Mark April 14 on your calendar, because this is when you’ll be able to play Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight, a gorgeous-looking 3D exploration platformer from Japanese industry veteran nocras and publisher Playism.
Tasomachi sees you, as crash-landed explorer Yukumo, exploring a mysterious fantasy town inspired by East Asian art, culture, and geography. The town’s many secrets wait to be uncovered through acrobatic platforming, Yukumo’s trusty airship, and partnership with the cat-like Nezu Tribe who call this place home. You can also unlock new outfits and decorate your room.
Tasomachi is the debut solo project from nocras, an artist turned indie developer who’s previous work includes 3D design on Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and Final Fantasy XIII-2, and 2D art for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Disparate as those games are, they share some common themes and ideas, and you can see their influence on the world of Tasomachi.
“I enjoy making 2D and 3D art for myself and others, but I felt a need to express myself and the beauty of the world, which I could only do properly through a video game of my own,” said nocras. “It also feels like the world unfairly abandoned the collect-a-thon platformer, and I want to bring that genre back with beautiful visuals that create the same sense of melancholy and joy that I originally felt in my youth.”
With no life bars or hit counters to worry about as you explore and overcome its traversal challenges, Tasomachi is designed to be a relaxing experience. In keeping with that idea, it’s also got a soundtrack by Ujico*, an artist known for chill, feel-good electronic beats (seriously, try to listen to Love Birds without smiling).
Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight will be available on Steam and GOG from April 14. As always, if you like the look of it, adding it to your Steam wishlist is a great way to show your support to the developer (and set yourself a handy reminder for when it comes out).