Demo plots course for upcoming Saltsea Chronicles

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Story-driven adventure from the creators of Mutazione coming to PC, PS5 and Switch later this year

In 2019, Die Gute Fabrik charmed us all with Mutazione, their delightful "mutant soap opera" set in the civilized remains of a former tropical holiday resort. For an encore, the indie German developer is using a similar formula but taking players across a whole series of islands in the upcoming narrative adventure, Saltsea Chronicles.

Set long after the "Great Flood" left most of the world underwater, the game follows the crew of the De Kelpie after a series of disappearances, the latest of which is the ship's own Captain Maja. The kidnappings have been linked to a "mysterious indigo-sailed ship" that was last seen in the vicinity of Los Gatos, home to one of the crew members and populated largely by cats. Of course, if you're ever to perform a rescue, you'll first need to steal back your impounded ship. Once that's done, together you will "explore a series of beautiful and intriguing islands, meet different communities, and see the lives of people built on the ruins of what came before." Along the way you will "uncover a deep conspiracy, choose where to go and which crew members to investigate with, and chart a journey through a story told across an entire archipelago."

As with Mutazione, Saltsea Chronicles features a simple but stylish aesthetic "inspired by risograph print techniques" in a point-and-click narrative adventure that focuses on story and characters over puzzle solving. Relationships between the crew of the De Kelpie are important as you balance the personalities and needs of your growing band of "misfits." Player choice is crucial in determining how events play out, and you'll need to successfully resolve issues as they come up or see them "scuppered" if you cannot. Each chapter you'll choose your destination and companion for the expedition, creating a high degree of replayability, as "different playthroughs will take you to different islands, introduce different characters and have dramatic consequences for your crew." You'll also want to partake in a "trick-taking card game" called Spoils, and you should keep your eyes peeled for stickers to keep in your Almanac as souvenirs of your travels.

While no firm target release date has been announced, Saltsea Chronicles isn't far off, as it's due to arrive later this year on Windows and Mac, along with console versions for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. To tide you over while you wait, a playable demo is available now on Steam that takes the crew to the feline-riddled community of Lost Gatos.

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