Artwork for the upcoming adventure game Kitsune: The Journey of Adashino, by RIAS.

Since its reveal last year, the it has been showcased in select independent game events with a brief playable demo that has nevertheless managed to attract the attention of the western press. It has also been listed on Steam and is expected to launch in 2024.

Its use of 3D character models over hand-drawn backgrounds evokes the style and atmosphere of late 1990s RPG adventure games, a genre which Japanese developers have allowed to perish to a large extent. The author and lead designer, RIAS, has noted that when contemplating the creation of a game, he opted to embrace the traditional Japanese folklore motifs with which he has been in contact with his entire life. These images attest to this keenness, as seen in the countless references to Shinto deities and iconography, in which kitsune, the fox, is often portrayed assuming the shape of a young woman; together with the presence of many other elements so closely associated with the traditions ofKyōgen and Noh theater.