Elfcat Studio has officially revealed Buru and the Old People, a narrative adventure game about a down-on-his-luck white ibis (aka the humble Bin Chicken) returning to his former life as a thief in the seaside town of Pincher’s Cove for one final score. The Australian studio, which comprises Indigenous peoples in all key creative roles and is predominantly non-male, has released a debut Announcement Trailer for the game as well as launched its official Steam page.
Largely inspired by a Dungeons & Dragons character concocted by studio head and Wiradjuri game-maker, Ben Armstrong, the game casts players as Bururrgan (Buru), whose exploits wind up leading him on an altogether more important path to uncover a hidden truth in the darkness of the mountains. Through a mix of encounters with the town’s offbeat locals, TTRPG-inspired mechanics hinged on dice rolls and parallels to Indigenous stories, Buru and the Old People will tackle themes of culture, ignorance, colonisation, and exploitation in a world inspired by the anthropomorphic characters of Disney’s Zootopia.
Buru and the Old People features art from Naarm-based illustrator Emma Sjaan Beukers, and Kungarakan, Gurindji, Wardaman and Yanyuwa 2D artist Letoya Muraru, who previously worked on Studio Drydock’s cosy 2022 hit, Wylde Flowers. The soundtrack comes from Sydney musician, Alexander Tulett (LORESPINNER).
Take a look at the official Announcement Trailer below:
You can wishlist Buru and the Old People right now on Steam.
Born into the world of video games through SEGA, and in particular Sonic the Hedgehog, Kieron’s gaming tastes now consist of the latest, shiny AAA thing, an indie darling or two, and an embarrassing number of hours of Balatro.