So, Onion Games, the folks behind Moon: Remix RPG Adventure, just dropped Stray Children, and honestly, it looks like something special. Oisin flagged it up a while back, and since then, I've been itching to know more.

Imagine a world where kids are holed up, trying to survive against adults – but not just any adults. These "Olders" are basically walking embodiments of grown-up baggage: insecurities, doubts, the whole shebang. Sounds intense, right? Definitely not something I'd be playing with my little cousins just yet, haha!

The game's got this eerie, almost unsettling vibe, but in a good way. Think treehouses, submarines, and even "Icicle Bullets of Love". I mean, come on, how can you not be at least a little curious? I really want to see it by myself.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. Forget brute force; the kids in Stray Children have to use their words! It's all about hitting those psychic vulnerabilities with well-aimed phrases. Reminds me a bit of Undertale, where talking to enemies can be just as effective as fighting them.

The battle system also borrows a page from Undertale's book. It's a mix of turn-based combat and shmup elements, where you have to dodge all sorts of metaphorical attacks. I still don't know what the squealing piglets mean.

The Steam page encourages you to "deftly dodge the relentless barrage of their bottled-up emotions". Also, by touching their heart with your words, you might just be able to save their souls. Now, that's a pretty unique approach, right?

Keep the ending a secret!

The devs are making a pretty unusual request. They're asking players to keep the ending a secret. That definitely makes me want to reach the end!

While Moon was a re-release of an older title, Stray Children is a completely new project helmed by Yoshiro Kimura, who has worked on titles like Romancing SaGa 2 and Rule of Rose. The art director, Kurashima Kazuyuki, has credits on Live A Live and Super Mario RPG, while composer Hirofumi Taniguchi has worked on Suikoden and Contra: Hard Corps. So, yeah, this game has some serious pedigree behind it!

Of course, I wish I could give you my own hands-on impressions. Anyway, the early Steam reviews are pretty amusing: "Undertale but heterosexual" and "heterosexual but Undertale". However, one bug tester suggests not comparing Stray Children too much to Moon or Undertale, saying it's a world of its own. And honestly, from what I've seen, I'm inclined to agree.