Press release:
July 17, 2026 | Grapple Bear launches on Steam today at 9:00 PDT / 12:00 EDT / 17:00 BST / 18:00 CEST, challenging players to master a grapple-only movement system across 40+ handcrafted, hand-drawn levels.
A new trailer is live now, giving players a first look at the dangerous world ahead. Once the story’s done, global leaderboards and weekly procedurally generated challenges are waiting to find out who is the very best.
Grapple Bear is priced at £3.99/€4.99/$4.99.
Grapple Bear is the second game to launch under Season 1 of the HEJ Collective, the Hungarian indie label supporting developers through monthly game-creation challenges and mentorship.
About the Game
A mama bear searching for her lost cub. A grapple hook is her only way forward.
Grapple Bear is a precision platformer where your grappling hook is your only tool to move. Swing, launch, and cling your way through over 40 handcrafted levels as a determined mama bear searching for her lost cub. What starts as a simple journey quickly becomes a test of precision and survival as increasingly dangerous obstacles stand in your way.
Simple controls. Brutal challenges. And something is following you.
Your journey will take you through peaceful forests with gentle streams (unfortunately, bears can’t swim), crumbling ruins of an ancient civilisation, scorching lava-filled caverns, wind-swept cliffs where a single mistake can send you flying, and mysterious wormholes that bend reality. Every area introduces new mechanics, hazards and surprises.
Think you found the perfect route? Compare your best times on global leaderboards and challenge your friends to beat your records. Every second counts. And when you’re done with the story, a brand new procedurally generated level drops every week with its own leaderboard. No two weeks are the same.
Every visual in Grapple Bear began as a hand-drawn illustration on paper, digitally coloured and brought to life. No AI artwork. Every level, character and environment was crafted by hand.
Key Features
Grapple-only movement: no jumping, no running, just the hook
40+ handcrafted levels across a variety of dangerous environments
Global leaderboards
Weekly procedurally generated challenge levels with their own leaderboards
Completely hand-drawn art style, no AI artwork
Easy to learn, brutal to master
About ProkischDaniel
ProkischDaniel is the solo developer behind Grapple Bear.
About Havi Egy Játék (HEJ Collective)
Havi Egy Játék is the Hungarian game development collective. Since 2019, Havi Egy Játék has supported the Hungarian indie game development community through monthly game-creation challenges, local meetups, expos, and mentorship. Grapple Bear is part of Season 1 of the HEJ Collective, a seasonal label publishing the best games to emerge from the collective’s monthly challenges.
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Jonas “O.J” Ek
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheGamingGround
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Tags: Grapple Bear, HEJ Collective, Indie games, PC games, Platformer, ProkischDaniel, Steam