Summer news season is in full swing, and I had the chance to get hands-on with some fantastic upcoming titles at Summer Game Fest! From an adorable, pixelated Game Boy Color throwback to a cozy mix of dungeon-crawling and shopkeeping, there was no shortage of creativity on display in this year’s line-up of RPGs. Let’s begin!
Petal Runner – A Charming Homage to the Game Boy Color
Having grown up on the Game Boy Color as my first gaming console, I have many a cherished memory with its library: from Mario Tennis’s RPG story mode to the first two Pokémon generations. In other words, I am Petal Runner’s target demographic. From publisher iam8bit and developer Nano Park Studios, this cozy adventure title serves as a love letter to this bygone era. Set in the metropolis of Sapphire Valley, it follows protagonist Cali and first-generation Hana Pet Kira as they deliver Leap Cells to the city’s inhabitants via motorcycle.
The demo started at the beginning of Chapter 2. Petal Runner’s gorgeous presentation immediately stood out to me. Having Kira follow Cali like Pikachu follows Red in Pokémon Yellow was a particularly cute touch, as was having Cali sit in the backseat of Kira’s motorcycle while riding around town! Motorcycle riding felt smooth, responsive, and robust: it became clear that the developers put a lot of thought into the motorcycle’s dynamic movement.
I also got to play through a few instances of the game’s “combat” system! A “battle” ensued when Cali and Kira installed a Leap Cell. The player has to complete various bite-sized minigames in sequence to complete the “battle” in a style that feels fun and fast-paced in a Wario Ware-esque way! After a few installations and character moments, the demo concluded with a story teaser.
Speaking with the developers after the demo, I got to learn a bit about their inspirations and motivations behind the title. The team explained that their inspirations included beloved indie RPGs like Undertale and Omori, classic GBC RPGs like Pokémon R/B/Y, and that they hoped Petal Runner would resonate with fans of these titles, those seeking a cozy wholesome adventure, and pet owners themselves! They explained that the story would explore the relationship between pets and their owners in many ways. For example, the “battle” system’s minigames were designed to be nurturing rather than destructive, including pet care and bonding activities.
Thank you to Nano Park Studios for their time and for having me play this demo! Petal Runner is coming to Steam at an unspecified date.
Mistfall Hunter – A Dynamic Fantasy Extraction RPG
From developer Bellring Games, Mistfall Hunter is an upcoming PvPvE third-person action RPG coming to PC and Xbox Series X|S! Players explore ruins in a dark fantasy world in the pursuit of loot, with the ability to use loot back at home base for permanent progression upgrades, buying or selling from a shop, and the like. The game also includes various other objectives that players can aspire to complete, from daily goals to experience-based skill tree progression. I got to play a few rounds and learn about the gameplay loop and combat system.
I began by choosing from among five classes: the brutal Mercenary, formidable Sorcerer, piercing Blackarrow, cunning Shadowstrix, and devout Seer. I went with Seer for this demo, a rune-based class that attacks and casts buffs from afar by summoning runes into the battlefield.
Combat felt visceral and robust, with my character having to balance remaining spell charges, healing potions, energy meter for dodging and sprinting, and cooldown limits on my runes. A variety of items were available to assist with combat as well, including throwing axes, floortraps, and others. Loot was available from many sources throughout the dungeon, like fallen enemies, chests, and more.
As I explored the dungeon, the game’s Gyldenmist mechanic became apparent: essentially, a Fortnite storm is closing in on the dungeon as time progresses. Thus, you must continue to head toward the center of the map, looting as much as possible while doing so. To escape the dungeon successfully with their loot, you have to use a Soul of Return item obtained from a specific enemy called the Returner Woodling.
Though I only had a short time with the game, I saw how this gameplay loop could build on itself over multiple dungeon runs in an engaging way. Thank you to Bellring Games for having me play this demo! Mistfall Hunter is coming to PC and Xbox Series X|S at an unspecified release date.
Blighted – An Eerie Metroidvania from Drinkbox Studios
As a fan of Nobody Saves the World, I was very much looking forward to checking out Drinkbox Studio’s upcoming title, Blighted! This co-op Metroidvania takes place in a nightmarish world ravaged by Blight. The player takes the role of the sole survivor of a village-wide rampage, embarking on a journey to find the perpetrator named Sorcisto. For the demo, I got to familiarize myself with the game’s combat, navigation, Blight system, and more.
Combat felt great, with multiple viable strategies for defeating enemies. I love to dodge roll like my life depends on it, as it usually does in these sorts of games, so that became my go-to for survival here. However, parrying enemy attacks was also an effective approach, and the developers noted that part of the game’s experimentation would involve deciding whether dodging or parrying would be more effective for a particular enemy.
I particularly enjoyed how finishing enemies off felt in this: by staggering an enemy, you are able to execute a finisher on them. There was even a gun to switch combat up with some long-range attacks, though it has to be recharged by fighting enemies normally.
This game’s take on difficulty also intrigued me. By dodging, parrying, and otherwise successfully defeating enemies without taking damage and the like, your Blight gauge increases. Increased Blight translated to enemies having stronger attacks, more types of attacks than usual, and more surprises in the full game. This Blight gauge could be reset at a save point if players wish.
I got to battle two bosses during the demo, and each of these fights was fun and fast-paced! After defeating the first boss, I was introduced to the game’s Metroidvania progression element: I unlocked the boss’s stomp skill, which crushes certain obstacles in the environment and paves the way for further exploration in previously inaccessible areas.
At the end of the second boss, I discovered that the Blight gauge had permanently increased one notch. The developers informed me that this would make revisiting earlier areas in the game more difficult as players progress through the story.
With many intriguing mechanics at play, I’m excited to check out what the developers have cooked up in the full version! Blighted is coming to PC and unspecified consoles in 2026. Thank you to Drinkbox Studios for having me play this demo!
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault – Roguelite Dungeon-Crawling Meets Hectic Shopkeeping
Last but surely not least, I got my hand at dungeon crawling by day and shopkeeping by night in Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault! This sequel from developer Digital Sun brings an entirely new 3D perspective to its predecessor, alongside several new gameplay mechanics. For this demo, I got to try a few dungeon runs and shopkeeping sessions, and I had a great time playing with these dual systems.
Dungeon crawling takes the form of a roguelite where you clear rooms of enemies through action RPG gameplay to advance. They then select from a variety of perks, decide which rare loot to bring home, and choose a subsequent room based on the rewards it offers. Perks include adding a burn effect to your attack, for example.
Meanwhile, loot effects put their own unique spin on inventory management. An item may only be valued at 50 coins, but it may have an ability that burns an adjacent item while increasing the original item’s value by 100 coins. Does receiving this boost in value outweigh the cost of losing the adjacent item? I could see the possibilities with this sort of inventory management system and was intrigued by how engaging it could be.
As for combat itself, I was able to use a sword during the demo, but it looked like there was room for several other weapons to unlock down the line. Attacks involved basic four-slash combos and a special spin attack. In addition, you can use a goo gun to attack enemies from afar and immobilize them, interact with the environment via spike flower floortraps, and dodge roll to avoid incoming attacks.
After collecting loot to your heart’s content (or until you’re near death), you can teleport back to town to begin shopkeeping! Sell your goods to the townsfolk with the objective of getting the highest value you can out of your loot.
To do so, you can utilize perks specific to shopkeeping, spend ability points to increase loot value, and more. As townsfolk slowly pile in, the store can get pretty hectic! At points, having multiple customers to attend to felt like a wild game of Overcooked.
And what do you do with the money you’ve earned? You can spend it on permanent upgrades to assist in dungeon crawling, for one. There are also other stores littered throughout town that you can purchase items from, including one that sells cosmetic changes to the shop!
A couple of runs into Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, and I can already see the cozy gameplay loop at play. My time left me curious to see how these mechanics develop as the game progresses! Thank you to Digital Sun for having me play this demo. The game is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam this summer!
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