Usual June, the next in-house project from acclaimed indie developer and publisher Finji, is set to blend narrative exploration with fast-paced combat. The game follows June, a young woman in the fictional Midwestern college town of Fen Harbor, as she navigates a summer break filled with spectral creatures and interdimensional threats. Finji, known for publishing breakout hits such as Tunic, Chicory: A Colorful Tale, and Night in the Woods, is developing Usual June with a unique approach to genre fusion.
Development on Usual June began in 2020-2021, diverging from initial considerations for a fishing game inspired by Animal Crossing. Instead, the team opted for a genre-bending adventure that combines coming-of-age narrative elements with combat inspired by Devil May Cry. The game's setting in Fen Harbor is intended to reflect real-world commentary on the impact of wealth extraction in the Midwest, as described by Finji co-founder and game director Adam Saltsman. The narrative explores the theme of outside forces influencing the trajectory of a community.
Players experience the story through June's perspective, beginning around her birthday on June 17. Early gameplay involves June and her friends exploring a local cemetery, leading them to discover an astral plane with the potential to erase their town. A 25-minute hands-on demo offered a glimpse into this early gameplay, which includes dialogue sequences and combat encounters. The game's dialogue is designed to emulate natural conversations among young adults, with narrative consultation from Cara Ellison, who has worked on titles like God of War Ragnarök.
A distinctive feature of Usual June is its approach to character voices. While the game employs voice actors, dialogue is rendered as a unique, stylized vocalization rather than traditional spoken language. This effect was achieved by transforming recordings from Detroit-based actors using a custom-built Vocaloid system, a process that audio designer Adam Hays reportedly spent three years developing.
Combat in Usual June is initiated through a visible green screen barrier, allowing players to prepare for upcoming encounters and assess enemy types. The game aims for a "low skill floor and high skill ceiling," offering fluid combat that emphasizes dodging over parrying. June's dodge ability fills a super meter when timed correctly, enabling more powerful attacks. The game also features a stylized frame rate effect reminiscent of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Health is restored after fights, encouraging an aggressive playstyle. Despite the focus on combat, Finji emphasizes that Usual June deliberately paces its action, interspersing battles with extensive dialogue sequences to foster engagement with the characters and their relationships. This balance between narrative and action is a core design tenet, intended to make the player as invested in the characters' discoveries as they are in overcoming challenges.
Usual June is slated for release on October 28 for Windows PC.