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Ron Gilbert, the mind behind the Monkey Island series, has started sharing some information about his upcoming RPG adventure game and it is looking like a retro delight (thanks, Time Extension).
The as-yet-untitled project is "Best described as Classic Zelda meets Diablo meets Thimbleweed Park" according to the Terrible Toybox website — a trio that we had never imagined together, but a rather tasty-sounding combination all the same.
This is expected to come our way later this year, though the website does flag that things might be pushed back to 2025 — "this is gamedev after all", it notes.
Gilbert has been sharing updates on the game's development on his Mastodon account since the start of this year, with screenshots and tidbits of information getting us increasingly excited to see this concoction of inspirations in action. You can check out some of these snaps below.
To be clear, there is no confirmation that this will be coming to Switch just yet — come on, it doesn't even have a title at the time of writing — but our fingers are crossed.
Just last week, Gilbert announced that Elissa Black (who previously worked on Swords of Freeport, TownCraft, Metrocide and Objects in Space) has joined the unnamed RPG project as a quest designer.
We'll be keeping an eye out for more information on this one over the coming months.
What do you make of this untitled RPG so far? Let us know your hopes in the comments below.
[source mastodon.gamedev.place, via timeextension.com]
Comments 26
This looks interesting! I’d also love if the Ron Gilberts Secret of Monkey Island and LeChucks Reveng were released on Switch!
Nice, looking forward to seeing/hearing more of it!
“…with screenshots and tidbits…”
TIDbits, Jim!? TIDbits!? Come now man, you’re British — not Briddish! No need to ape such prudish Americanisms! Say it loud and proud: TITBITS!
Anyway, hard to know what to make of the game at this stage. The screenshots scream “pleasant but potentially unremarkable indie game”, but given the creator’s credentials I’m sure it’ll be more than that.
…I’m just not sure how at the moment.
And sorry for the earlier outburst. This sort of thing just… gets on my tids, y’know?
Looks cozy and it could potentially fill that 2D Zelda shaped gap that's been bothering me on Switch. I'm still hoping for a remaster/remake of the original or even better A Link to the Past!
@Maxz I'm also British and I've always said and heard said, 'tidbits'. I've never heard 'titbits' before, must be regional?
If it has the comedy and charm of a Ron Gilbert game with the gameplay and world of a 2D Zelda, consider me sold.
I buy and enjoy everything made by or involving Ron Gilbert, so I'll definitely be getting this.
I'm not even sure what Diablo gameplay is without going and looking it up, but the other influences, the charming look and the Ron Gilbert are enough for me to be on board.
OK, I admit it. I'm just here to beat the fruitless 'Monkey Island Collection release' drum.
But this game looks very nice and I'm confident it will be great too.
Yeah, I remember Ron talking about this on his blog a few years back. I think he put it off because of Return to Monkey Island.
Yeah, it's little info but I've heard and seen everything I need to know. I definitely want to play this. Hoping for the cherry on top that will be his trademarked witty writing
Looks a lot like Stardew Valley graphic wise..
@sanderev That was my first thought too.
A Zelda game made by Ron Gilbert? I'm totally in!!
By the way, if you haven't yet, go get Return to Monkey Island!! It's simply brilliant.
@KingBurger Oh, yes please! The last modern console they came to was way back on the PS360 — if they could release a compilation of all four games in a pack I'd buy it on day one. Is there some sort of legal/rights issue with the original games?
I’m liking the look. Let it be good! My backlog needs it!
@Ogbert Honestly, it's what everyone says and has for a very long time, Douglas Adams included. I have never once read it another way, and would have bet a thousand dollars on tidbit being the official correct way. But I looked it up and titbit is a word, and tidbit is not (officially). Titbits sounds like a name for nipples, just sayin.
@Poodlestargenerica we have many regional dialects in the UK, many of which are not officially recognised in the dictionary, so I think it's still valid. It's just not THE British way, it's A British way.
Gather a handful of people from around the UK and ask them what a bread roll or woodlouse is called, the results are ridiculously varied!
@Ogbert Most dictionaries list ‘titbids’ as the standard British spelling and ‘tidbits’ as the US variant.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/titbit
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/titbit
https://www.oed.com/dictionary/titbit_n?tl=true
Obviously people aren’t dictionaries, languages are fundamentally fluid, and the internet blurs regions together anyway making clear delineations difficult to define. But that’s what appears to currently be considered ‘standard’ usage (if such a thing exists) by the people who compile dictionaries.
Not that it really matters. The word itself appears to derive from the 17th century dialectic word ‘tyd/tid’ (meaning ‘tender’) so there’s an argument to be made that ‘tidbit’ is actually more historically accurate.
But had an excuse to write TITBITS in all-caps and I jolly well seized it.
@Poodlestargenerica
Itty bitty titties
Anyway, on topic,
Game looks okay, but I'll need to see way more and in action to make a final decision.
One thing I want, is more than just one town!
@Ogbert Yeah to be clear, I was agreeing with you. Tidbits is the common parlance in the US. It's very much a sneaked/snuck situation.
@KingBurger It would be nice, but in all fairness there are about a million pretty easy ways to play those titles (and all of the classic, ScummVM-based LucasArts titles) at this point.
I’d be very surprised if he wouldn’t put it on Switch / 2. Earlier games of his sold best on Nintendo platforms.
"Zelda Meets Diablo Meets Thimbleweed Park"
If that's what you're looking for, check out Secrets of Grindea for the PC. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, that they'll eventually port it to consoles.
I thought this was an article about Stardew Valley until I actually read it. It looks very, very much like Stardew Valley.
@KingBurger I've been hoping for a Monkey Island collection, a classic Maxis collection, and Sid Meier's Pirates! for quite a while.
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