Splashteam, the developer behind the acclaimed Pikmin-inspired platformer Tinykin, has revealed its next project: Acornia: Mirror Worlds. Shown in a hands-on preview, the game retains the distinctive visual style of Tinykin, placing expressive 2D characters within a detailed 3D environment. This new title also continues the "little person, big world" theme, set within a snowglobe in a bedroom.
The game's protagonist is a squirrel named Alva, tasked with protecting her treetop home from a encroaching corruption. Acornia: Mirror Worlds incorporates gameplay mechanics reminiscent of Kirby and twin-stick shooters. Alva possesses the ability to inhale various objects, from food items like fruits to building materials such as stones and wood, and then expel them as projectiles. She can store multiple items simultaneously, allowing for rapid-fire attacks aimed with analog sticks. Even enemies can be absorbed and launched back at their own kind for a bit of friendly fire.
Each projectile, regardless of whether it's food, materials, or larger objects, inflicts varying damage. Players can switch between different inhaled items much like selecting ammunition in a shooter, offering strategic options for dealing with threats.
Exploring the Duramen
A central mechanic in Acornia: Mirror Worlds involves Alva exploring an alternate, darker dimension called the Duramen, accessible via a magical mirror orb. The Duramen mirrors Alva's normal world but features distinct environmental differences. This dimensional shifting can be used to overcome obstacles in the primary world; for instance, Alva can enter the Duramen to access and destroy the literal roots of a large tree blocking a path in the normal world, clearing the obstruction.
The Duramen also serves as the location for dungeons, where players will confront bosses and gather valuable resources. These resources are integral to the game's other core systems: shopkeeping and town-building.
Building a Community and a Shop
Players can develop Alva's multi-story treehouse to attract new citizens and unlock additional shops. Alva herself operates a store, and the gameplay loop offers similarities to titles like Moonlighter, blending dungeon crawling with cozy shop management. Alva's store can be customized with crafted furniture made from materials collected during exploration. Success in running the shop hinges on selling merchandise that appeals to specific customers, such as moles who favor cherries or sentient logs that eagerly purchase pistachios.
While Acornia: Mirror Worlds represents a departure from Splashteam's previous work, it carries over the charm and humor evident in Tinykin. The preview suggests a deep and varied gameplay loop that the developers are still exploring. Following their success with Tinykin, Splashteam aims to replicate that achievement with this ambitious multi-genre follow-up, slated for release in 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and potentially the Switch 2.