Narrative RPG Rue Valley will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Switch alongside its previously announced PC (Steam) version, publisher Owlcat Games and developer Emotion Spark Studio announced.
The companies also announced a global collaboration with men’s health charity Movember, which aims to showcase how gaming can be used to explore mental health in new and meaningful ways.
“We’re extremely proud to be working with the Movember team,” said Emotion Spark Studio creative director Marko Smiljanic in a press release. “Our partnership helps us convey the importance of mental wellbeing responsibly, drawing on their expertise to ensure these stories feel authentic.”
Key themes of the collaboration include:
- Meeting Players Where They Are – Using gaming as a familiar non‑clinical space, Rue Valley provides a natural approach to promote mental wellbeing.
- Gaming as Connection and Healing – Through the dynamic narrative and compelling characters, players are encouraged to reflect and engage in meaningful conversations.
- Normalizing Therapy – Rue Valley’s thoughtful approach to storytelling helps players explore what therapy can feel like in a safe, immersive way.
Here is an overview of the game, via Owlcat Games:
About
Break free from a mysterious time loop! Embark on a journey of self-discovery and resilience. Delve into the enigmatic depths of the small godforsaken town: Rue Valley.
Each day feels like an uphill battle against the shadows of your own mind. Along the way, you will encounter a captivating ensemble of characters, each wrestling with their own emotional complexities and revealing hidden depths as you get to know them.
Can you muster the courage to unravel the secrets of this temporal anomaly? Can you discover the strength within yourself to rise above adversity and forge a brighter tomorrow?
Craft your own personality in Rue Valley. You can be a cold-hearted loner who overthinks everything or a melodramatic loudmouth who always trusts their gut instinct.
Whether you reflect your true personality or role-play someone entirely different, your character will shape your dialogues and interactions in the game.
Store memories in a graph, unlocking intentions and mindsets as you progress uniquely through the story. Commit to quirky mindsets for unexpected and hilarious dialogues, and experience personality-altering Status Effects: become more outgoing when drunk, or extra sensitive when anxious.
Experiment with different answers and timelines, because the loop will restart from the beginning anyway, won’t it?
Key Features
- Craft Your Personality – Be a cold-hearted loner in one loop and a melodramatic loudmouth in the next. Rue Valley‘s time loop resets everything, giving players the chance to experiment with their personalities, actions, and answers.
- Store Your Memories – Important memories can be stored in a graph, unlocking unique interactions around the Rue Valley Motel and new mindsets to help build out the main character.
- Uncover the Secrets of Rue Valley – An anomaly has trapped the area around the Rue Valley Motel in a time loop. Experiment with the main character’s actions each day until you have enough evidence to solve the mystery.
- 2D Parallax Art Style – Rue Valley has an instantly recognizable, visually appealing comic book aesthetic inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Disco Elysium.
