Scrabdackle is an upcoming action-adventure game created by jakefriend. Its development was the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign
, since which it has undergone steady progress. The game is currently slated for a PC release in 2023, with additional console ports planned.
The player takes control of a young wizard named Blue, who has found themself plopped into the eponymous land of Scrabdackle after an encounter with a mysterious foe. Inspired by classics such as The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, the game promises an open-ended adventure, challenging boss fights and a strange, danger-filled world to explore.
The game's demo is currently available on Steam and on itch.io. Its trailer can be found here.
Scrabdackle includes examples of:
- Bird People: The Ducks inhabit the Ducklands, and they aren't afraid to smash the heads of any trespassers.
- Broken Bridge: The bridge between the Junk Heaps and the Wizard Academy has long fallen into disrepair, forcing Blue to find another way back home.
- Critical Annoyance: When Blue runs out of healing vials, a continuous beeping sound will warn the player that they'll die in one more hit.
- Destination Defenestration: Blue ends up beginning their adventure after being sent flying out of a window in the Wizard Academy. Thankfully, they get a cushioned fall...
- Down in the Dumps: The game begins in a trash-filled junkyard, with piles of garbage blocking Blue's path.
- Equipment-Based Progression: The player's progress is tracked based on which spells they've learned, and which equipment they've found. For example, you can't safely enter the Rubble Ruins until you've bought the Dashing Boots.
- Fantastic Racism: Many Peanuts don't seem to trust Wizards, and make plenty of snide comments towards Blue as they explore Peanut Village.
- Geometric Magic: Geometric shapes play an important role in Scrabdackle's magic system, taking the form of many-shaped magic bits and squiggly energy spells. The save points scattered around Scrabdackle also come in the form of geometric ritual circles.
- Gotta Catch Them All: A number of collectible stickers can be found scattered around the world, each of them with a unique appearance.
- Insurmountable Waist-High Fence: Blue is incapable of climbing anything steeper than a slope, including low boulders and piles of trash. They also can't wade across any standing bodies of water, no matter how thin the gap may be between both shores.
- Jerkass:
- Little Lord, the first miniboss the player meets in the game. They've blocked off the entrance to Peanut Village, refusing to let any Peanuts through, and have vandalized the area with such insults as "stupid" and "dumb". The gate guard won't let you into town until you've defeated them.
- The Peanut Village gate guard. They refuse to let you into the village until you've defeated Little Lord, even though the latter is sleeping... and then once you do, you find the guard in the town square, Stealing the Credit for the fight!
- Life Meter: Blue’s health is denoted by several pink vials of Healing Potion, which drain one by one as they’re hit by enemy attacks.
- Magitek: Magical pylons, turrets and artillery constructs are scattered around the Rubble Ruins, having been constructed by a mysterious wizard...
- Mana Meter: Comes in the form of a "magic condenser", a Magic Tool that collects magic from the surrounding atmosphere. Blue can't cast spells while it's empty, but thankfully it quickly regenerates on its own.
- Ominous Fog: Mysterious, purple fog borders most rooms in the Rubble Ruins.
- Rascally Raccoon: Trash Bandits are large, fast raccoon-people who apparently steal things, including Magic Bits. Blue gets the option to raid one of their hideouts in exchange for a golden star.
- Shoehorned Acronym: The Scrabdackle Exploration sociEty, or S.E.E.
Blue: Wouldn't that be S.E.S.?
Guildsman: Well, if you only focus on the wrong letters, sure. Language is *also* an adventure.
- Sssssnake Talk: Hist, a mysterious snake-merchant, talks like this. They become offended if you point it out.
- Taken for Granite: Blue's friend, Viridian, is turned to stone by the Dark Wizard in the opening cutscene.
- Totem Pole Trench: A collection of dust motes huddled beneath a trench coat can be found near the bridge to the Wizard Academy. They seem to be trying to masquerade as a wizard, and are doing so poorly.
- Trash Landing: Blue gets one at the beginning of the game, surviving their fall out of the Wizard Academy due to landing in a pile of trash in the Junk Heaps.
- Trespassing Hero: You can enter some of the homes in Peanut Village uninvited. Some occupants will ask you to leave (please).
- Wizarding School: The Wizarding Academy is where Wizards live and study magic. It's isolated from much of the surrounding lands, making their inhabitants (including Blue) pretty clueless about their surroundings.
