Some might consider you an unlikely protagonist for a romance game. You have no mysterious childhood friends, no vanished memories, and not one dead parent to your name. But at seventeen you have finally been invited to your first season in Bath, and thus stand at the cusp of a great - and highly interactive - adventure.
What happiness lies before you! The happiness of a progress through a long suite of lofty rooms, exhibiting the remains of magnificent furniture, though now for many years deserted. The happiness of being stopped in your way along narrow, winding vaults, by a low, grated door.
Perhaps, even…love?
Will you follow the plot of the novel and be a woman charmed by the snarky priest Henry Tilney? Would you rather you dance with him as a cross dressing man? Or perhaps the melancholy artist Eleanor has caught your eye, and you wish to have no gender at all. The choice is yours!
PRESS RELEASE: Adventure, Romance, and Village Building Begin in Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma on May 30 on Nintendo Switch™ and PC, Welcoming Players to an Eastern Land of Adventure and Dragons
XSEED/Marvelous USA:
Marvelous USA Releases Gameplay Video Showcasing Guardians of Azuma’s
Action Combat, Relationship System, and Seasonal Village Life; Announces Jan. 22 Livestream Showcasing Additional Details and Special Guests
TORRANCE, Calif. — Jan. 16, 2025 — Marvelous USA announced today that Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma will launch globally on the Nintendo Switch™ system and Windows PC via Steam on May 30, 2025. The latest entry in the popular action-RPG and life-simulation series introduces players to the Eastern territory of Azuma, a land of Japanese-inspired visuals and unique twists on familiar gameplay elements from the Rune Factory franchise. Alongside the reveal of the release date, Marvelous USA announced an upcoming livestream that will happen on Jan. 22 at 8AM PT/11AM ET on their YouTube channel, where the company will be revealing additional information and showcasing further looks into the land of Azuma. Host Ovilee May will be joined by voice actors Brandon McInnis (Subaru) and Suzie Yeung(Kaguya), who will discuss their roles and provide additional commentary alongside new reveals.
Ravaged by the effects of the Celestial Collapse and the cessation of power provided by the runes, the eastern lands of Azuma are a shadow of their prosperous past. Weakened by corruptive forces, the gods of nature retreated from the world, leaving mountains to crumble and fields to wither. The people of Azuma seek aid against a blight that has swept these once-bountiful lands. One young hero enters into a contract with a dragon and sets out on a journey. “Accept the might of the Earth Dancer. Use this power to save the land.”
Guardians of Azuma takes players on an all-new adventure in the never-before-seen country of Azuma. Here, players will assume the role of an Earth Dancer destined to return hope—and life—to the once-thriving land. Choose from one of two protagonists whose fates are closely tied together, and experience reimagined and expanded Rune Factory gameplay; as an Earth Dancer, players will farm with grace, restore and build entire villages, and fight with new weapons like the Bow and Talismans. Azuma is a vast world to explore with majestic villages to uncover, each taking inspiration from Japanese culture and each with a seasonal theme. In addition to exploration, combat, and village-building, players will also cultivate relationships with the locals, recruiting them to your side in battle or to help manage the villages. Wield sacred treasures of the gods and the Earth Dancer’s power of dance to purify the land and return Azuma to its former glory. The adventure of a new world awaits.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Key Features:
Bold New Abilities and Weapons: As an Earth Dancer, use the power of dance, sacred treasures, and fresh weapons like the Bow and Talismans to purify the land, farm, and undo the Blight’s damage.
It Takes a Village: Don’t just mind the farm—rebuild entire villages! Construct and place buildings strategically to entice people to return to the villages and contribute. Revive the gods to bring vitality and valuable resources back to the plagued lands.
Your Fantasy Japanese Life: Experience beautiful Japanese-inspired character designs and aesthetics—from festivals to events to monsters. Explore Azuma’s natural landscapes and its seasonal-themed locales steeped in tradition.
Classic Romance and Relationships: Choose between male and female protagonists, then befriend or romance any of the eligible candidates—god and mortal alike—in fully voiced scenarios. Recruit these new friends to aid in dynamic battles, too!
Pre-orders for the Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma “Earth Dancer Edition” on Nintendo Switch™ are now available via the Marvelous USA Online Store and at participating retailers for an MSRP of $99.99. This stunning collection comes in a custom outer box featuring awe-inspiring art of a battle high above Azuma, and includes a physical copy of the game, an original soundtrack CD, an art book, an Azuma-inspired folding fan, a plush Woolby keychain, and the “Earth Dancer DLC Pack,” which includes the “Seasons of Love Bundle,” the “Festive Attire and Dark Woolby Bundle,” the “Rune Factory 4 Outfit Bundle,” and the Useful Item Bundle. The standard edition of the game is also available to pre-order for an MSRP of $59.99.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma will also be available digitally on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch and Windows PC via Steam. Details on SKUs and pricing will be available at a later date.
Developed by Marvelous and published in the Americas by Marvelous USA, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is scheduled for release globally on the Nintendo Switch™ and Windows PC via Steam on May 30, 2025. The title will be published in Japan by Marvelous Inc. and in Europe by Marvelous Europe. More information can be found on the official website, https://na.runefactory.com/azuma/, and on X @RuneFactory. This title has been rated “T for Teen” by the ESRB.
Information about Marvelous USA’s products can be found at www.marvelous-usa.com. Fans can also check out the latest videos from the Marvelous family of titles on YouTube and get updates by following on Facebook, X, Instagram, and Bluesky.
It is the 1920s, and in a sleepy Sussex village, beekeeper and former world’s greatest detective Sherlock Holmes (James Quinn, Apostasy), is trying to arrange a pleasant clifftop picnic for his lifelong companion Dr Watson (Andrew James Spooner, Muppets Most Wanted). The only problem is that a series of mysteries keep getting in the way!
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Explore a seaside town It’s the day of the village fete, a suspicious new neighbour has taken a lease on a long-abandoned cottage and something strange is happening down on the beach…
Interrogate and befriend a fully professionally voice-acted cast of eccentric characters including a clown with a tragic past (Felix Trench, Wooden Overcoats), the local leader of the women’s institute (Alison Skilbeck, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, (yes that one)) budding young naturalist (Alice Osmanski, Sanditon), a wannabe showman (Layla Katib, Victoriocity) and a prickly police officer. And lots more. I love this cast to bits.
Make deductions and decisions. Puzzles have multiple solutions, some of which may please your neighbours more than others. What path will you choose? Who will you enlist to help you?
Phone for help of you get stuck! Your older brother Mycroft (Richard Rycroft, Game of Thrones) is always ready to act as your consultant, just give him a call at his club if you need a hint.
Hey so, I’m @jabbage, and I’ve spent the past few years and thousands of hours making the funny, poignant, cosy, queer game I always wanted to play. I can’t wait to share it with all of you!
If you would like to support the project, please consider following this blog, wishlisting the game to feed Steam’s algorithm, reblogging this post and spreading the word to your friends - it really does make a massive difference to a solo indie developer like me! <3
Release dates (Steam, Nintendo Switch) Original mobile version (discontinued): July 15th, 2015 Steam and Nintendo Switch release: July 25th, 2024
“It’s a dangerous thing, gods and monsters living among mortals. Good thing your agency exists to keep them in line. With big dreams and an even bigger heart, you aspire to climb the agency’s ladder… That is, until one day five mythical beings ask for your help!
‘You don’t know anything about monsters… yet.’
People have always feared them, but… Will you be the one to see them for what they truly are?”
This is a re-release of the game Astoria: Fate’s Kiss / Labyrinths of Astoria from the discontinued Lovestruck app from Voltage USA! It contains the main Stories from the app up until Season 4.
oh! look whats in here :] check it out, spread the word, free palestine!
any games you'd recommend? could be for any reason! (similarity to fallen london, you know the people who made it, you just think it's neat, etc.) besides your own, of course, I already own all of those :)
Once we close the beta-testing sign-ups later this month, there will be no further opportunity to play the game until the demo goes public.
Remember to be careful about who you trust, who you love, and who can help you… Save the Villainess.
Credits: Trailer edited by Sokei; Butterfly Dreams Theme Song Composition and Lyrics by JunbugP; Theme Song Vocals by Saki Rose; Characters by Somate Studio; Item Art by @arodude; Backgrounds by @arodude, Somate Studio, Fuura_Xen, Karel Kok, Son Huynh, Maciej Ptasinski
Yeah I getcha. I was once like you. Pure and naive. Great news. I AM STILL PURE AND NAIVE, GAME DEV IS FUN! But where to start?
To start, here are a couple of entry level softwares you can use! source: I just made a game called In Stars and Time and people are asking me how to start making vidy gaems. Now, without further ado:
SOFTWARES AND ENGINES FOR PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW HOW TO CODE!!!
Twine: Great for text-based games!GREAT FOR WRITERS WHO DONT WANNA DRAW!!!!!!!!! (but you can draw if you want) ✨Pros: It’s free! It’s simple! It’s versatile! It has great documentation! It can be used even if you have LITERALLY no programming experience! (You’ll just need to read the doc a bunch) ✨Cons: You can add pictures, but it’s a pain. Some games to look at: The Uncle Who Works For Nintendo, Queers In love At The End of The World, Escape Velocity
Bitsy: Little topdown games! ✨Pros: It’s free! It’s simple! It’s (somewhat) intuitive! It has great documentation! It can be used even if you have LITERALLY no programming experience! You can make everything in it, from text to sprites to code! Those games sure are small! ✨Cons: Those games sure are small. This is to make THE simplest game. Barely any animation for your sprites, can barely fit a line of text in there. But honestly, the restrictions are refreshing! Some games to look at: honestly I haven’t played that many bitsy games because i am a fake gamer. The picture above is from Under A Star Called Sun though and that looks so pretty
RPGMaker: To make RPGs! LIKE ME!!!!! NOTE: I recommend getting the latest version if you can, but all have their pros and cons. You can get a better idea by looking at this post. ✨Pros: Literally everything you need to make an RPG. Has a tutorial inside the software itself that will teach you the basics. Pretty simple to understand, even if you have no coding experience! Also I made a post helping you out with RPGMaker right here! ✨Cons: Some stuff can be hard to figure out. Also, the latest version is expensive. Get it on sale! Some games to look at: Ib, Hylics, In Stars and Time (hehe. I made it)
engine.lol: collage worlds! it is relatively new so I don’t know much about it, but it seems fascinating. picture is from Garden! NOTE: There’s a bunch of smaller engines to find out there. Just yesterday I found out there’s an Idle Game Maker made by the Cookie Clicker creator. Isn’t life wonderful?
Seriously cannot recommend GBStudio enough for beginners, it makes making a gb/gbc game pretty simple, it’s also FOSS (free, open source software) and the devs in my experience are very responsive as is the community
Worth noting that ren'py and gb studio will happily let you add whatever ridiculous code you want on top of their frameworks. GB Studio will straight up dump the entire engine as a CMake project if you want to work in assembler or C, so if you don’t like the way something works you can change it.
A while ago, I made a doc filled with pretty much evwry cheap and free resource I could find for game dev, and Im still working on it. Highly reccommend checking it out.
now that my jury duty is over and i can legally talk about my jury duty, a short list of things that i have learned about jury duty:
when the judge wants to sidebar with the lawyers they turn on a static noise machine for the jury. this is very like the experience of being trapped inside a television
sometimes they load the entire court – judge, lawyers, court reporters, jury, etc. – onto a bus and take you all on a little field trip to see a crime scene. this is very like the experience of being in elementary school
when you are on a jury field trip you May Not share a seat, you May Not speak, and you May Not look at anything you have not been officially told you can look at. this is very like the experience of being trapped inside a point-and-click adventure except that instead of being limited in your investigation by the constraints of the game mechanics, you are instead limited in your investigation by the court officers herding you around like ducks with their long wooden Official Court Staffs
no matter how much an FBI agent may encourage the court to call him kevin, the court will not call him kevin
This could make for a great actual point and click adventure game, like a cross between Ace Attorney and one of those “juror is undercover and solves the crime” legal dramas.
Sean, they/them. This is my reading-and-reblogging tumblr, my creative things tumblr is alias_sqbr.
For a wider variety of Dr Sean content check out:
alias_sqbr at dreamwidth for fannish and real life stuff, or
sqbr at dreamwidth for Serious Business
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