Monkey Island Creator Is Working On A "Classic Zelda" Inspired RPG

thegamer.com:

Ron Gilbert is developing another game, and its premise is extremely exciting. Gilbert, who most famously created Monkey Island, is working on a retro RPG that he describes as "Classic Zelda meets Diablo meets Thimbleweed Park."

Not much else is known about the game, but Gilbert has been posting regular updates of all things game dev to his Mastodon account (thanks Time Extension). Per the Terrible Toybox website -- Gilbert's development studio -- the game is targeting a late 2024 release. Still, he notes that 2025 is a possibility, saying "this is gamedev after all."

In a blog post from March, Gilbert said that he had begun working on his latest project. That development began well over half a year ago. At the time, Gilbert also said he had hired an artist and was in the final stages of bringing on a quest designer. In another update shortly after, Gilbert shared another image of the game along with news that the starting area was well underway and the overworld would soon be too.

Finally, exactly 25 days ago, Gilbert shared what appeared to be the starting town, complete with a bakery and weapons shop. It would appear that the player will have access to these shops in order to buy or upgrade gear before setting out on a quest.

Gilbert's latest update on Mastodon notes that Elissa Black has joined the team as a quest designer. In Gilbert's own words, he says "This ups the chance by 37% that I'll finish the game before becoming bored and disillusioned."

Black has worked on several games in the past, including Swords of Freeport, TownCraft and Metrocide. She is a self-certified retro gaming fan, so it would appear that Gilbert made a great decision in bringing her on for this retro-inspired RPG.

While details and screens are limited, what is present does look appealing. Zelda-inspired RPGs are always a massive hit and the Diablo influence carries a lot of intrigue. With 2024 nearly halfway through, there should be an influx of information coming soon if