From the frostbitten edges of a forgotten realm comes a game that blends retro cinematic platforming with eerie, Lovecraftian atmosphere. The Eldritch Monarch is an ambitious single-player adventure for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and modern systems, drawing inspiration from classics like Prince of Persia, Flashback, and Another World—but with its own chilling twist.

Recently showcased at the Indie Retro Homebrew Showcase at Super MAGFest 2025, this early prototype invites players into a world locked in eternal winter, where every movement must be precise, every encounter calculated, and every shadow a potential hiding place. Swordplay demands patience and strategy, with parries, counterattacks, and tactical positioning determining survival. Stealth is just as vital, aided by a light gem indicator that reveals when you’re safely hidden or dangerously exposed. And puzzles? These aren’t just mechanical obstacles—they’re woven into the very fabric of the story, requiring insight and careful observation to solve.

Tell us about how your game was born.    

Flôor: "It was a very slow and iterative work. It started as an extremely simple project just to learn how to develop for the Megadrive. I chose to make a simple cinematic platformer. Controls similar to Prince of Persia, Flashback, and others. After that, I decided I wanted to keep working on it, but I didn't want to just make a cinematic platformer with nothing new to add. So I added stealth to the mix. And the moment-to-moment gameplay felt nice and sufficiently original. But even with stealth, the game felt boring to play. I went back to the original cinematic platformers to see what they did differently, and learned that it's all about mood and setting. So I leaned hard on plot and setting for this game! I wrote many pages of lore designed to be uncovered through exploration, and I'm very proud of the fantastic world I created. And on that note, I also opted for a more modern design for the progression of the game. It's heavily inspired by information games, such as Outer Wilds. There is no password system and no save feature, and the map is huge. But the player is encouraged to explore different sections of the map each time they play. Once the player has learned enough about the game, they should be able to find the path to the end, which shouldn't be longer than 20 minutes."

What was the development like?

"Ongoing. But it's been quite tricky. Unlike my previous projects, which are simpler but with a very original hook, this one is much more complex with more moving parts. There is no moment-to-moment gameplay that is sufficiently innovative to carry the game alone. It's the sum of its parts that makes it an interesting project. And that takes quite a lot of testing, a lot of iterative back and forth. I abandoned and resumed development of this game about three times in the past. 

It was a stress relief project. It started during the pandemic, I had a newborn and a terrible job. Stressful situation. Situation changes, but the stress remains the same. My son is 4 years old now, and I have been unemployed for two years. I keep working on it while I try to sort my life every way I can. 

What can I say? The unspeakable eldritch horrors are helping me keep my sanity for a change!"

What's your favorite memory as a gamer?

"So many to choose from! One that comes to mind is in Thief: The Dark Project, when the Trickster pulls out Garrett's eye. The scene is shocking with body horror, but masterfully written with a monologue worthy of Shakespeare. "

What games influenced The Eldritch Monarch the most?

"This game truly is a salad of inspirations. The ones that come to mind are Prince of Persia and Outer Wilds. Quite different games, I know! Further down the line I would say Thief (Dark Project and Metal Age) and The Immortal."

Any fun stories or wild moments during development?

"There was a Kickstarter! It was my first ever campaign, and running it was quite an experience. I had to do so much research into things like cart production costs, and I had to talk to manufacturers. Since I can't run the campaign from my country (Brazil), I had to trust a friend in Spain to do that for me. One week into the campaign, I noticed I had messed up the calculations and had to duplicate every tier, ask backers to switch, and delete the old tiers. Not to mention, I lost many possible backers due to incorrect shipping costs. Two weeks into the campaign, I realized it wasn't going to work without a playable demo, and I hadn't planned on having one, so I just worked on one, working 12 hours a day for a week. The end result was not great, as I had to condense content that was spread across an enormous map into a more contained slice. 

Although it failed, I was still somewhat proud of having raised 15k Euro."

Do you think preserving older gameplay mechanics in new games is important?

"I'm not sure I would call it "preserve". I consider games to be art. And art has no age. If game designers choose to ignore mechanics and gameplay elements simply because they are old, they are missing out on a huge chunk of our collective knowledge of game design. "

What makes this game unique?

"While no single element stands out as original, it combines some unconventional elements in a way that I believe will be very engaging. At first sight, it will look like just another cinematic platformer, but its true shine comes from how it approaches progression. Rather than collecting power-ups or unlocking abilities, players advance by understanding and interpreting the world's cryptic patterns. The game's core mysteries are woven into the environment itself, turning observation and deduction into your main tools for advancement. My biggest challenge is conveying this structure in a small demo."

Anything else you'd like to add? Promote?

"I have a few more ongoing projects. I talk about them in my Patreon Blog."

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What sets The Eldritch Monarch apart is its “information game” approach. There’s no save system—only the knowledge you carry from each playthrough. With persistence, skill, and accumulated understanding, you could eventually complete the entire game in about 20 minutes… though reaching that mastery will take much longer.

This prototype build is still raw—expect rough edges, bugs, and missing polish—but that’s the point. This is your chance to experience the core mechanics, explore the frozen world, and help shape the journey ahead with your feedback.

Follow The Eldritch Monarch for development updates on Bluesky, and try the prototype for yourself to become part of its evolving story.

Watch the trailer: