Introducing Briarthorn

We’re building our first game, and we want to talk about it.

Briarthorn is a situational awareness fighter RPG. The core concept is simple: your ability to read the battlefield matters as much as your reflexes. Know where you are, know what’s around you, and make decisions that count.

The Concept

Most action games reward speed or button precision above everything else. Briarthorn is different — it’s built around awareness. You’re flying an aircraft with a specific set of abilities, and success comes from understanding the environment, reading your enemies, and positioning yourself well before the fight even starts.

That concept shapes everything — the aircraft classes, the enemy design, the level structure, all of it.

Aircraft Classes

Each aircraft class in Briarthorn plays completely differently. They’re not just stat variations — each one has a distinct set of abilities that opens up different approaches to every encounter. Picking the right class for a situation (and mastering it) is a big part of the game.

Solo and Co-op

You can fly solo through a gauntlet of enemies and challenges, or team up with others. Co-op isn’t an afterthought — when aircraft abilities combine, entirely new tactical options open up. Some encounters are specifically designed around coordinated play.

Where We Are

Briarthorn is actively in development. We’re working through core mechanics and combat systems right now, with a focus on getting the feel right before expanding scope.

We’ll post development updates here as things progress. In the meantime, you can learn more on the Briarthorn page.