Home of the Yokai: Everything We Know

What is Home of the Yokai?

Home of the Yokai is an Eastern fantasy RPG that hopes to immerse players within its world of mysticism and charm. The game follows players as they are cast in the role of Yokai keepers. Along their journey, they will meet various Yokai with an assortment of personalities and abilities. Naturally, players will build a bond with these characters over time, allowing them to make a home for themselves & their companions. In closing, Home of the Yokai is a creature collector title inspired by the classics. With its bold sense of style, as well as its comfy and calming nature, this title is definitely one to keep your eyes on.

Story

In Home of the Yokai, players are whisked away into the Land of the Ancients. Humans and Yokai have become close allies due to the worship of the Divine Jade Tree. Players will play as a Yokai keeper. You wander the lands capturing Yokai, and work to expand your village. In doing so, players will find a corruption has spread throughout the Yokai, and it is up to the player to learn how to stop it.. There are thirteen Yokai keeper schools, and five Demon Lords for players to defeat. While the story has a layer of depth for players to discover, it is within the gameplay that Home of the Yokai truly seeks to shine.

Gameplay

For players who are fans of tons of content to consume, there are well over three hundred Yokai to collect. Each of the Yokai also inhabit distinct environments that players will have to explore in order to discover powerful new allies. Each of the Yokai is also equipped with its own character traits and quirks and also have the capacity to evolve.

Along the way, players will have to utilize the power of their Yokai Scroll in order to catalog the various Yokai they find. To seek these Yokai out, players will travel through various biomes and terrains. These terrains and environments include wheat fields, snow-covered plains, and eerie valleys. Each of these landscapes not only has its own unique aesthetic charm but also unique soundtracks to perfectly accompany your journey.

Yokai can also be utilized in a more practical manner. This sees the player being able to control these Yokai and have them accomplish various tasks. The player can interact with these creatures in a way that feels meaningful to them as well. In addition to this, certain Yokai will be more well-suited for different tasks than others. The Yokai can aid in tasks such as mining, cooking, as well as gardening, and crafting. This gives them a great sense of utility throughout your journey.

By using these Yokai, the player is able to expand their village to create their vision of home.  In addition to this, you will need to master Charms. These Charms allow the player to access special abilities that can heal and enhance Yokai. Some Charms can even be cast outside of battle as well as help the player capture Yokai.

Players can find themselves fishing, challenging Yokai keepers in tense battles. All the while exploring a beautifully vast open world.

Development

Home of the Yokai was developed by RAYKA STUDIO, the developers behind the brilliant strategy title, Prime of Flames. In that game, players can enjoy the sprawling stories of hundreds of characters. All of which is done in the service of a fantastically handled grand narrative. Naturally, it is hoped that with Home of the Yokai, the same level of dedication and attention to detail will be on full display.

It would also appear that the same level of strategy that went into that game's combat, will also be carried over here. This can also be seen reflected in the Charms system within Home of the Yokai. Players will have to find the applicable Charm and utilize it appropriately. All around, the level of strategy present in RAYKA STUDIO‘s previous title seems to be carried over into this bold new venture.

Trailer

The trailer for Home of the Yokai is many ways, a visual treat. The sprites dance around the game in a 2.5D space. This allows the game to have a nostalgic charm to its presentation. In addition to this, the game's color palette is vibrant, featuring shimmering yellows and deep oranges. This, when coupled with the calming and mystic blues, makes for a game that is a feast for the eyes to say the least.

A bit into the trailer, players can see their Yokai hard at work. Being able to work alongside your Yokai appears to be a core element of the game. It undoubtedly hopes to make an impression on the player. The mystical feel of the game is also aided by its beautiful art style and direction. The game features almost a paper-mache style that makes it stand out wonderfully.

Character models bend and contort to give them more of a sense of presence, to great effect. In addition to this, the core design of these characters is phenomenal in their own right. We also see an example of the game's strategic gameplay. This gives us but a small taste of the fantastic strategy gameplay the game employs. To close, the trailer for Home of the Yokai is incredibly promising, making it an incredibly promising title, to say the least.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

As far as a release date, the game has been announced to be released into Early Access on July 10th, 2024. In addition to this, the game's 1.0 version will be released the following year 2025. In terms of the platforms that this title will be on. The developers have been open to the idea of different platforms, but these ports will have to wait. This is due to the fact that there are currently no plans to bring the game to other platforms.

So, what are your thoughts on Home of the Yokai: Everything We Know? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.