Piccolo Studio, the Barcelona-based developer behind "Arise: A Simple Story" and "After Us," is venturing into more lighthearted territory with its upcoming co-op title, "Age Twisters." The game centers on a grandfather and granddaughter who receive a mysterious message from a long-lost mother and daughter. This message comes with a pair of bracelets that grant the wearers the titular ability to shift through different stages of their lives – child, teenager, adult, and elder – each offering unique abilities to solve puzzles.
Developed with a goal to foster connection between generations, "Age Twisters" seeks to counteract common stereotypes that depict older generations as 'grumpy and greedy' and younger ones as 'lazy snowflakes.' Piccolo Studio co-founders Jordi Ministral and Alexis Corominas explained that the game conveys this message not through explicit statements, but through its core mechanics and narrative. The duo noted that societal pressures, such as young adults living with parents for extended periods, highlight the relevance of intergenerational interaction, and "Age Twisters" aims to provide a positive shared experience.
During a preview at Gamescom, the game's vibrant art style was immediately apparent, with vivid greens and blues complementing its upbeat tone. The demo showcased a factory environment where protagonists, in their child forms, could swap places with chickens, a mechanic that proved central to puzzle progression. This deliberate simplicity is intended to ensure the game's accessibility for a wide audience. The interaction between characters also shifts based on their current age, with children making jokes and adults offering wisdom, and even the ability to change ages mid-conversation adds another layer to the dialogue.
"Age Twisters" deviates from traditional failure states. Instead of direct death and respawning, environmental hazards and enemy projectiles can age or de-age characters. Becoming a baby renders a player helpless and requires revival by their co-op partner, while aging beyond an elder stage transforms a character into a skeleton, resulting in a more permanent consequence unless reversed by the partner. This system contributes to the game's pervasive slapstick humor, with enemies often depicted as bumbling figures.
The game is set to be released on PC via Steam. Publisher Krafton is backing the project, which continues Piccolo Studio's commitment to narrative-driven experiences, albeit with a more cheerful outlook than their previous titles.