If youâve ever been teased, it can seem like the human beings making your life miserable are monsters. The developers behind an in-development anti-harassment game are getting literal with that feeling, turning the bullies in Sumoboy into actual demons.
As the name Sumoboy suggests, lead character Oji isnât a buff, grizzled space war veteran. Heâs a chubby orphan tormented by jerky peers who finds out his parents are a spirit princess and a bulky martial arts warrior. The developers are calling Sumoboy the âfirst anti-bullying inspired video gameâ on Kickstarter and the proposed missions give a taste of the emotional bent of the design ideas:
Travel with Oji through each elemental realm and set things right. Convince an enormous tree to let go of his greed and calm the tormented soul of a monstrous catfish. Break the cycle of bullying among sky-dwelling dragons while helping a nymph find her voice. Will Oji defeat the ultimate bully and heal the emotional and physical damage done to Seishin? Can he help the poor spirits to discover their inner courage, and can Oji summon his own courage and unleash his potential as heir to the elements? Help Oji on his journey to find his strength and stand up for good!
Sumoboy looks like itâll have a lot of heart and a fetching art style that channels a hand-painted storybook aesthetic. The gameâs crowdfunding campaignâwhich aims to put Sumoboy on PCs first with consoles to possibly followâ launched today. You can lend your support right here
