In my perfect world, every video game would come with a soft, orange Halloween version of itself. While I wait for this idea to catch on, Pipkin — a game concept currently collecting Kickstarter funding — takes care of Pokemon. The monster-catching RPG looks like it could be a spooky Pokemon Ruby romhack, one that introduces pumpkin heads and 4v4.
Developer Greg Chazotte writes on Pipkin's Kickstarter page that his game will be "inspired by things like Halloween, New England, and fall weather," as well as Pokemon (duh!) and Nintendo's 1994 RPG EarthBound. You get a sense of all these nostalgic influences in Pipkin's sickeningly adorable free demo, which is now available to download on Steam.
In it, a purple forest full of dead trees and a greenish lab led by the crazed Dr. Frankenstein are made more atmospheric by Pipkin's evocative pixel graphics. It's good that every cobwebbed corner still feels welcoming. Without Frankenstein's guidance, your pea-sized protagonist, to whom you can assign a class and element, wouldn't know how to work with the combative Pipkin monsters integral to the rest of the game.
"Thematically, Pipkin aims to be a more whimsical and lighthearted game, appropriate for all ages," says Pipkin's Kickstarter, "while still being challenging enough for seasoned gamers to enjoy."
To that end, 4v4 fights have the potential to increase Pipkin's difficulty. Chazotte writes on Kickstarter that these fights will emphasize strategy while leaving space for experimentation with "200+ moves and 15 different elemental types."
Overall, Chazotte's plan for Pipkin is exciting, and it's enchanting. The game's visuals are inviting, its mechanics are intriguing, and Chazotte also promises to cut down on RPG grinding and other kinds of "'filler' content." I agree with this decision. Leave the filler content to better things, like pumpkin pie.
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