Cuddling Raccoon Studies, created by solo-developer Azurexis, recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for its debut titlePaper Animal RPG. The simply titled RPG is a surprisingly disparate mix of genres and fond nostalgic influences in a pixelated paper-craft wrapper. TheKickstartercampaign is currently in its home stretch, with backers able to secure the game for €15 prior to its projected September 2023 launch.
Game Rant spoke to Azurexis, who also goes by Nick, about pioneering the cozier side of the roguelite genre withPaper Animal RPG’s casual mode and wholesome vibes.Fans ofPaper MarioandPokemon Mystery Dungeontitles will want to keep an eye onPaper Animal RPG,but those looking for a change of pace from grimdark and challenging roguelikes may also find it charming.
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Combining Favorite Genres in Paper Animal RPG
Like many solo developers, Azurexis' project is a labor of love, so it follows that he wouldcombine two favorite stylesto create the game.
“Basically, I like both genres very much, with the wholesome genre - if you can call it a genre - being cozy and welcoming and the roguelike genre, being full of mysteries and challenges. I also haven’t seen many cross-overs between these two concepts, so I thought why not combining two of my favorite game concepts into one?”
Azurexis believes that cozy games have become more popular given the current state of the world, as empowering and reassuring spaces for players. Melding the iterative, high-stakes adventuring of a roguelike into a cozy, comforting title is a novel approach, albeit seemingly paradoxical. If the formula succeeds, it could be a breath of fresh air in a genre that feels crowded, samey, and oftentimes oppressively grim.
In terms of specific inspirations,Paper Animal RPG’s Kickstarter lists several specific examples, includingPaper Mario and the Thousand-Year Door,Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, thePokemonMystery Dungeonseries, and two indie titles;One Step from EdenandNuclear Throne. While the title’s visuals owe a clear debt toPaper Mario’s aesthetic, Azurexis also citedOctopath Traveleras a point of reference for its use of sprite art in 3D worlds. The game’s procedural dungeon exploration is drawn fromPokemon Mystery Dungeon.
The Casual Mode Debate
Theroguelike genrewas originally defined by brutal, perma-death difficulty, but the genre has grown broader with time. Still, Azurexis was unsure whether to include an easy mode inPaper Animal RPG.
“I was debating with myself for a long time if I should include a Casual Mode, since I feel a big thrill for playing a roguelike is discovering game content that can only be discovered if you played well. Technically speaking, with a Casual Mode you could ‘cheat’ yourself out of that hidden game content, since you don’t have to play as well as you normally would.”
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Ultimately, Azurexis settled on a common game development compromise: gating certain content behind harder difficulty levels, while allowing the broadest possible audience to enjoy most of the game on an easier setting. While the demand for brutally challenging games will never subside,making games more accessibleto players has become more of a priority for developers, andPaper Animal RPGis no exception.
Paper Animal RPG’s Wholesome Multiplayer
Paper Animal RPGhas one more surprising influence:Elden Ring.Paper Animal RPGfeatures a secret area inspired byPokemon Mystery Dungeon’s gifting system andElden Ring’splayer messaging system. Players can enter an online-exclusive area called the Elder Tree, where they spend their hard-earned XP to send presents to other players with their name and a short message attached.
While this system probably won’t produce the samewealth of memesElden Ringhas generated, it is an ideal way to foster coziness in an online community. Certain players will probably find ways to send cheeky messages to each other, but with a useful gift attached, each player interaction is guaranteed to have a degree of positivity.
Paper Animal RPGis currently live on Kickstarter, with an estimated launch window of September 2023.
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