Over the last few years, Annapurna Interactive has built a reputation on publishing some of the most unique and experimental games in the space, from the thoughtful intergalactic exploration of Outer Wilds to the charming co-op shenanigans of Lego Voyagers. That tradition seems to be going stronger than ever, as the publisher, coinciding with Tokyo Game Show, has revealed three new whimsical games. And one of those is a raucous new musical turn-based RPG, described as a fusion of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and KPop Demon Hunters — which is enough to sell me on it right now.
The three games announced by Annapurna couldn’t be any more different, honestly, from an evocative action adventure game, to turn-based musical shenanigans, and to a puzzle game about helping civilians navigate an AI-centric society.
While each looks incredibly unique in its own right, the standout right now is People of Note, from developer Iridium Studios. This is the game creative director Jason Wishnov describes as a fusion of Expedition 33 and K-Pop Demon Hunters, a classic turn-based combat system that meshes with an off-the-wall frenetic energy.
In People of Note, you play as Cadence, described as a “radical up-and-comer” who has her sights set on winning the city’s Song Contest. The game is described as having puzzle dungeons and strategic turn-based combat entirely based around music, where you’re able to do genre-bending mashup attacks that fuse multiple musical styles. It also sports a bright, pop-y, and whimsical visual style, which feels incredibly reminiscent of Hi-Fi Rush — another game that played around with the idea of how to integrate music into gameplay.
There’s been a massive wave of games reinterpreting turn-based RPGs in recent years, led by titles like Expedition 33, Metaphor: ReFantazio, the Trails series, and many more. And hopefully, People of Note might similarly be able to bring something new to a genre burgeoning with fresh ideas.
On the complete opposite side of the spectrum is a charming adventure game called Demi and the Fractured Dream, where a mysterious godlike voice tasks you with the singularly important task of defeating an accursed beast to save the world. Sounds a lot like Shadow of the Colossus, huh?
This is the first game from the studio Yarn Owl, and a “love letter” to the classic games of the 90s and 2000s that its developers grew up with. It does look like a fairly traditional action-adventure game, but it has a charming art style that seemingly blends a cozy feeling with darker imagery, and that could be a compelling idea.
The third and final game, D-Topia, comes from Japanese studio Marumittu Games, and tackles the timely topic of AI, but probably not in the way you’re thinking. In the futuristic world of D-Topia, life is curated by artificial intelligence to maximize happiness, and you’re a “facilitator” who makes sure the whole process goes off without a hitch. Part citizen management and part puzzle game, D-Topia is a game about the very nature of happiness and what the emotion actually means.
It also just so happens to have a phenomenal art style, a kind of pastel cel-shading that looks similar to Persona or the Digimon games — and there’s even an adorably chunky cat to boot.
Annapurna has put out plenty of critically-acclaimed games already, but this trio of new titles might legitimately be one of the best showings the company has had yet, in large part due to how incredibly unique each game looks.
I’m a huge sucker for anything turn-based and anything with unique musical elements, so it’s pretty clear which one has piqued my interest the most — but People of Note, Demi, and D-Topia all look like they could have the ingredients of sleeper hits.
D-topia, People of Note, and Demi and the Fractured Dream are all scheduled to release in 2026.