A hand-drawn 2D platformer called The Eternal Life of Goldman has been compared by many fans to Cuphead and Hollow Knight, with some even saying its visual quality matches that of a Studio Ghibli animation. The Eternal Life of Goldman is being developed by Weappy Studio, an indie team known for going the extra mile to make sure its visuals look stunning, and that dedication is evident in its upcoming 2D platformer.
Weappy’s previous game was Hollywood Animal, a strategic city builder centered around film production. For that game, the team created 4,500 handcrafted posters and manually adjusted all 2D buildings to give them a sense of perspective. Now, with The Eternal Life of Goldman, the team seems poised to raise the bar even further and deliver visuals that are almost unmatched among indie games on Steam.
The Eternal Life of Goldman Has Cuphead-Level Attention to Details
Check Out The Eternal Life of Goldman’s Official Website
Cuphead has been praised by both gamers and critics for its meticulous level design and world-building. Players loved its handcrafted missions and intentional details, which helped make it one of the best and most original indie games ever in the eyes of many. Now, The Eternal Life of Goldman is receiving praise for similar reasons, despite the game not being released yet. Weappy Studio’s 2D platformer already has an 88% positive rating on its free Steam demo, with many players talking about its admirable attention to detail.
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The Eternal Life of Goldman Gameplay Details
- 2D platformer
- Customizable cane that serves as the player’s weapon and platforming tool
- Hand-drawn visuals and map design
- Metroidvania elements that encourage exploration
- Classic frame-by-frame animation
- Multi-layered narrative
- Boss fights
Describing the intention and goal behind The Eternal Life of Goldman, Weappy Studio said, “We wanted to make an uncompromising 2D game of amazing beauty, so we went back to the genre’s roots and took the most difficult path possible, meticulously drawn, colored, and animated by hand using classic frame-by-frame techniques.”
A Hand-Drawn Universe That Draws Comparisons to Hollow Knight
The Eternal Life of Goldman is not a traditional Metroidvania and leans more toward the 2D platformer genre. However, its character designs and some of its fairy tale-inspired environments have drawn comparisons to the Hollow Knight franchise, another hugely successful handcrafted indie game. Its NPCs, in particular, seem to share the same cute-yet-unsettling design philosophy that many players love about the Hollow Knight games.
The Eternal Life of Goldman Release Date and Platforms
So far, Weappy Studio has not officially confirmed the exact release date for The Eternal Life of Goldman and has only stated that the game will launch in 2026. That said, an Amazon listing states, “This item will be released on December 31, 2026,” which may have revealed the launch date ahead of time.
As for platforms, The Eternal Life of Goldman is expected to launch on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. It already has a 90-minute demo on most of these platforms, and one piece of good news for Xbox players is that The Eternal Life of Goldman will join Game Pass as a day-one title in 2026.
- Developer(s)
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Weappy Studio
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
- Number of Players
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Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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Unknown