Pokemon-style pixel art meets flower-powered Tamagotchi in this new slice-of-life RPG

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Petal Runner looks like the best Pokemon x Tamagotchi crossover in years

Petal Runner game screenshot
(Image credit: Nano Park Studios)

It's fair to say that a whole bunch of what was revealed during Summer Game Fest Live and the subsequent associated showcases was extremely up my alley – did you see the hardcore climbing sim Cairn? Lord have mercy – but few have grabbed me by the collar the way that the upcoming "Game Boy-era Pokemon meets Tamagotchi made from flowers" RPG Petal Runner has. From the pixel art to the music to the premise, I am suddenly very excited for the first game from developer Nano Park Studios thanks to a single trailer.

Nano Park Studios is composed of programmer Danny Guo and pixel artist Brandon James Greer. While this is the first release from the Canadian indie studio, you might be familiar with Greer through his popular YouTube channel, BJGpixel, and the pixel art he has shared there over the past several years.

Petal Runner - Summer Game Fest 2024 - Announcement Trailer - YouTube Petal Runner - Summer Game Fest 2024 - Announcement Trailer - YouTube
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"Companionship with our pets is a special thing we want to capture in Petal Runner," said Guo and Greer as part of the announcement. "Our design philosophy is to modernize the feel of retro classics that inspire us, while incorporating mechanics and minigames that feel fresh within the RPG structure."

The premise of the game sees players becoming a Petal Runner, a courier for artificial pets made out of flowers, across the open world of Sapphire Valley. There are apparently several different districts to explore with various challenges and minigames as well as Mentors that will train you in new skills while you come across different Petal Runner branches. And frankly, I can't wait to find out more.

Petal Runner is currently set to release on PC via Steam, but no definitive release window has been announced as of yet. If you can't wait, you could always check out our rankings of the best RPG games you can play right now.

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Rollin Bishop
Rollin Bishop
US Managing Editor

Rollin is the US Managing Editor at 12DOVE. With over 16 years of online journalism experience, Rollin has helped provide coverage of gaming and entertainment for brands like IGN, Inverse, ComicBook.com, and more. While he has approximate knowledge of many things, his work often has a focus on RPGs and animation in addition to franchises like Pokemon and Dragon Age. In his spare time, Rollin likes to import Valkyria Chronicles merch and watch anime.

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