A '90s-inspired action RPG made by one person has been funded on Kickstarter in less than 7 hours

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Natsu Kaze)

The Fox in Maple Forest on a path surrounded by trees

Maple Forest is the newest addition to the trend of games that let you play as a heroic fox, and while it’s not released yet it’s had a very positive reception already. After beingshared to Kickstarteron September 30, Maple Forest reached its funding goal of $36,000 in seven hours and has continued to raise an additional $26,000 in the meantime. I can see why: The game looks utterly adorable and everyone loves a fox protagonist after the success of Tunic. Plus, with a plushie of the cutesy protagonist up for grabs, no one in their right mind would miss out on that opportunity.

The action RPG drops you on an island, Maple Island to be specific, that has begun to sink for unknown reasons. As you can probably tell, it’s your responsibility to uncover why. Why as a fox we don’t know, but I imagine it’s one of several quirks Maple Forest is planning on offering us. The elder of the island shares that the spirit atop the mountain is the only one who can help, but you’ll need to navigate the treacherous trek through a shrine that has been sealed for years. It’s the perfect formula for an action RPG, albeit a bit basic in terms of storyline.

Even though the project was entirely funded in seven hours, numerous stretch goals are still available to reach. These directly impact the content of the game, such as upgrades to the Fox’s house and unlocking the old hero’s bestiary. One of the most significant stretch goals is the ability to set sail from the mainland of Maple Forest and travel to the surrounding islands where the adventure continues, but there’s a hefty $75,000 paywall before we get there. Given how much work this stretch goal is bound to result in, I can’t blame the price tag. However, if Maple Forest keeps gaining more backers at the speed it’s currently going at, the sky will be the limit in no time.

The only downside is that Maple Forest doesn’t have a release date yet, and we’ve only been given a window of Summer 2025. I want to jump into the paws of ‘The Fox’ and check the game out as much as the next person, but it seems that there will be quite a wait before we can do so. With that being said, Bergeron also confirmed on Kickstarter that the main engine of the game is complete, alongside a huge portion of the artwork, so hopefully, its release is toward the start of summer rather than the end.

Backers of the project can expect quarterly updates on development, alongside beta demos in the future. So if you’re particularly curious about the world of Maple Forest this is probably your best bet in getting to exploring little fragments as they come together before they unravel a single adventure. The Kickstarter will close on October 29, so there’s plenty of time left to invest in what looks like a very sweet little adventure.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

More about rpgElden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anything20 hours in, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a mad, systems-driven sandbox that captures some of the best parts of games like Stalker

More about rpg

Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anything20 hours in, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a mad, systems-driven sandbox that captures some of the best parts of games like Stalker

Nightreign knight holds his fist in menacing fashion

Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anything

Henry chokes out a farmer while wearing absurd spectacles.

20 hours in, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a mad, systems-driven sandbox that captures some of the best parts of games like Stalker

Latest

Double headed wizard man holding arms up looking sad

See more latest►

Most PopularFinal Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their altsTikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ itMSI intros cheaper ‘back connect’ Project Zero Intel motherboards for super-clean PC builds you might actually be able to affordThermaltake’s new 2000 W PSU is too powerful to be sold in the USA and comes with four PCIe 5.0 GPU power connectorsAMD accuses Intel’s Arrow Lake of being a ‘horrible’ product and implies a lack of options for consumers has caused the Ryzen 7 9800X3D shortageThis Jinx-inspired gaming PC is my favorite of CES 2025 and I’m head over heels for the hardwareHarrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us RemakeTencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklistAll Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codesAsus reveals three new Slash Travel Bags for carting around your ROG Ally—however, none of them are particularly fashion forwardToday’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10

Most Popular

Final Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their alts

TikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ it

MSI intros cheaper ‘back connect’ Project Zero Intel motherboards for super-clean PC builds you might actually be able to afford

Thermaltake’s new 2000 W PSU is too powerful to be sold in the USA and comes with four PCIe 5.0 GPU power connectors

AMD accuses Intel’s Arrow Lake of being a ‘horrible’ product and implies a lack of options for consumers has caused the Ryzen 7 9800X3D shortage

This Jinx-inspired gaming PC is my favorite of CES 2025 and I’m head over heels for the hardware

Harrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us Remake

Tencent says it’s not a Chinese military company and is willing to sue the US Department of Defense if it isn’t removed from a blacklist

All Zenless Zone Zero 1.5 livestream codes

Asus reveals three new Slash Travel Bags for carting around your ROG Ally—however, none of them are particularly fashion forward

Today’s Wordle answer for Friday, January 10

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals