Whitethorn Games is an indie games publisher that focuses on “pleasant, cozy games that can be played in pieces, that require no special skills or knowledge, and that anyone can pick up and play.” They’re known for titles such as RE:CALL, Apico, and Wytchwood, and they’ve come out with a winter (summer here) showcase full of new upcoming titles.
The Whitethorn Games Winter Showcase aired on Sunday, February 19th and revealed three new games – Magical Delicacy, SkateFish, and Kernel Hearts – as well as new information and gameplay footage for The Forest Cathedral, Kana Quest, Botany Manor, Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island, Whalefall, and Tinselfly.
I thought it might be nice to give you good folks a rundown of just what was shown off during the Whitethorn Games Winter Showcase, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do. You can watch the full showcase here.
Magical Delicacy
Magical Delicacy is a pixel art platformer developed by Steven Kaule. You play as a young witch called Flora who moves to a harbour town and opens up shop to make tasty magical treats for the townsfolk. The pixel art is B-E-A-UTIFUL, and it looks like a delight. It’ll be available day one on Xbox Game Pass, as well as available on Xbox and PC.
SkateFish
SkateFish is made by Sudden Event Studios, and is exactly what it says on the tin. It is both a skating game and a fishing game, where you have to shred on a skateboard and do tricks all the while catching a wide variety of fish to help populate a local aquarium. Incredible stuff, truly. It’ll be available on Android and iOS devices.
Kernel Hearts
Kernel Hearts is being developed by Ephemera Games, and that’s about all we know. The teaser trailer doesn’t give much to go off, but the art looks very pretty.
The Forest Cathedral
The Forest Cathedral is a psychological horror game developed by Brain Wilson. It uses an interesting mix of 2D and 3D puzzles to lead the player through a remote island packed with secrets. It’s set to release in the first quarter of 2023, and will be released on Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Kana Quest
Kana Quest is a puzzle game developed by Not Dead Design that also works as a neat little educational game for those wanting to learn Japanese. It was originally released on PC back in 2020, but is now getting a Nintendo Switch release this year.
Botany Manor
Botany Manor is a puzzle adventure developed by Balloon Studios. The above video showcases a behind-the-scenes look at the game’s development, including the environments, plants, and puzzles that players will find in the game. You may remember Botany Manor from last year’s Nintendo Indie World Direct, which gave us our first look at what’s shaping to be a lovely little game. It’s set to release this year on Nintendo Switch and PC.
Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island
Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island is a “friend-em-up” adventure developed by Polygon Treehouse. The above video is another behind-the-scenes look at the game’s development as well as some of the inspiration that led to its creation. If you’ve always wanted to make friends with a bunch of Greek gods, you’ll probably love this one. It’s set to release on Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC this year.
Whalefall
Whalefall is the first major in-house-developed game from Whitethorn Games. It’s very much inspired by titles like Suikoden, Fire Emblem and Bravely Default, and includes turn-based JRPG missions, hex-based tactical battles, and visual novel-style social interactions. It’ll be releasing on all platforms.
Tinselfly
Tinselfly is a surreal and introspective adventure by Flopsy Koala. You play as Robin Aetherspring (what a name), a starship engineer whose ship becomes trapped in a bizarre starship graveyard. The visuals feel very Bioshock-in-space, which is definitely something I can get around. It’s set to release on PC at the end of 2023.
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