Secrets of Raetikon is like a flight sim with vectors, except instead of flying like a bird you literally are a bird, and the vectors aren't co-ordinates but vibrant graphics that comprise the Alpine setting. The game's been on Steam Early Access for a few months but next week sees it launch in full, meaning the early birds finally get to see the game's "grand finale."

Indie dev Broken Rules describes Secrets of Raetikon as a "story-based sandbox in an open world." By exploring the game's uncharted 2D landscape you find mysterious machines that are powered by glowing shards that you can collect, as you start to unlock the Secrets. That's all well and good, but according to Joystiq's Jess Conditt, the true joy in Secrets of Raetikon lies in interacting with the wildlife around you.

"The environments are filled with animals, plants and hidden passageways, and it's possible to directly interact with most things," Jess wrote in her alpha preview. "Some birds will divebomb you, draining health and impeding your journey, while others flit around trees and bushes, content to live their own lives. Unless you grab one and hurl it across the map, of course. It's possible to grab pretty much anything - hostile and adorable birds, bunny rabbits, foxes, trees, bushes and branches. Grabbing an animal allows you to fling it away or into strategic locations, whether it be a defensive throw to distract an angry animal from attacking you, or placing two bunnies next to each other to make them mate. They're nothing but mammals, after all."

You can channel those discoveries in full when Secrets of Raetikon flies onto Windows PC, Mac, and Linux on April 17. The regular price is $10, but it'll be $9 across the launch sale. [Image: Broken Rules]