WHISPERS IN THE MOSS

"What a strange dream. A young man, chased by a pack of wolves..."

WHISPERS IN THE MOSS is a full-scale retro JRPG experience that embraces the nostalgic charm of 8-bit and 16-bit console classics, especially those from the early SquareSoft era.

Embark on an epic journey with three young heroes from a tranquil fishing village, thrust into a world dominated by an empire seeking ultimate power and a banished prince determined to restore balance. As they traverse the world, our party uncovers an even more sinister secret—fiends of the underworld are stirring...

• An Epic Story: Prepare for emotional plot twists, lighthearted humor, and vibrant characters.

• Classic Turn-Based Battles: Inspired by the early Final Fantasy games, strategically exploit your enemies' weaknesses using physical attacks, black and white magic, items, and special skills. Witness your characters' growth and customize their abilities.

• A Highly Unique Visual Style: The game boasts beautiful and ambitious textmode (ANSI-style) graphics, offering an unparalleled retro atmosphere. This innovative use of text-based graphics on such a scale and level of ambition is a first in gaming. What’s more, "Whispers in the Moss" is coded entirely in QB64, a modern take on the legendary QuickBASIC programming language, completing the genuine retro experience.

• Original Custom Soundtrack: Immerse yourself in the game's world with sound effects and a full original soundtrack featuring over 50 unique tracks, composed by the game's developer, Tapio of Uncultured Games. Drawing inspiration from JRPG music legends like Nobuo Uematsu, Yoko Shimomura, Yasunori Mitsuda, and Michiru Oshima, the music brings the world of the game to life.

• Abundance of Optional Content: In addition to the main story, explore a vast array of side quests, monster hunts, fishing and other mini-games, and other hidden secrets. Can you locate and conquer all the ~170 unique monsters and complete the bestiary?

• Retro Gaming for Modern Systems: "Whispers in the Moss" is set to launch on Windows in June 2024, and it will be available on Steam, Itch.io and most likely GOG.

• A Decade in the Making: This artisanal game is the sole creation of Tapio from Uncultured Games, a Finnish game development studio. Single-handedly, he has managed the coding, game engine, art, script, soundtrack, and even crafted these god-forsaken marketing texts. Over the course of well over 13 years of development, Tapio, a father of two and a communications professional by day, has remained a dedicated hobbyist game developer by night.

State of development (April 2024):

• The game is completed, including the main story arc, side quests and other optional content, over 170 unique monsters, a large world with six unique towns, various smaller settlements, and about a dozen dungeons, original custom soundtrack with over 50 songs, sound effects, et cetera. 

• Without any surprising hiccups, the game will be released in  June 2024.

Keywords: RPG, JRPG, J-RPG, Japanese, SquareSoft, Square Enix, Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, ASCII, ANSI, textmode, retro, soundtrack, classic, role-playing game, linear, NES, SNES, Nintendo, nostalgic, old-school