Maple Forest is the newest addition to the trend of games that let you play as a heroic fox, and while it's not released yet it's had a very positive reception already. After being shared to Kickstarter on September 30, Maple Forest reached its funding goal of $36,000 in seven hours and has continued to raise an additional $26,000 in the meantime. I can see why: The game looks utterly adorable and everyone loves a fox protagonist after the success of Tunic. Plus, with a plushie of the cutesy protagonist up for grabs, no one in their right mind would miss out on that opportunity.
The action RPG drops you on an island, Maple Island to be specific, that has begun to sink for unknown reasons. As you can probably tell, it's your responsibility to uncover why. Why as a fox we don't know, but I imagine it's one of several quirks Maple Forest is planning on offering us. The elder of the island shares that the spirit atop the mountain is the only one who can help, but you'll need to navigate the treacherous trek through a shrine that has been sealed for years. It's the perfect formula for an action RPG, albeit a bit basic in terms of storyline.
But what makes Maple Forest impressive, especially in an already-oversaturated market of action RPGs, is the fact it has been entirely created by a single person. As shared on the Kickstarter page, the team consists of a single developer, James Bergeron, who has created every aspect, including the music, from nothing. In the Kickstarter description, Bergeron states that this means "every single pixel, note, and bit of Maple Forest is 100% me" which is a prime display of the amount of passion and effort that has gone into creating the game.
Even though the project was entirely funded in seven hours, numerous stretch goals are still available to reach. These directly impact the content of the game, such as upgrades to the Fox's house and unlocking the old hero's bestiary. One of the most significant stretch goals is the ability to set sail from the mainland of Maple Forest and travel to the surrounding islands where the adventure continues, but there's a hefty $75,000 paywall before we get there. Given how much work this stretch goal is bound to result in, I can't blame the price tag. However, if Maple Forest keeps gaining more backers at the speed it's currently going at, the sky will be the limit in no time.
The only downside is that Maple Forest doesn't have a release date yet, and we've only been given a window of Summer 2025. I want to jump into the paws of 'The Fox' and check the game out as much as the next person, but it seems that there will be quite a wait before we can do so. With that being said, Bergeron also confirmed on Kickstarter that the main engine of the game is complete, alongside a huge portion of the artwork, so hopefully, its release is toward the start of summer rather than the end.
Backers of the project can expect quarterly updates on development, alongside beta demos in the future. So if you're particularly curious about the world of Maple Forest this is probably your best bet in getting to exploring little fragments as they come together before they unravel a single adventure. The Kickstarter will close on October 29, so there's plenty of time left to invest in what looks like a very sweet little adventure.
