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2023 · Action · Adventure

Rusted Moss

Traverse the perilous lands of a dying world in this bullet-hell inspired metroidvania! Strong enemies emerge from distant lands as the iron inventions of men succumb to the decay of rust and time. Use a trusty grappling hook and uncover new powers to battle monstrous machines, powerful witches, and explore a new emerging world.

Released: 11 April 2023
Platforms: Nintendo Switch PlayStation 5 Windows Xbox Series X/S
Genres: Action Adventure Indie Metroidvania Platformer Shooter Twin-stick shooter
Developers: —
Publishers: —
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Side view
Themes: Action Science fiction
Age ratings: ESRB E10+USK 12 ACB PG GRAC 12+CLASS_IND L PEGI 7
Languages: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), English, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Mexico)
Time to beat: 7.5hmain story19hcompletionist

About

Rusted Moss is a 2023 Metroidvania video game. The game has the player control Fern, who wakes up in a world that has become a wasteland of aged machinery and long-forgotten creatures called Fae. Equipped with weaponry, she explores the world, battling the various remaining machinery and Fae she comes across to recover the stolen pieces of an entity known as Titania.

The game involves the player exploring a 2D, maze-like environment, collecting items along the way to further progress. The controls and main form of attacking in the game are controlled by a reticle, which allows the player to fire their weaponry as well as aim a grappling hook to traverse the environment. It was developed by the three-person team, credited as happysquared and sunnydaze from Singapore, and faxdoc from Norway.

›Story

Journey across desolate landscapes drenched in melancholy; witness the remnants of humanity and their rusting iron inventions… Humanity is on the brink of collapse and will soon be invaded by faeries. In a desperate bid to survive, humans have empowered their own witches with stolen fae magic.

But all is not lost, as the humans were deceived - for one of their own is not what she seems. The fae have stolen a human baby, and replaced it with something else…

Raised by unsuspecting human parents, Fern is a changeling whose true loyalties have emerged. Alongside a mysterious shadow named Puck, she sets off on a journey to return fae to the world and end the Age of Men.

Whose side will you choose - human or fae?

Players say

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Rusted Moss has been described as a Metroidvania. Metroidvanias are typically 2D platformer games where a player controls a character who navigates a large maze-like environment. The environment features items and other collectables that allow the player to upgrade their character or grant new abilities to reach new areas of a maze. As the player explores, they have a map that expands in detail as the player explores the maze. While exploring, the player can encounter boss battles as well as unexpected connections between areas on the map that were previously inaccessible.

", specifically by adding 360-degree aiming for combat and traversal. The player controls the reticle, allowing them to fire and charge shots from their various weapons as well as aim a grappling hook. There are six types of weapons in the game, ranging from pistols, shotguns, and rocket launchers that allow for different ranges of attacks. The grappling hook becomes the main mode of traversal to reach new areas.

Story

Rusted Moss is set in a world that once harboured mankind and has become a wasteland of aged machinery. It is invaded by long-forgotten witches called Fae, as well as various rusting machine-based weapons.

In a desperate bid to survive, humans have empowered their own witches with stolen fae magic. One is Fern, who explores the land accompanied by a shadowy figure named Puck. Their goal is to recover the stolen pieces of Titania and end what they describe as the "Age of Men". Throughout Fern's journey, they encounter humans and fae folk, as well as lost shrines and abandoned computer stations that reveal secrets and the long-forgotten history of the world.

Development

Rusted Moss was developed by a core team of three people. was co-developed by the Norwegian designer faxdoc with the help of two creators from the Singaporean studio Happy Bunnies. The two Singaporean creators are sisters named Heather and Megan, who are credited as happysquared and sunnydaze, respectively. Prior to Rusted Moss, faxdoc had created several indie games on itch.io.

happysquared said that faxdoc was the only developer who worked on the game full-time and said that she did "basically 99% of the art and basically all of the programming." Sunnydaze created the music and sound in the game and part of the story. Happysquared worked on the narrative and some game design and art assets.