The creature-collecting genre has no shortage of games inspired by Pokemon, but a new upcoming Steam release for the genre looks like it is throwing a few more influences into the mix. The upcoming RPG combines retro visuals, monster taming, turn-based battles, and a darker story about two siblings caught between the world of the living and the Underworld. There are also some clear Yu-Gi-Oh and Persona elements here (especially when the “Shadow Duels” and a mysterious afterlife enter the picture).
Yami Kids stars twins Yuki and Yuumi Yami, two young adults who find themselves in the Underworld after being killed in an act of violence. The story follows their attempts to survive while uncovering the mystery behind their family’s killers, with themes of rebirth and revenge playing a major role in the story. In other words, it’s not a happy-go-lucky game like Pokemon, instead giving a more mature take on the genre. Yuki is the protective older brother (by roughly five minutes), while Yuumi has a strange fascination with fire and creepy things.
Pokemon x Yu-Gi-Oh x Persona 4 Hybrid Yami Kids Hits Steam on September 22
Yami Kids now has a September 22 release date, so fans now know when the monster-taming RPG will launch on Steam. Developer Yanako RPGs and GameDevTosh have been positioning the game as a darker take on the creature-collector formula, and players will not have to wait much longer to see how its combination of Oni collecting, turn-based battles, and Underworld exploration comes together. If the murder mystery doesn’t evoke Persona 4, then the exploration of the afterlife and “underworld” certainly should carry general Persona vibes for players at least.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
At the center of Yami Kids are more than 80 Oni that players can summon, collect, contract, and train. These creatures can then be used in traditional turn-based battles, giving the game a familiar foundation for anyone who has spent time with monster-catching RPGs and Pokemon-like games. The retro presentation is paired with modern quality-of-life features, so the “retro” vibe is more an aesthetic choice than an expectation setter for gameplay.
Yami Kids introduces Shadow Duels at nighttime, obviously evoking Yu-Gi-Oh‘s Shadow Realm. These are nighttime deathmatches against rival Contractors and their Oni teams, with losing carrying a much bigger consequence than simply having a team knocked out. Defeat can pull the twins into the Underworld, where they will have to deal with strange locations, items, and tasks before returning to the world of the living.
That combination of Pokemon-style creature collecting, Yu-Gi-Oh!-inspired monster battles, and the P4-like murder mystery surrounding the Yami Twins gives Yami Kids a pretty unusual identity heading into its September 22 launch. It is also a relatively compact RPG built around a short story, meaning players looking for a massive 100-hour creature-collecting adventure may want to temper expectations. At leat that means it can be easily squeezed into the busy September video game release calendar.
