On June 27th 2023, the Australian independent studio Ub4q released their new PC game title Amarantus on Steam and Itch.io. The game is a passion project by lead developer Ruqiyah, who worked on the script for years. The game costs $17.49 on Steam (reduced to $15,74 at launch) and $17.99 (reduced to $16.19) on Itch.io.
You can check the product page for this game here. Don’t forget to follow them on Twitter and TikTok!
Arik’s been told two things all his life: the country’s being ruled by a tyrant, and somebody needs to do something.When an unexplained attack sends him fleeing home in the middle of the night, his family captured and his house torched—it’s time to gather a party, hit the road, and take the Lord down.
You think you’ve been left with nothing?
You have everything you are; everything we poured our time and our love into.
You have everything you are here to do.Along the journey, this motley crew of old friends and new strangers will grow closer—or further apart—as Arik uncovers opportunities to win friends, make enemies, play matchmaker, and fall in love.
Amarantus website
- Focus on fostering romantic, platonic and antagonistic relationships with and between four different party members
- Defined player character with a personality shaped through player choices
- Trainwreck cast of characters, all at varying levels of disaster
- Condensed storytelling—a single playthrough takes 3-4 hours, with multiple playthroughs required to uncover the truth
- Dense, compelling dialogue with naturalistic delivery
- Dynamic and immersive sound design, underscored by an original soundtrack with post-rock vibes
- 80+ different backgrounds, all adapted from 19th century etchings
- Directed & written by multi award-nominated interactive fiction developer Ruqiyah
- Comic-style insert artwork by award-winning artist Hien Pham
- Developed by a diverse Australian team
