A new game titled Stories of Somnia on Steam blends Paper Mario-style turn-based combat with the exploration and ability-based progression of Super Metroid. Stories of Somnia is an upcoming indie JRPG on Steam that puts exploration, puzzles, companion collecting, and a hand-drawn storybook world at the center of the experience.
Developed by Lydian Games and published by Monster Theater, Stories of Somnia is a solo project that has spent almost two years in development. During that time, the game has gone through multiple playtests and revisions based on player feedback, but its newly released demo marks the first time it has been broadly available to the public. The full game doesn’t have a release date just yet, giving players an opportunity to get an early look at one of the more distinctive upcoming Steam games while development continues.
Stories of Somnia Looks Like Paper Mario With Metroidvania Progression
Lydian Games describes Stories of Somnia as a hand-drawn JRPG inspired by games including Paper Mario, Pokemon, and Dark Cloud, but its structure also borrows heavily from Metroidvania design. Battles are turn-based, with timing mechanics that let players influence attacks and defense rather than relying entirely on menu selections and statistics. Outside combat, new abilities gradually open areas of the world that were previously inaccessible. Spells can be used to grapple across gaps, interact with the environment, solve puzzles, and uncover hidden paths. That combination makes the Paper Mario comparison particularly clear during battles, while the ability-gated exploration gives the Steam RPG some of the progression associated with games like Super Metroid and various Metroidvanias.
Exploration appears to be especially important to Stories of Somnia. Rather than simply using environments to connect combat encounters and story scenes, the game encourages players to search for hidden areas, characters, loot, and other discoveries, leaving no stone unturned. Three major regions have been revealed so far, including the peaceful Duskwisp Forest, the snowy mountains surrounding Mirror Lake, and the “scorching depths” of Moonpetal Hollow. “Arts” serve as the game’s spells and can have uses both during combat and in the environment, potentially giving players reasons to revisit earlier locations after gaining new abilities. That exploration-first structure could help Stories of Somnia distinguish itself from JRPGs built around more linear progression.
The game also introduces collectible creatures called Dreamkin, drawing upon its Pokemon inspirations. These creatures accompany protagonist Lumia during her journey and can fight alongside her, while players can support them using different items and abilities. Lumia’s story begins aboard the Lullaby Express before she sets out to uncover her connection to Somnia and confront the Gloam, a corrupting fog that can erase memories and turn allies against one another. Steam describes the wider story as touching on themes including grief, memory, time, and the courage to rest, giving the colorful indie RPG a potentially heavier narrative beneath its storybook presentation.
Anyone curious about this intriguing mix of genre influences can try Lydian’s upcoming RPG now without waiting for the finished game. A free Stories of Somnia demo is currently available on Steam, and the developer is seeking feedback on combat, exploration, and the overall feel of the experience. The Steam page currently lists support for Windows, macOS, and Linux, though the full game still has no announced release date. There is still plenty left to learn before launch, but its combination of timing-based JRPG battles, creature collecting, and Metroidvania-style exploration gives Steam players a unique genre mashup they can already sample for themselves.