Once upon a time, as autumn began, many of the creatures of Tukoni needed help with their preparations for winter. A gentle forest spirit, known as Traveller, set out on his yearly journey to assist them. Far from home, with only his journal, backpack and a flask of tea to help him on his way, Traveller would face many challenges, meet new friends, and make valuable memories that would last a lifetime.
Sounds like a storybook, doesn’t it? Well, it is — sort of! Released on August 17, 2026, Tukoni: Forest Keepers is a cozy point-and-click puzzle game inspired by the Tukoni children’s books by Ukrainian artist Oksana Bula. And, much like the books, the game (developed by Dream Operator) is full of charming illustrations, wholesome interactions, and plenty of cute critters!
You play as Traveller, a koala-like forest spirit, as he begins his adventure. There’s lots to do, so grab a hot drink and a blanket, and settle in for a few hours of cozy gaming!
Time for an Adventure
The first chapter of Tukoni: Forest Keepers opens with an adorably illustrated comic strip that gives you the gist of the upcoming story: Winter is coming (not in a Game of Thrones way), and your fellow Tukoni (the franchise’s gentle woodland creatures) need your help.
This 2D puzzle game is wordless, so the storytelling is entirely reliant on images and the player’s interpretation of them. While this isn’t generally my favorite way to experience a story, I thoroughly enjoyed it in Forest Keepers. The lack of speech and narration gives you space to discover and puzzle out the world on your own and allows you to experience the game at your own pace. Detailed writing and voice acting absolutely have their place in video games (Elden Ring boss fights just wouldn’t hit the same without the dramatic speeches), but Forest Keepers isn’t about drama.
Even without words, the worldbuilding is exquisite. Forest Keepers truly feels like walking into a storybook, and the nostalgic, charming, and whimsical nature of the illustrations is instrumental to this effect.
Oleksii Furman, Dream Operator’s senior game designer, describes the environment as “a kind of safety dome for players.” Tukoni’s simple and sweet story works perfectly for that environment. That’s not to say there isn’t room for more intricacy; I would have loved to see more interactions, puzzles, or locations that allude to a deeper story, or even some hinting toward pre-established friendships between Traveller and the other Tukoni!
Just the Essentials
Before your journey can begin, you’ll have to gather everything you’ll need: your bag, a journal, and of course, an entire flask of tea. The first chapter of Tukoni: Forest Keepers has you doing just that, though most of the contents of your packing list are spread around the woodland. In order to find everything, you’ll need to explore, solve puzzles, and help some other Tukoni along the way — which is more or less the idea of the whole game.
Your most valuable tool is undoubtedly your journal, which also happens to be one of my favorite features of the game! Whenever you encounter another character, your journal will automatically update with a sketch of them and their needs. For example, a hedgehog needs help finding his slippers! As you discover more objects and information, the journal updates to include them, too, giving you subtle hints to help you solve any puzzles. The hand-drawn art throughout Tukoni is nothing short of stunning, and I found myself smiling whenever I leafed through the journal.
Along with your journal, you’ll also have your flask of tea (for much-deserved rests) and, eventually, a brewing station! Another favorite feature of mine, the brewing station allows you to make all kinds of comforting teas. If you keep your eyes peeled, you may come across the recipes for some of the Tukoni’s favorite brews and be able to have some impromptu tea ceremonies.
I loved settling in to play Tukoni: Forest Keepers. At the start of each session, Tukoni allows you to choose between playing with a controller or with mouse and keyboard. While the game is currently only out on PC, it’s actually intended to be played with a controller. For my playthrough, I stuck with mouse and keyboard. It worked perfectly well with these controls, but the movement could be a little frustrating; you have to be very conscious of your cursor placement to avoid frequent pauses in your walking. I did test it with a controller after my playthrough and found that it completely removed the issue. Mouse and keyboard still work fine, but a controller is definitely preferable for a smoother experience!
What a Wonderful World
As I explained earlier, Forest Keepers was inspired by the Tukoni storybooks and developed in collaboration with their creator, Oksana Bula. The illustrations in these books are beautiful, so it’s no surprise that the art in Forest Keepers is just as impressive. Alongside Bula, Kateryna Ustymenko, a 2D artist who also works for Unrabbit Studio and Deep Forest Studio, is credited as an artist for the game.
While the game’s story isn’t particularly detailed, the artwork is the complete opposite. Bula’s years of work and exploration into the Tukoni universe are obvious in everything you see, from little quirks in the movement and designs of characters, to the layouts and furnishings of their homes. Even without words, the worldbuilding is exquisite. Forest Keepers truly feels like walking into a storybook, and the nostalgic, charming, and whimsical nature of the illustrations is instrumental to this effect.
The hand-drawn art is nothing short of stunning.
I often dislike the music in puzzle games — mostly because I’m bad at them, so I have to listen to the same tune over and over while getting increasingly annoyed at the game (and at my brain). Thankfully, I didn’t have this problem here.
Composed by Viacheslav Pakalin, Ilia Gogolev, and Roman Savytskyi, the music in Tukoni: Forest Keepers is playful yet relaxing. It’s not something I’d put in a Spotify playlist, but it sets the mood effectively without being overpowering. The sound effects are also very well chosen, especially for the puzzles, which makes it all the more satisfying when you complete them!
Labor of Love
Developing a game is a huge undertaking in the best of times; time, funding, and coordination are often elusive, and it takes a huge amount of dedication, and usually luck, to get a project off the ground. Dream Operator and Oksana Bula likely know this better than anyone.
The team began development in 2019 and released Tukoni: Prologue, a free demo-like game, in 2020. It received overwhelmingly positive feedback, which encouraged them to press on and create Forest Keepers. In 2022, they applied for and received an Epic MegaGrant (which Epic Games awards to developers using Unreal Engine); however, they were forced to delay their work due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a social media post, Oleksii Furman, Forest Keepers’ senior game designer, mentioned some of the difficulties that the conflict caused, explaining how they’d continued development “through rocket attacks and power outages.”
There is true passion behind this game. With all the fear and horror surrounding Dream Operator’s working conditions, it would have been easy to forgive any mistakes and inconsistencies in their final product. But honestly, it’s immaculate — no cut corners, no evidence of laziness or a lack of care. The team set out to make a cozy game where players could “rest their souls” (Furman), and they succeeded.
Final Thoughts: The “Tea“ in Teamwork
If you have any appreciation for art, cute animals, cozy games, or a good puzzle, I truly cannot recommend Tukoni: Forest Keepers enough. It’s a joy to play and, in my opinion, a perfect example of what a cozy game should be. My playthrough took about four hours, and my biggest complaint is that I wanted it to be longer!
Everything about Tukoni: Forest Keepers, from the development to the story and message of the game itself, is a testament to what can be achieved with resilience, determination, and good friends to lean on. I know that sounds corny, and somewhat like the moral of a children’s storybook (wink wink), but it’s true. Bula and Dream Operator’s passion is clear in every part of the game, and I look forward to seeing more from them in the future.
Score: 8.8/10
Tukoni: Forest Keepers, developed by Dream Operator and published by Dream Operator and Gamersky Games, released on August 17, 2026, for PC. MSRP: $9.99.
Disclaimer: A review code was provided by the developer.
Darcy loves anything fantasy, sci-fi, or adventure. Her dream is to finish her degree and write her own fantasy book, hopefully squeezing in a few games as she goes. She’s a big fan of games where she gets to fight with cool swords, befriend cute animals, and get lost in the story.
You can read more of her writing on her website: https://darcymaunder.com/
