Hiroki Kikuta, known mostly for creating the iconic Secret of Mana soundtrack, is also a “total military otaku.” He’s such a fan of the genre that he’s making what can only be realistically described as a spiritual successor to Advance Wars.
Dubbed simply Tiny Metal, the new turn-based strategy game is set for a release on PC, Mac, Linux, and PlayStation 4, and will be published by American publisher Area 34 sometime in June of next year.
Kikuta-san will be overseeing the entire development of the game, with I Am Setsuna composer Tomoki Miyoshi. The team is described as being made up of “grizzled Japanese veterans” including Kikuta and Miyoshi, however most are currently unable to reveal their identities due to obligations to existing employers.
Kikuta pledges to avoid typical crowdfunding pitfalls, even noting that most team members have worked together in the past on “many small to blockbuster” titles. Coming from this, there’s even a playable prototype for the game, which you can download here.
Described as an 8-10 hour single-player campaign, players will be thrust into a world of “mystery, intrigue, and of course, political drama.” There will be a variety of units, factions, and abilities – each factoring into whichever strategy you want to go with. Featured above, you can view the game’s crowdfunding video.
Multiplayer won’t be in the base game’s campaign, however, developer Project Milk are promising it will be a stretch goal. In case you want to get right into some gameplay, you can find that below:
The game focuses on lieutenant Nathan Gries, hailing from the Kingdom of Artemisia. He commands forces in the fight against the the evil Zipang shogunate, who dealt out the assassination of Artemisia’s king and leadership.
The game is being made regardless of their $50,000 Kickstarter goal, however, the extra funding will help them make it even better – adding more units, add more polish on the overall game, and more.
If you’re interested in backing Tiny Metal, you should head on over to the game’s Kickstarter.
