Anna
A psychological horror game set in an Italian sawmill.
Anna is a psychological horror adventure game from 2012, created by the studio Dreampainters Software. The action takes place in the Italian mountains, where a nameless protagonist explores his forgotten past and his strange link to a woman named Anna. As the player moves through the game, the main character’s grip on reality weakens, and the surroundings keep changing appearance. The choices made by the player lead to different possible endings. On 13 April 2013, an Extended Edition came out, bringing fresh environments, new puzzles, a redesigned user interface, additional music, better graphics, and an extra character.
The plot shifts notably in the Extended Edition. The protagonist, after repeated dreams about a sawmill in the Italian mountains, receives an envelope with photos of himself in the Val D’Ayas Valley—a place he does not remember visiting. His mental state deteriorates, and he collapses while giving a history lecture. After a short hospital stay, a colleague accidentally makes him open the envelope, which contains pictures of the sawmill from his dreams. Declaring his love for someone named Anna, he sets off to find the mill. Upon arrival, he forces open a locked door by using two halves of a rusty cogwheel. Inside, he encounters supernatural beings, including a crying woman who follows him. Through documents, puzzles, and player observation, a backstory emerges: Anna was once a god of growth and nature. After a woman resembling her was burned as a witch, Anna became enraged with humanity. Over generations, men fell in love with her, leading to their own destruction. One such man, a sabot maker, discovered a cult and, realizing his house was built on an ancient temple, began a ritual to summon her. His brother tried to stop him but failed and met an unknown fate. Years later, the protagonist rented the sawmill for a summer vacation with his family. Those managing the lease, implied to be related to the sabot maker, kept the lower levels off-limits. While walking, the protagonist found Anna, sparking an obsession that led him to steal a statue of her made centuries earlier. His wife, fearing for his sanity, smashed the statue, causing him to murder his family. Horrified, Anna expelled him from the house and erased his memory.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Anna
- Developer
- Dreampainters Software
- Publisher
- Kalypso Media
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
- Genre
- Adventure game
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The story in Anna was significantly changed in the Extended Edition. The protagonist, after dreams of a sawmill in the Italian mountains, finds an envelope with photographs of himself in the Val D'Ayas Valley, a place he does not remember visiting. After collapsing during a lecture, a colleague forces him to open the envelope, revealing pictures of the sawmill. He sets out to find it. Upon arrival, he encounters supernatural entities, including apparitions of a crying woman. Documents reveal that Anna was a god of growth and nature; after a woman resembling her was burned as a witch, Anna grew furious at men. Men who fell in love with her self-destructed. A sabot maker discovered a cult and began a ritual to summon her; his brother failed to stop him. The protagonist later rented the sawmill with his family, discovered Anna, stole a statue of her, and after his wife smashed it, murdered his family. Anna then expelled him and wiped his memory. Depending on player actions, the protagonist may leave, be cursed, be expelled, become trapped with Anna's statue, or endure the sabot maker's fate. A post-credits scene shows a fresco of Anna next to the Zoroastrian spirit Angra Mainyu.
Reader's Guide
Anna received mixed or average reviews on Metacritic. Its graphics, story, and sound were praised, but it was criticized for the obscurity of its narrative, complex interface, poor translation, and difficult puzzles. Horror elements drew both praise and criticism; IGN's Anthony Gallegos noted that the fear factor diminished when players realized nothing could harm them. Destructoid's Holly Green praised the atmosphere but found pre-release screenshots misleading. VideoGamer's Lewis Denby liked genuine scares but agreed about the lack of challenge. Puzzles were divisive: Denby thought most made no sense, Gallegos called them anger-inducing trial-and-error, and Green noted the lack of hints made solving them like pin the tail on the donkey, though the interface reduced pixel-hunting frustration. Yahtzee Croshaw praised the horror but said immersion was broken by needing a walkthrough. All three critics agreed the translation was poor, with Green stating it harmed the narrative. The user interface was deemed unpolished by all. A sequel, White Heaven, was announced in 2013 for 2014, with a trailer in 2016. In 2020, another sequel, Nascence, was revealed as the first of a trilogy called Anna's Songs, with White Heaven now part of that trilogy. Treehouse Studios is assisting development.
Did You Know?
- The game's ability to pick up any object was based on the developers' hatred for adventure games where important objects were made obvious.
- A planned feature that would interpret player actions to scare them, such as making a focused object appear more often, did not appear in the final game.
- The ending is determined by when the player decides to leave the sawmill, not by the protagonist's descent into madness as originally claimed.
- A post-credits scene reveals a fresco of Anna next to the Zoroastrian spirit of destruction, Angra Mainyu.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Anna (2012)?
Anna is a psychological horror adventure game made by Dreampainters Software and first released in 2012. You play as a nameless man trying to recover his buried memories while grappling with a disturbing connection to a woman called Anna.
Who is Anna in the game?
Anna is the mysterious woman whose name titles the game and who is woven into the protagonist's fragmented past. Her true identity and her relationship to the player character are gradually revealed as the narrative unfolds.
Where does the story take place?
The action is set in the Italian mountains, centered around the Val D'Ayas Valley and a nearby sawmill. The landscape is intentionally unstable, with locations warping and reshaping as the protagonist's sense of reality frays.
How many endings does Anna have?
The game offers multiple distinct endings rather than a single fixed conclusion. Which one you reach depends on the specific choices you make during your playthrough.
What does the Extended Edition of Anna include?
Shipped on 13 April 2013, the Extended Edition adds new areas to explore, extra puzzles, a reworked interface, additional musical tracks, and upgraded visuals compared to the original 2012 build.
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