Psychedelic occult-themed JRPG Exit Veil now seeking crowdfunding on Kickstarter

Written by. Nick Mosier based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-07-12 19:00 JST)

The indie game studio Cherrymochi has officially announced Exit Veil, a dark and psychedelic JRPG. Coinciding with the announcement is the launch of a Kickstarter campaign for the game. Exit Veil is planned to release on PC with console versions being made if the crowdfunding campaign reaches the appropriate stretch goals. The game is scheduled to release in October of 2024.

Exit Veil is an occult-themed JRPG with 3D exploration, a healing-focused turn-based combat system, and tarot cards all brought together. The protagonist is a young woman named Tori who is lost in a decaying world cut off from our own. In order to return home, she will need to suppress the source of this world’s destruction by healing its various realms.

Players will explore this dark world as Tori from a third-person perspective. The realms of the Archetypes, Egregores, Servitors, Daemons, Angels, and The Machine-Elves are filled with esoteric and occult inspirations and set the backdrop for Tori’s journey.

To survive in this world, Tori must rely on a headpiece called “The Veil.” Exit Veil has a turn-based combat system, but rather than overpowering opponents with strength, there’s more of a focus on healing. The Veil has 6 shield systems that all need to remain active to prevent Tori from being exposed. If these systems fail, Tori will be defenseless and devoured by those that dwell in this strange world.

Battles make use of a tarot card deck. Cards have various abilities and players will use them to line up actions needed to survive enemy attacks. The game’s battle system boasts requiring both strategic planning and quick thinking. Furthermore, tarot cards are crafted from the emotions of enemies you meet along the way and seem to have uses outside of battle as well.

The team behind Exit Veil is Cherrymochi, an indie studio operated by a couple based in Tokyo, Japan. Their debut game Tokyo Dark was well received, and Exit Veil looks to follow in those footsteps. The team says the game takes inspirations from titles like Bloodborne, Final Fantasy, and Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem.

According to Cherrymochi’s Jon Williams, the game was designed first and foremost with its fresh tarot card battle system and interactive story in mind. They also say the occult elements aren’t just cosmetic and that the game is a step into a grand adventure in another world.

Exit Veil is currently in development for PC. The Kickstarter campaign will run from July 12 until August 11, and backers at the 3,200-yen (roughly $25) tier will receive a copy of the game if the project reaches its 6.85-million-yen (roughly $50,000) goal. The game is scheduled to release in October of 2024, and the campaign has a stretch goal for the development of a console version.

There’s also a backer reward for physical replicas of the tarot cards that appear in the game. This item is set at 6,750 yen (roughly $50) and is scheduled to ship in October of this year. It sounds like the physical cards also contain hints regarding secrets in the game. Be sure to check out the Kickstarter campaign for more information.