Campaign Ends: May 12th
Platform: Windows and macOS. Stretch goals add a Switch version.
Hello RPG friends! I have returned from a short absence to bring you a tale of daring detectives, respectable robots, and even a bit of murder. A top-down action RPG set in an alternate 1920s, Tales from Centropolis plunks you into a gritty yet charming pixel graphic world combining steampunk, film noir, and Silver Age comics. Imagine SteamWorld Dig mixed with Dick Tracy!
You control Price, a brain in a tank (with a stylish hat) who uses a very handy robotic exo suit (also with said hat). This mysteriously misplaced brain was discovered by Marshall, a former professor who now works as Price’s partner in the mystery-solving profession. In their quest to discover Price’s true identity, the pair will find themselves entangled in a complex case featuring murder, a missing girl, and industrial espionage. All clues lead to the massive city of Centropolis; what diabolical schemes will our heroes uncover?
Solve cases, fight criminals, and explore a vast urban world filled with questionable technology and impressive mustaches. Do a bit of fancy detective work for your clients to rake in some cash and useful information, and play classic puzzles (such as arranging pipes and fiddling with fuses) to access hidden areas. Upgrade your robotic exo suit with components you find or gain through the wonders of recycling, and make sure to power up at the world’s many charging stations, or you’ll revert to your unfortunate brain-with-mechanical-legs form! Naturally, this form is more vulnerable to damage and unable to carry on a conversation, though it does have some advantages to discover.
Tales of Centropolis will have you fight furious foes in a real-time battle system inspired by River City Ransom and the Tales series. Punch, shoot, and block your enemies, use exciting combos and powerful (yet battery-draining) Super Weapons, and even call a helpful friend at a nearby phone booth! I’m sure one or two of us remember those handy little structures…
Tales from Centropolis still needs a few eager backers to help reach its funding target. Backer rewards include a physical or digital artbook featuring designs from the game’s origins as a proposed graphic novel. Meanwhile, stretch goals include a Switch port, new weapons, a hidden endgame dungeon, and much more!
As a long-time fan of the steampunk genre, Tales from Centropolis immediately caught my attention (though I admit that Price’s stylish ensemble with his Tom Baker-esque scarf helped). Gameplay-wise, fans of EarthBound, the Tales series, and even Yakuza will likely feel quite at home in this copper and neon world. So charge your brain and grab your longest scarf…Centropolis awaits!
Disclaimer: While it’s possible some of us at RPGFan may be backers of the games mentioned in these articles, this does not influence our coverage or our featured game choices. We make our selections simply based on the active campaigns we feel our readers might find interesting, and we are not given special access or perks by the developers.
tl;dr: We think these games show potential and want to share them with you.
