olaf and the Crowning Hangover’ tells the story of a dwarf searching for a lost crown through lighthearted comedy and spatial puzzles. The full version is currently under development with a target release date of 2027 on Steam.
Memories vanished with the hangover, where did the crown go?
The protagonist, Olaf, is a dwarf jeweler who wakes up in a ruined tavern with a terrible hangover. He has no memory of what happened during the night, and even the kingdom’s crown has disappeared. The problem is that the most likely suspect is none other than Olaf himself.
With the executioner waiting, Olaf must clean up the mess he has made while simultaneously finding the whereabouts of the crown. Starting with a ruined pub, he travels throughout the kingdom—to the mill, farm, castle kitchen, and dungeon—piecing together the fragments of his lost memories one by one.
The story unfolds through approximately 1,000 lines of dialogue. Players will trace what happened to Olaf last night while conversing with distinctive characters.
Extraordinary characters also appear, including the ill-tempered Orc carpenter Grimlark and King Charles de Valois, who has absolutely no talent for concealing his gambling habits, adding to the comedic atmosphere.
The more you clear, the more blocked the road becomes… A puzzle that turns the Sokoban formula upside down
The core of the game is a spatial puzzle that modifies the classic ‘Sokoban’ style. While standard Sokoban involves pushing boxes and obstacles to create paths, in ‘Olaf and the Crowning Hangover,’ you must return scattered objects to their original places. Even heavy objects are moved by pulling them rather than pushing them.
The problem is that once an object is put back in its place, it becomes an obstacle that can no longer be moved. As the chair, table, and barrel are repaired one by one, the room becomes cleaner, but the space Olaf can move in actually shrinks.
For example, fixing the table first might block the exit, while moving the barrels first might open a new path. Since the movement path changes depending on which items are organized first, Olaf might end up blocking his own escape route if the repair order isn’t calculated correctly.
The puzzle rules also vary as you progress. There are stealth elements, such as leading lost guests along a long, snake-like ‘conga line’ to safety, or sliding across a beer-soaked floor to avoid the eyes of patrolling guards.
After leaving the tavern, the setting expands to a mill, a village farm, a castle kitchen, and a dungeon. It also supports a built-in level editor that allows you to create your own puzzles and share them with other players. The combination of retro pixel art and modern puzzle design is another notable feature.
Brock Baker joins… Voice acting added to free demo
The biggest change in this update is the voice acting. The mill scene included in the existing free demo has been fully voiced, and Brock Baker voiced three roles: Olaf, Grimlark, and the Narrator.
The developer explained, “Above all, I wanted to create a heartwarming story,” adding that the characters and narrative became much more vivid with the addition of voice acting.
The free demo is currently available to play on Steam. The developer described it as a great opportunity for both newcomers and those who have experienced the previous demo to check out the newly added voice acting.
Winner of a game design award and favorable reviews at Next Fest
‘Olaf and the Crowning Hangover’ has been attracting attention for its puzzle design and comedy elements even before its release.
It won Best Game Design at Games Gathering and was also featured at the Baltic Showcase.
Thinky Games, a media outlet specializing in puzzle games, selected this title as one of the outstanding ‘Thinky’ demos showcased at Steam Next Fest. Tiny Gaming also gave a positive review of the classic fun that combines clever puzzles, witty writing, and a cheeky setting.
The developer also plans to announce participation in additional game festivals and showcases over the next few months.
A Ukrainian one-person development project that started at the 2020 Game Jam
Hidalgo Code is a development studio of Volodymyr Mikhav, a solo developer based in Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine.
‘Olaf and the Crowning Hangover’ is Mihaf’s first commercial game. It started as a small idea in a 2020 game jam project and was developed over several years into a work that combines comedy, puzzles, and adventure.
The official version is currently under development with a target release date of 2027 on Steam. It will support English voice acting, and text will be available in English, Ukrainian, German, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese. Currently released information does not include support for Korean.
A meeting of the delightful premise of a ‘dwarf who lost his memory due to a hangover’ and the paradoxical rule that ‘the more you organize, the less space you have to move.’
‘Olaf and the Crowning Hangover’ reinterprets the familiar Sokoban formula in its own unique way, promising an even more immersive adventure with the addition of lifelike voice acting.
We wonder what kind of delightful story and profound puzzles will emerge before us, completed at the end of the long journey leading to an official release in 2027, from a small idea that started at a game jam in 2020. ‘ Many gamers are eagerly anticipating the future of ‘Olaf and the Crowning Hangover’ .
Information regarding ‘Olaf and the Crowning Hangover’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Hidalgo Code |
| Publisher | Unconfirmed |
| Genre | Comedy Puzzle Adventure |
| platform | PC (Steam) |
| Release date | Scheduled for 2027 (Free demo available) |
| price | Unconfirmed |
| language | English (voice and text), Ukrainian, German, Simplified Chinese, Japanese (Korean not supported) |
| Reactions/Evaluations | Winner of Best Game Design at Games Gathering, Selected as an Outstanding Thinky Demo at Steam Next Fest |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
