The Cork is a big metroidvania adventure with a tiny hero

*Rubs eyes*

The Cork is playing with a lot of familiar elements, but its miniature protagonist drew my attention.

In the upcoming PC-bound metroidvania game – “heavy emphasis on vania” – a plague has turned the local villagers “erratic and hostile.” You’re a small-scale hero investigating a foreboding kingdom that was “built into the steep sides of an enormous crater.” Parlor Interactive is promising “combat that requires calculation as much as might,” side-quests, gear upgrades, and a “massive non-linear world.”

The creators are seeking $50,000 in funding through Kickstarter and hope to come out with a Nintendo Switch version “asap” if additional money comes through, according to developer Bradley Elliott.

“The Cork has been in development for roughly a year while Parlor has had to sustain itself entirely on other contract work,” the team said. “A successful Kickstarter campaign will help to expand our audience and allow us to focus all of our time and energy on making the best game we can make.”

I’m curious to see the scale of the later-game weapons and foes. How big do they get? The protagonist might be tiny, but their starter sword sure isn’t. There’s potential for some interesting progression.

The name is kooky enough that it should stick with me.