Upon seeing the reveal of Petal Runner at tonight’s Day of the Devs showcase, one thought immediately came to this writer’s head: “Good lord, that looks like the coziest game possible so far.” Coming from iam8bit and Canadian developers Nano Park Studios, the game is a slice-of-life RPG about a courier who delivers virtual pets to people that are literally powered by flowers and claibrated by playing minigames, with the help of a talking fox-like companion, all presented with a cute anime style in an homage to old-school Game Boy Color games, down to the 8-bit pixel art with heavy doses of lavender. It’s practically the gaming equivalent of a weighted blanket and the world’s largest mug of hot cocoa, enjoyed in front of the toastiest fireplace possible. It almost feels like it heads toward dangerous levels of coziness, as if it werethe comfy chair.If you don’t believe us, check out the trailer below and see what vibes it gives you.
Critter Couriers
But we kid, of course, as Petal Runner still looks quite eye-catching and fascinating. It’s presented as unique take on cyberpunk-inspired worlds, set in the city of Sapphire Valley and centered on our protagonist Cali and their sidekick Kira, who are training to become the titular specialized couriers. What follows is a story about growing up as they travel around, make friends, and even clash with a rival courier from time to time. According to the team, one of the main goals is to capture the special feeling of companionship with pets, hence the in-universe holographic HanaPets, with Kira being an older model. It should definitely be interesting to see just what stories emerge with Cali’s clients and all of these adorable critters.
The Flash Game Legacy Lives On in Escape Academy
The game will be published under the iam8bit Presents label, which has previously released the likes ofEscape Academy,Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest For Stale Gum,and - as of less than half an hour ago -Simpler Times.Petal Runner, though, looks like it has the potential to be their deepest game so far, as Nano Park are clearly putting their retro gaming skills to good use in crafting a rather intriguing RPG filled with life, down to small details and cute animations helping to make the experience even mroe charming and fun to play. No release window or platforms aside from PC have been mentioned yet, but stay tuned for more details on Petal Runner as they arrive in the future.
