A fox on a quest across a Nordic landscape, defeating a haunting parasitic growth using the magical energy present in blue flowers: this is Spirit of the North, a video game from an indie publisher that has wilderness vibes and creative storytelling. Jason and Karlissa discuss this unique game and what they found inspiring about it, while also reflecting on the themes of paganism.

SPOILER WARNING! We refuse to spoil the end of the game, but we do spoil other parts.

Spirit of the North blog post:

https://www.book-bat.com/blog/2026/8/31/video-game-review-spirit-of-the-north

(0:00) Introduction

(0:43) Our video games growing up

(6:13) Let’s talk about a fox

(8:50) Summary of Spirit of the North

(11:59) Nonverbal storytelling and xenofiction

(16:05) Nature, the fantastical, and the spiritual

(18:33) Communicating emotion through setting

(21:46) Spiritual themes in the game

(28:25) Tolkien and Norse mythology

(32:14) What is the aim of Spirit of the North?

(34:05) A question for the fantasy author

(38:44) To Narnia and Beyond update

(40:51) Coming soon on the podcast

Have you played Spirit of the North? What did you think of the storytelling in this game? Let us know! You can leave a comment on our website at Book-Bat.com or email us at connect@book-bat.com.