Zen Studios is the company behind the upcoming Circus Electrique, a steampunk-infused RPG set in the circus. This game has the essence of something dark and sinister, with a circus troupe of murderous zombies hobbling around a steampunk London with its famous cobbled streets.
If that’s what you’re looking for then this is the game for you, no questions asked. Circus Electrique features elements of a story-driven RPG (and a weird one at that), and tactical combat mechanics, but with circus management simulation – it really doesn’t get better than that.
Obviously, you’ll want to know what this game is about, are you sure you can manage it? It follows the adventures of a cast of classic circus performers, ranging from strongmen to escape artists and clowns. They must all team up to save the city from impending doom in the form of savages known as the ‘Maddening’; a supernatural force that transformed thousands of citizens into murderous monsters.
This game was first revealed in 2021, but today is the day that we are treated with our first insight into what to expect. The gameplay involves a party of four characters who line up against a similar number of enemies who then engage in turn-based combat using normal and special moves until the other team drops – it does bear a slight resemblance to Dark Dungeons in that sense. You can watch the brand-new announcement trailer below.
It’s not just about the combat though, it’s about the skill; positioning and morale play huge parts in the battles. If morale does drop too low, then the character will actually run away from the circus for good (and we know what happens to runaways) and you will need to find a replacement and train them up.
With you being the circus leader, you will still need to schedule nightly shows as well as fight these murderous monsters – the show must go on, as they say, your performers will need paying somehow or they will just leave. However, even this isn’t your main objective because you still need to find out how the Maddening started and how to stop it – it’s fun being the boss, right?
Circus Electrique will be available on September 6, 2022, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows, and Nintendo Switch.
