Neowiz, a Korean game company, has announced the release date for Aka, a cozy simulation game where players take on the role of a red panda. According to the company, Aka will be available for PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch on December 15.
The announcement was made during the Nintendo Indie World Showcase last November 9. Over 20 indie games were soon to be released on the console, including Aka.
Aka earned its place in the Showcase thanks to its lovingly crafted game world and thoroughly original story from Cosmo Gatto,
Neowiz said in a separate statement.
Aka was created and developed by Jean-François Barthelemy, the one-man team behind Cosmo Gatto. The game follows the story of Aka, the titular red panda. After retiring as a warrior, he begins a quest for inner peace. This means players need to do what most retired warriors usually do. They must find a suitable place to settle down, craft some items, tend to their garden, and relax.
Aka is also set in a small — open world setting, featuring at least four islands. As players explore their surroundings and learn more about their past, they can talk to different people and learn more about their lives.
While the top-down simulation game does not have a linear storyline, Neowiz said players could take on narrative quests.
They also said mini-games had been added to the game as part of their promise to deliver an engaging yet insightful story in rich, hand-drawn graphics.
Neowiz unveiled their partnership with Barthelemy for Aka last April. Before Aka, Barthelemy's most notable work was the award-winning GitHub game A Trip to the Moon. Neowiz said that he had also worked as an animator for Dreamworks Studio.
In the meantime, Barthelemy continues to publish updates on the game's development on Twitter. Also, PC players can still access its demo version on Steam.