Paracosm Windows game

Paracosm is a light RPG currently being developed for Windows. It combines aspects of traditional overworld RPGs such as eight directional exploration on a map, character advancement and item/equipment management with a side-view platforming battle system. Set in the present day, the story of Paracosm follows a young kid trying to save his town from a mysterious enemy, and the cast of colourful and weird characters he meets along the way.

The game takes inspiration from the Mother (Earthbound) series for its visual aesthetic and overall style, and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link for its gameplay.

Wait, what’s a “light” RPG?

Basically another term for JRPG, (Japanese Role Playing Game) but it hasn’t caught on as much. Light RPGs would be games like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger and Earthbound. For comparison, a "heavy" RPG would be something like Fallout, Baldur's Gate or Mass Effect.

So it’s a platformer with RPG elements?

It’s more like an RPG with platformer elements. When outside of combat, you move around the world from an overhead perspective and explore the world, interact with characters and so on. Enemies roam around certain areas and if they see you, it will trigger a fight whereupon the game switches to a side view screen. It’s similar to the old game Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, which had a similar battle system.

How long will it take to beat?

I’m aiming for about 4-5 hours on a first playthrough, more if you take the time to explore everything and find all the secrets. There may also be some extras like a boss rush mode, where you can fight all the bosses one after the other and see if you can beat them all in one life, and a New Game + option, but these are lower priority than finishing the main game itself. If the game gets on to Steam, there will also be Steam achievements and trading cards.

Is there more than one ending?

Yes, the game has multiple endings, which is determined by your choices during the story. There are consequences for your decisions, so choose wisely!

Will Paracosm come out on any platforms other than Windows?

I’m currently working on a Windows version only, but ideally I’d like to publish Paracosm for as many platforms as possible, including Mac, Linux and consoles. Mobile versions are unlikely as the game is designed around a keyboard/gamepad control scheme and wouldn’t translate well to a touch-based interface, but anything is possible!

When will it be out?

TO BE DETERMINED!

Will there be a demo?

There will be a playable demo available for free download ahead of the main release of the game. It will cover approximately the first 30-60 minutes of the full game.