The inspirations behind developer Canari Games’ Castaway are apparent as soon as its trailer begins. With loving aesthetic and gameplay nods to The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening at the forefront, Castaway is looking to carve a place of its own in the top-down adventure game space when it hits consoles and PC this year.
The addition of consoles and the 2024 release window were both revealed during the AG French Direct Showcase on May 29. After some spirited footage and catchy tunes, Canari Games founder Johan Vinet steps in for a brief developer diary highlighting some of what makes Castaway unique. You may remember Vinet from his first project, cinematic platformer LUNARK, the development of which took around four to five years. See more of what Canari Games is working on next below.
Vinet immediately says that Castaway is paying tribute to “the Zelda games released on Game Boy in the early ’90s,” only in miniature form. The story follows Martin, a boy whose orbiting spaceship crashes on a mysterious beach. From there, he sets out on one of the most noble quests known to humankind: finding his dog. It turns out pterodactyls have kidnapped his pup; a plight we know all too well.
Two adventures in one
The first of the two games that make up Castaway is set on the main island, where Martin will be tasked with making it through a trio of dungeons and their respective bosses. With a wide audience in mind, Vinet also hopes Castaway might serve as an introduction for parents who want to get their children into playing these types of games. Thus, there’s a pacifist mode that lets you focus on solving puzzles, as well as an invincible mode that gives you a chance to practice before hitting up the real deal. For those who have played the genre through and through, there’s an “unfair mode” and a mode for speedrunners.
Once the main adventure is complete, the second game is unlocked. This one has you trying to reach the top of a 50-story tower while surviving its many challenges. As you ascend, you’ll collect cash and increase a gauge that lets you choose between three upgrade cards every time it’s full.
What has me even more interested in Castaway is that it’s aimed at folks who might not have a lot of time on their hands, but want to experience a bite-sized adventure. Hey, this is my hole, it was made for me!
