Family Misfortunes: Children Of Morta

Children of Morta is attractive in a way that few games manage to be. You might think it's going to be a retro pixel art thing at first but then you see the animations, you see how every single one is packed with more frames than an entire NES cartridge. There's hardly any information about what the game is on the official site but it was described to me as a 'narrative-based roguelike'. As well as looking the part, it appears to have a family-based class system, nifty hacking and slashing, and rad birthday parties, complete with cake and jiving. All of that is present and correct in the video below.

There's a Sword & Sworcery EP feel to the art, with that fluidity of motion, and the combat looks as smooth as butter - and I mean butter that's been out of the fridge for long enough to spread on your toast without the need for a hammer and chisel.

It seems likely that gathering loot and levelling up will allow you to upgrade the family home and/or abilities, but what about that 'roguelike' designation? If Children of Morta has permadeath, especially after such jolly birthday celebrations, it could be a melancholy experience. Imagine every playthrough ended with the final surviving member of the family sorting through their gear and preparing for a last stand, in a house stripped of life but heavy with memories. Eek.

There's no release date yet but hopefully we'll know more soon.