Critical Games’ Josh Hallaran Talks Infinite Alliance – Interview Series

Critical Games, an independent studio known for 8-Bit Adventures and Tales Across Time, has teased its plans to bring thirteen classic JRPG-style heroes together for a brand new turn-based RPG called Infinite Alliance—a “completely free story-rich crossover event” that will reportedly launch on both consoles and PC at some stage in 2026.

“Pulled from their homes and stranded on a dead world, a disparate group of champions must face their past, redeem a failed hero, and slay a dark force which threatens all creation…” the game’s description reads in part.

According to Critical Games, the upcoming RPG will feature characters from the likes of Chained Echoes, Quartet, Jack Move, 8-Bit Adventures 2, Beloved Rapture, and “many more!”

We here at Gaming.net were able to speak with Critical Games’ Josh Hallaran earlier this week to discuss the details of the project, as well as the plans for any potential post-launch content.

Bringing thirteen heroes from across a wide spectrum of JRPG-like series is an ambitious move, and one that we’re excited to see come to fruition. We’re curious — what inspired Critical Games to formulate this crossover event?

Josh: Part of it was a desire to shine a spotlight on some awesome games I knew weren’t getting enough attention. I’d thought about trying to do crossover content between my game and one or two others, but it never seemed like that would have much impact.

In 2023, I was getting into old Marvel comics, and I read the original 1984 Secret Wars – practically the first big comic crossover event. The copy I had also contained interviews, and it described how Secret Wars really propelled Marvel to success after they’d been in decline for some time – as well as introduced a wider audience to more Marvel characters.

So that got me thinking: what if we indie developers took characters from our different games, and put them into a free, story-driven experience for new players to discover?

On a side note, will Infinite Alliance educate newcomers on the histories of these independent JRPGs, or will it be more of a self-contained adventure?

Josh: While every developer involved has their own audience and fan-base, most of us are pretty small. So it was really important that Infinite Alliance serve as an introduction to our cast of characters, since many players will be encountering them for the first time.

The goal is that players will take an interest in the characters which appeal to them, and check out their original games after finishing Infinite Alliance. But IA itself is largely self-contained and tells a complete story.

Let’s jump into the details of the plot, as well as the characters’ involvement in it. We won’t ask you for any spoilers, don’t worry! That said, would you mind telling us more about this dead world and how these “familiar friends, foes, and environments re-imagined” will play a role in its development?

Josh: Sure! Before our heroes arrive on the world of Almus, it suffers a terrible fate. It is stripped bare of life by a dark force, leaving only one man alive – a hero, who failed to save his world, and has now become a vessel for the monster which defeated him.

To get home, our party will need to find a way to redeem this broken hero. But because this new world lies in ruins, the characters must create a way forward themselves – by telling each other stories of their homes and past adventures. These stories literally reshape the environment, allowing the player to progress their adventures and explore the memories of our protagonists.

Since JRPGs are a genre focused on storytelling, I wanted to incorporate this concept into the plot for this crossover – although more on that later. The dead world of Almus had its own culture and technology, which players will get to explore, but this is mixed in with crossover environments which pull from the various games involved. As for familiar friends, though, please stay tuned for more info!

Looking ahead, do you think Infinite Alliance could poach a few more heroes from alternate JRPGs? A DLC, perhaps? Or is it still a little too early to say?

Josh: Absolutely! In fact, we still have more announcements to make before the game is released on this front. It is very much a balancing act though; because Infinite Alliance is free, our budget is very limited. And if you put in too many characters haphazardly, then the game can lose focus and start to feel like a mess. But more heroes are coming!

Please could you tell us more about the turn-based combat and how the nine-player system works?

Josh: If any of your readers have played Final Fantasy X, that’s probably the best comparison. Turns are taken individually, and the order of turns is shown to the player. Three characters can be in battle simultaneously, but the player can swap characters in and out at any time during combat, with no penalty.

Each character has mechanics and abilities that are totally unique to them (including some more unusual mechanics I look forward to revealing), inspired by their original games. And when everyone’s bars are filled up, they can unleash a powerful team-up attack ala Chrono Trigger’s Triple Techs.

With over a dozen interwoven worlds to work with here, it seems only right that we ask that all-important question: What do we need to know before jumping into this epic tale? Would it be beneficial for us to know about these JRPGs beforehand?

Josh: Sincerely, you don’t need to know anything before jumping into Infinite Alliance. Obviously playing these games supports us as developers, and will provide extra context (I’m certainly including lots of character/event references for those which know the games). But this game is meant to be an introduction, so I really want to encourage players to give it a go regardless of prior experience.

I know it sounds like a PR line, but I had a similar situation with 8-Bit Adventures 2. A majority of players wanted to jump straight into the higher quality sequel, and wondered if they’d be able to. Luckily, we threaded the needle with that game, and new players were able to pick it up without missing anything. So I’ll be trying to repeat that here!

We understand that Infinite Alliance is currently due to launch on a myriad of platforms in 2026. For the sake of whetting our appetite for it, though, would you mind providing us with a general update on the game’s current state?

Josh: We started pre-production in 2024, and full production in February; in fact, we already have a lot of the assets needed for the game. I’ve planned out the structure and event-by-event flow, written a lot of the dialogue, and in-game systems (like combat) are well on their way to being finished, so everything is coming along great. Next up will be a focus on content creation – mapping, cutscenes, and making each battle work as intended.

Where might we be able to find more information on Infinite Alliance? Are there any useful social channels, newsletters, or event roadmaps that you wouldn’t mind sharing with our readers?

Josh: Thank you for asking! Please follow me @CriticalGamesAU, as well as Electric Airship, on various socials (Bluesky, X, Instagram, Youtube, etc). Also, please wishlist and follow our Steam page, as I’ll be posting updates on there.

Would you like to add any other details or last-minute comments before we close the book on this?

Josh: Thank you to everyone for the incredible response so far! It’s been hard to keep this secret for the past 2 years, and I’m truly excited to show you what else we’ve got in store.

If you’re interested in Infinite Alliance, I encourage everyone to explore the list of games involved in the project, and support the work of so many great creators. Since the project will be free for everyone, we’d sincerely appreciate it!

You’ve been brilliant — thank you, Josh!

You can learn more about Critical Games’ Infinite Alliance by following Josh on X. For even more information and pre-launch updates on the game, be sure to add it to your wishlist on Steam here.