Zeboyd Games, the team lead by Robert Zeboyd, and William Stiernberg, responsible for the modern, yet very retro, JRPG classic Cosmic Star Heroine are returning with a new game. This Way Madness Lies is the newest game from the team, a game that still looks to harness the many amazing qualities of classic JRPGs but looks to do so in a way that is more accessible for the masses, and briefer in its stay. Today we learned that the game has a firm release date, November 10, 2022 for PC via Steam.
The product listing for This Way Madness Lies shares some wonderful insights into the nature of the coming title, saying
Let us begin our tale, in the quiet city of Verona, Italy. A town for lovers… and giant, mutant flower attacks.
As the leader of the Stratford-Upon-Avon High Drama Society, Imogen is no ordinary girl! Sure, she goes to school every day and helps produce plays for the community, but beyond that, she’s a magical girl! With her powers, she can teleport to alternate dimensions based on Shakespeare plays, fight back the forces of Nightmare, and still get back in time for dinner!
Join Imogen, Paulina, Viola, Rosalind, Miranda, Beatrice, and Kate on an epic adventure throughout the Shakespearean metaverse in this comedy JRPG!
The listing continues on to highlight the presence of turn-based combat, opportunities to chill out with friends, a “110% accurate” “Ye Olde English to New English translator”, multi-character unite abilities (presumably akin to classics like Chrono Trigger, the ability to own a pet, and one extremely important point about the game’s length. “We believe that world needs more bite-size turn-based JRPGs – short, self-contained games that you can enjoy over a weekend or a few play sessions when you want a change of pace from big epics. Something that’s all killer, no filler. We estimate that a single playthrough of This Way Madness Lies will take around 4-5 hours, depending on difficulty & playstyle, and we hope that you will enjoy every minute!”
Zeboyd Games have released a host of games of different scales dating back to their first release, 2009 interactive novels, Epiphany in Spaaace! and Molly the Were-Zompire. Since those two releases, the games have gradually increased in scope, Breath of Death VII: The Beginning, and Cthulhu Saves the World in 2010. Following that duo a series of releases aligned with Penny Arcade, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, episodes 3 & 4. Following that the releases slowed down, the acclaimed Cosmic Star Heroine in 2017, and Cthulhu Saves Christmas in 2019. Since then it’s been all hands on deck for what has become their coming release This Way Madness Lies.
This Way Madness Lies is launching for Windows PC (via Steam) on November 10th, with a price point set at $9.99.
