Farming adventure Tales of Seikyu invites you to entertain monsters in your inn, and become one

An upcoming farming sim will take place in a magical world of spirits and monsters where you restore a deteriorating countryside inn and explore the town and region populated by people, monsters, and more. The game plans to launch with cooperative play, and it'll also have a neat-looking twist: By wearing ancient masks, you can use the power of creatures and monsters—one example is using the rooting power of a boar to till fields.

Part of the game will include exploring the surrounding countryside and further venturing into the "divine realm, a maze brimming with intriguing puzzles." Presumably you'll solve those with powers from your magical masks, some of which the developer hints at: "Transform into a crow tengu and soar freely in the skies of Seikyu. Whether climbing cliffs effortlessly as a Dryad with vine powers, or diving deep as a Slime in search of hidden treasures, use your creativity to solve puzzles in novel ways."

Descriptions of the game involve all the stuff you'd expect, like faming, building new facilities, and more pastoral pursuits like chickens and cows, but others include concepts like making your revitalized home into a luxurious inn for monsters once more.

"We drew inspiration from various mythologies and monsters from folktales around the world. This led us to create a world that brings together Monsters, Youkai, and Gods. In Tales of Seikyu, most of the villagers are based on Asian folktales, but you will also encounter monsters from Western stories like vampires or minotaurs. Players can witness how these diverse creatures coexist, form societies, and even establish romantic relationships with them," said developer ACE Entertainment in a FAQ.

That's pretty clear! In the trailer, villagers such as a winged woman, an otter man, and a guy who kind of looks like a mushroom show up. The winged woman is implied to be a possible romantic partner for the player.s

Tales of Seikyu will launch a Kickstarter on January 12, 2024. It also has a Steam page where you can learn more.

Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.