After being previously teased during the FGS Summer Showcase back in June, we've now been treated to a world premiere reveal of WoodRunner Games' new platformer Croak, courtesy of the Future Games Show at Gamescom Presented by Sid Meier’s Civilization® VII.
The first thing that leaps out at you is how gorgeous the presentation is, but this isn't a surprise given the pedigree of the team at WoodRunner Games who are working on it. Not only do they have animators who have previously worked on Cuphead, but also environment artists who contributed to the Rick & Morty TV series, and that talent really shines through.
Croak follows the adventures of a crowned frog prince, as he attempts to save his kingdom from being doomed at the hands of a mysterious curse. Along the way you'll meet a colorful cast of animal characters, including trading with a cigar-smoking raccoon, while fighting unusual bosses such as a BMX-riding beaver and a rat racing around in a Mad Max-style spiked shoe.
- I'm getting some good Banjo-Kazooie and Crash Bandicoot vibes from my favorite Steam Next Fest platformer, where you can swap water and lava to break levels
- I got tricked into trying this roguelike dungeon crawler after its Steam Next Fest demo used cozy farm sim features as bait to draw me in, but now I'm converted
To navigate each level, you'll need to take advantage of the environment by bouncing on mushrooms or the heads of rats, so you can avoid landing on deadly thorns or falling off the screen. You must also rely on the prince's sticky tongue to pull yourself towards surfaces, and his rotund nature to rebound off them so you can steer yourself through a safe path to move forwards on your journey. With sliding blocks, snowflakes that freeze you into an ice cube, and much more in the mix, you'll need to engage both your puzzle solving brain and lightning-quick reflexes if you want to survive.
Croak will initially launch on PC via Steam, with other platforms to be announced further down the line into production. Although we don't have a release date for it just yet, you can wishlist it now on Steam and follow @WoodRunnerGames for all of the latest news and announcements.
If you’re looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.
