How do you pronounce Spirittea, exactly? Is it two words, Spirit, comma, Tea, or something more flamboyant?
There’s a bit of marketing theory that says you shouldn’t talk about your game (or book, or movie, or whatever you’re promoting) in the context of other things. If your elevator pitch relies on people knowing what something else is, then it just might not be a strong enough idea.
Don’t pin it on someone else’s creation is the thing. And that’s (presumably) doubly true when you’re presenting genre mash-ups.
That being said, the idea of a game that’s “essentially Stardew Valley crossed with Spirited Away” is so straightforward and instant in its appeal, we don’t think that little bit of marketing theory will trouble developer Cheesemaster Games or publisher No More Robots.
Per the press release:
“Inspired in equal measure by iconic life sim Stardew Valley, and classic spirit-focused anime and manga, Spirittea follows a writer who has escaped to the countryside, in order to clear their head and find inspiration for their next novel.
However, after accidentally drinking from an old mystical teapot, our protagonist begins to see the spirit world overlapping with their reality.”
Don’t you hate it when that sort of thing happens?
Players will manage an old bath house, where the spirits go to relax, and will progress through the game by helping both the living (local NPCs) and the dead (the aforementioned spirits) with their odd jobs.
So, yes, Spirittea is a bit like Spiritfarer, now you mention it, but with more of a focus on RPG elements and that Stardew Valley influence worn proudly on its sleeve. (And now we’re doing the comparison thing. Sorry.)
Spirittea will launch “later this year on PC and console”.
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