Shapefarm, a new studio based in Tokyo, has partnered with anime house Studio Massket to create Orbitals, a co-op exclusive for Nintendo Switch 2. The game features teens Maki and Omura on an interstellar quest, blending hand-drawn anime aesthetics with puzzle-solving gameplay. Developers highlight influences from 1980s anime and personal childhood inspirations.
Orbitals places players in the roles of Maki and Omura, who escape a deadly cosmic storm and journey through space to avert another explosion. Creative Director Marcos Ramos described it as a 'homage and love letter to our childhoods,' citing 1990s Japanese anime like Dragon Ball and Akira Toriyama's unbound creativity as key inspirations. Ramos, who grew up in Argentina, rushed home from school to watch episodes that shaped the game's playful tone, including taunts during laser tag and discoveries of alien creatures aboard their ship. Game Director Jakob Lundgren, a 10-year Hazelight veteran, emphasized the unique art style as a differentiator from titles like It Takes Two, combining hand-painted backgrounds, 3D assets, layered anime cels, juddery animation, and VHS grain effects for a nostalgic feel. The art draws from a collaboration with Studio Massket, known for Attack on Titan and One Piece. Studio Massket CEO Riku Seitei brought in legendary Gundam artist Tôru Yoshida for 80s-inspired retro-futuristic cutscenes. What started as outsourcing evolved into co-development, with Shapefarm's Assistant Art Director Johannes Varmedal noting they learned anime production techniques, even incorporating hand-painted UI elements. Gameplay centers on two tools—a beam cannon for soldering electrics and a grappling hook for manipulating objects—with players able to swap them freely. Minigames unlock on the explorable ship hub, and puzzles emphasize collaboration over platforming. Lundgren said late-development playtests led to ideas like tool-swapping, adding, 'You're the best you're ever going to be at creating that game when you finish it.' Set pieces include a DDR-style dance-off. Ramos stressed couch co-op's value in creating shared memories. Varmedal, who previously worked on Nintendo exclusive Devil's Third in 2015, called for confidence in creative vision. Shapefarm comprises developers from New Zealand, Argentina, and Sweden.
