The first-time game developer Weiwei Leung and publisher Incube8 Games have officially launched the Kickstarter for Aaling the Ghost, a promising new Game Boy Color RPG inspired by the Han Dynasty funerary arts and the Qu Yuan poem "Summons of the Soul" (Thanks RetroDodo!)
The game has been in development for the last year and a half and showed up recently as part of the first Homebrew Summer Showcase, where it stood out as one of the more unique RPGs on show.
It follows a woman named Aaling who has had her life taken away due to a bureaucratic mistake and must seek out the Queen Mother of the West within seven days to restore herself to normal. The Kickstarter describes the game as "an adventure full of mysteries" and "curious encounters" with "temptations, threats, and dangers lurking in all directions…" It also lists companions and the ability to talk to enemies among its defining features.
If any of that sounds like something you'd be interested in experiencing, we recommend heading over to the Kickstarter now and checking out all the available options. Rewards are expected to ship in March 2025.
In total, Leung is looking to raise £8,622 to cover the development costs for the project and is almost halfway there already (as of writing). You can pick up a digital copy of the game for as little as €10, but there are also options that will let you reserve a physical copy from Incube8 Games, receive special goods bundles filled with stickers and postcards, and see yourself or your pet in game.
You can watch the Kickstarter trailer below: