In Stars and Time (a new indie RPG) is slipping under the radar and it shouldn't because it's fantastic.

in Stars and Time is an RPG released yesterday that seems to be slipping under the radar. It got some positive reviews but nobody seems to be playing it. On PSN I am one of 3 people playing the PS4 version (I can tell because of trophy stats) and the PS5 version isn't getting a lot more attention according to truetrophies.com. It has 25 reviews on Steam. It has no wiki page on Giantbomb (I guess I should add one.)

The thing is, I picked it up half on a whim and having played through a chunk of it last night and this morning it is almost certainly going to be in my top 10 games of the year and probably my second favorite indie behind Sea of Stars. Like that game it's an indie RPG with JRPG roots but much less traditional. It has a time loop mechanic focused around one town and one dungeon, and while it does have turn based combat and equipment and skills and other JRPG stuff it is really about the cast's relationships and the storytelling. It's very progressive and cozy, though there is a looming evil threat, and rather than betrayals and dark deeds the story unfolds by bringing its characters closer and allowing them to be vulnerable with one another.

It's one of the few games I've played (though not the only one) that deals with ideas of gender fluidity and identity in a way that doesn't feel forced or lecturing, but rather woven into the story itself. It also has some great writing and some truly horrible puns. I really like the black and white sprite work and the music is pleasant though not top tier.

The combat itself is...fine. It's based around a rock paper scissor system (literally in this case) and it's not fantastic but it gets the job done. Maybe the weakest part of the game. I also don't love some aspects of the looping, though the game does a lot to make it feel less onerous than it does in a lot of games (like letting you keep some items and your main character's XP between time loops.)

If you like non traditional JRPGs and especially those that deal with concepts of personal identity you should check it out. I haven't finished it yet but I can't imagine coming away thinking this is anything less than a true gem. This has been a not so great year for indies so it feels bad to see a truly great one not getting traction, at least not yet.

Switch, Steam, PSN

It does look neat!

Added this to my wishlist, maybe I can crack it open when I have some time during the holidays.

For what it’s worth, there appears to be a demo on Steam. So really no excuse for me (or anyone else) to not check it out!