Dragon Quest Treasures looks extremely cute

It’s out on December 9

Dragon Quest Treasures is sneaking up on us, as it poises for a December 9 release on Nintendo Switch. It hasn’t exactly been on my mind given the sheer number of games coming out in October and November, but this new overview trailer perked me up.

In short, this spinoff deals with Erik and Mia, a brother and sister duo who “dream of exploring the world in search of grand treasure.” To do so, you’ll team up with various monsters, who can provide various abilities to the party to find…more treasure. The gameplay loop seems incredibly carefree, mixed with the signature style of the Dragon Quest series.

In the below four-ish minute video, Square Enix runs you through the basics, including treasure hunting itself (including the various means of traversal), as well as recruitment, the hub/base mechanic, and the main storyline (which deals with rival gangs and the narrative involving the seven rare Dragonstones). Party building in particular looks fun, as your minions can also act out of combat: serving as mounts, and abilities of sorts (like having one throw you up in the air).

Like Monster Hunter, I always at least give these Dragon Quest spinoffs a second look. The series has built up so much goodwill at this point, and if I can fit it into my schedule, Dragon Quest Treasures seems like it’ll be a breezy December/winter game.