Chibi-Robo! series to get a spiritual successor by its original creators 

Tiny Wonder Studio announced koROBO on July 19. The upcoming title’s development team is made up of former members of Skip, the original developer behind the Chibi-Robo! series. They will be running a crowdfunding campaign to bring the game to PC and modern consoles. 

koROBO is an adventure game set somewhere in the borough of Brocklyn, in New Yock City. On his 10th birthday, the protagonist Tom receives a gift from his estranged father – a small robot. The arrival of koROBO in his life brings about unexpected changes for Tom and his world. 

In koROBO,  you assume the role of the titular robot and move around the house, cleaning up and solving problems. Basically, you get to explore the house sandbox-style. However, koROBO’s battery is limited, and performing tasks drains its power, so you have to bear this in mind. Thankfully, koROBO is solar powered and can be recharged by seeking out sunlight. 

As you help around the house and collect items, koROBO will evolve.While the cute robot can run, jump and glide from the start, it will eventually learn how to fly, swim, and even travel through time and space. This means you can switch between the past and the future. Parts needed for upgrades can be found at home, and exploration will expand the range of activities that koROBO can perform.  

As mentioned, the studio behind koROBO was formed by the original developers of the Chibi-Robo! series, including directors Kenichi Nishi, Hiroshi Moriyama and Keita Eto. In addition, the title’s music director and character designer also have experience working on the series. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that koROBO’s worldbuilding and mechanics fit right into the Chibi-Robo series’ vibe, although it does seem to bring some unique features, such as solar power charging and Back to the Future style time travel. 

Tiny Wonder Studio is seeking crowdfunding support for this title, with the goal of releasing the game on PC and modern consoles. The crowdfunding campaign will be launched on  Kickstarter for English speakers.