Chilla’s Art, the Japanese indie studio famous for short horror games like The Convenience Store and Shinkansen 0, has announced that its next title, Umigari, will focus on the mysteries of Japan’s deep waters. Armed with an endless supply of harpoons, you will traverse the waters on your trusty boat and hunt for all manner of aquatic creatures.
Umigari presents itself as a rather normal fishing simulator, but it only takes one look at the developer’s track record to realize that the game is probably hiding something much more sinister. As a Japanese fisherman, it is your job to hunt for fish aboard your boat. Caught fish can be sold to fishmongers found on different islands, who will reward you with money that can be used to upgrade your harpoons, boat, and other gear (which they also sell).
Much like Black Salt Games’ indie hit Dredge, Umigari features some weird things from the get-go (the fishmonger in the demo trailer has an eerily fish-like face). Following initial impressions, the game’s description reads that things will only get stranger the more you explore.
As you venture further into the open sea, larger and potentially more dangerous fish will start spawning, and if you’re (un)lucky enough, you may end up encountering some stranger “things” as well, like the two-legged fish featured in the game’s trailer. To offset the added risks, better gear and rewards are supposedly held within the world’s darkest corners. Though it is yet to be seen how uncanny the title will actually get, much like Chilla Art’s other titles, Umigari will likely have several mysteries that may or may not be resolved by the game’s end.
Umigari is currently in development for Windows (Steam). There is no set release date yet, but a playable demo is already available on Steam.
