The Fable spiritual successor Kynseed has finally got a release date after years spent in Early Access. It will launch on December 6th on PC (via Steam).
The game, which is being worked on by ex-Fable devs Neil Whitehead and Charlie Edwards, follows a multi-generational story, with players planting a mystical acorn at the start of the game and subsequently raising it into a family tree where your choices form the branches.
For Fable players, this will inevitably call to mind the controversial "Acorngate" incident from that game's development, where Lionhead's head of studio Peter Molyneux promised players would be able to plant an acorn and watch it grow over time. This was a feature that he believed possible due to the existence of the mechanic in the earlier Wishworld project but it never materialized in-game.
Now, though, PixelCount Studios (Whitehead and Edwards' game studio) has built the entire game around the system, offering a potential salve for those who still hold a grudge.
As well as acorn-growing, other features you'll find in the game include the ability to forage, farm, and craft; run businesses; and explore a magical land where you can develop relationships with its NPCs. You can watch the release date trailer below:
PixelCount co-founder Neal Whitehead issued this statement along with the announcement,
"Kynseed is the game we’ve always dreamed of making. When Charlie and I first met we were united by our shared passion for the kind of quirky, unique, and very British adventures we were able to develop together with the team at Lionhead, and we're certain we're not alone.
"Over the last few years working on Kynseed we’ve seen our Early Access community grow to more 100,000 players. We're looking forward to opening the land of Quill to even more players, and we can promise launch day won't be the end of this tale..."
If you want to check out the game, you can currently get it on Steam Early Access for £19.99/$24.99/€24.99. This will then update to the complete version of the game on December 6th.