Spirited Away Meets Paper Mario In Stunning New Dark Fantasy

Studio Ghibli’s iconic Spirited Away animated film may be one of the most influential pieces of media in the past 25 years. Since its release in 2001, Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award-winning masterpiece has transcended animation to become a cultural touchstone, inspiring filmmakers, television creators, and game developers around the world.

Its dreamlike world-building, surreal landscapes, and touching coming-of-age story can be seen in everything from Pixar productions and fantasy television to critically acclaimed games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Hollow Knight. More than two decades later, Spirited Away remains a benchmark for visual storytelling.

Now, in a visually stunning new release inspired directly by Spirited Away, gamers will partake in a brand-new adventure with gameplay mechanics pulled straight out of the Paper Mario playbook (via Steam).

A Journey’s End is a beautiful upcoming indie game from the developer behind Harvest Island at Yobob Games. The game is still in early development at the moment, but recently launched an official website with a ton of fresh details and a progress update. Further, according to a recent press release, “the demo is currently in development, and our goal is to have it in players’ hands before the end of the year,” so gamers can expect to get their hands on a free preview sometime in 2026.

In terms of story, A Journey’s End is “inspired by the atmosphere of Spirited Away [and] follows a boy trapped in a mysterious bathhouse, forced to serve strange spirits while searching for a way home before the Spirit Feast Festival begins.” According to the official description and details on the newly launched website, the boy will have to cater to various customer requests such as cleaning bathtubs, wiping down floors, dusting cobwebs, fueling the broiler, etc., all while avoiding certain spirits with an appetite.

Aside from the obvious Spirited Away aesthetic and vibe, the game incorporates platforming and gameplay mechanics inspired by Paper Mario, according to a recent blog post made this summer. “The game leaned on a 2.5D look where art assets were drawn in 2D placed in a 3D world. The idea was to make a game like Paper Mario,” the post explains, going on to detail the game’s evolution into a 3D world that still incorporates platforming mechanics from the previous design.

On top of this 2.5D-turned-3D platforming gameplay design, A Journey’s End incorporates a unique noise mechanic that will trigger spirits to swarm in your direction when you fall or make too much noise in the wrong areas. “Every time you make a step or jump, it creates noise and a UI indicator will show it. Maxing out the indicator will trigger the shark spirit to chase you.”

Overall, while details are still a little sparse on the project, A Journey’s End is currently building a respectable and enthusiastic audience ahead of its potential demo launch later this year. If you’re interested in learning more about the project, you can check out the official website, wishlist it on Steam, or join the Discord for official updates in the coming months.

Brand

Valve

Original Release Date

September 12, 2003