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WoodRunner Games, a Montreal-based independent game development studio, announced its inaugural game, Croak, during this week’s gamescom show in Cologne, Germany. Teased in the June Future Games Showcase, the full reveal trailer for the hand-drawn 2D precision platformer was featured in the Future Games Show. The game will be playable at gamescom in the Indies of the Americas Pavilion and the Business Area.

Croak is described as a “fractured fairytale,” set in a kingdom cursed by an evil spell, featuring a prince who has been turned into a frog. This twisted, delightful, and often harrowing fable follows the prince’s quest to return to his hexed home and unravel the mystery to ultimately lift the curse. The story introduces a cast of quirky, lovable characters and is brought to life with stunning hand-drawn art and animation created by some of the talented artists behind the hit game Cuphead and the Rick and Morty show.

In addition to being a cheeky and charming fantasy, Croak is also a challenging precision platformer that mixes a classic genre with a relatable, nostalgic storyline, combined with fresh and demanding gameplay. The game also introduces an innovative grapple mechanic, where players must use the amphibian prince’s tongue to dash and bounce through hundreds of hand-crafted rooms, manipulating the environment as they traverse distinct biomes, each with its own unique hazards, gameplay, and bosses.

“Our team shares a passion for the classic platforming genre, and it holds a special place in the hearts of many players,” said Max Petroff, CEO, co-founder, and producer at WoodRunner Games. “So, we set out to create a game that will surprise, delight, and test players with beautifully hand-drawn characters and environments, meticulously crafted levels, tight mechanics, and an immersive story.” According to Petroff, the studio wanted to find a main character that was fun, served the story, and also provided innovation in its movements, leading to the choice of their hopping hero.

“Having a frog as our protagonist not only takes us into some interesting settings and plays into the plot, but it allows us to focus on an innovative core mechanic that is both simple in its singularity and difficult to master. The frog prince uses his tongue for mobility, attacks, and manipulating his environment. It adds strategic elements as well as just being really fun,” added Rob Marquis, WoodRunner’s co-founder and creative director.