‘Stealthvania’ parkour platformer The Siege and the Sandfox launches May 20

Side-scrolling “stealthvania” parkour platformer The Siege and the Sandfox will launch for PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Humble Store on May 20 for $14.99, publisher PLAION and developer Cardboard Sword announced.

“We are excited for our debut title The Siege and the Sandfox to finally get into players’ hands,” said Cardboard Sword CEO Olly Bennett in a press release. “Developing a meaningful 2D stealth game has been an ambitious undertaking for the team, and we are eager for our fans to play and enjoy it.”

Bennett continued, “As a studio we set out on this development journey to create a new indie game IP with a unique 2D stealth element. Art led a lot of our development process, inspiring the narrative and gameplay mechanics. The hand-animated retro-style pixel art, combined with the hand-painted normal maps and Unreal lighting and effects, provides an incredibly rich visual for players—really immersing them into the game world of the Sandfox.”

Here is an overview of the game, via PLAION:

About

Explore the palace and cavernous depths below an ancient desert city, under siege by its neighboring kingdom. Master dynamic parkour abilities and use cunning and stealth to discover the true threat lurking within. Evade guards, defeat enemies, befriend potential new allies, improve your skills, and foil the evil plot before it’s too late.

Story

A shining city lies besieged in the heart of a vast desert. As the moon rises over the royal palace, a notorious assassin watches the king die to a traitor’s hand. Discovered, falsely accused and thrown into the labyrinthine dungeons below, they must escape to tell the tale else the city will fall.

The Sandfox—known as the Kasha’i—is famed across the land as the legendary line of faithful protectors and servants to the crown. The current holder of this mantle has been left for dead at the base of “Traitor’s Fall”—a deep pit leading to the depths of the underground prisons. Betrayed by the Queen in order to hide her regicide, you must now take on the role of the Sandfox and begin your journey back up to the palace. Save the kingdom from the Queen’s evil plot and reap revenge with the iconic weapon of the Kasha’i: the glass dagger.

In your journey through the dark caves, dusty mausoleums, dangerous prisons, and crumbling ancient architecture, you will need to avoid the nastier inhabitants of this underground world and aid those friendlier to a new face. Your progression will lead to the discovery of the true threat to the kingdom above: a sand-borne evil emerging below. As dusk becomes night, and night becomes dawn, you will need to rely on the aid of new allies, make your way back into the palace, and end the treachery of the wicked Queen.

Gameplay

Use stealth to sneak through the environments, incapacitating enemies or ghosting past as if you were never there. Run, jump, slide, shimmy, pole swing and more as you navigate the intricate game world, finding new items, equipment and skills, and unlocking previously-inaccessible locations.

The Siege and the Sandfox is a stealth Metroidvania with one giant continuous world, linking the newer palace above, older prisons below, the ancient mausoleum, and an intricate network of caves woven amongst them all. Encounter unique enemies in each area—some more capable at pursuing sneaky Sandfoxes than others! Keep on your guard, as even an extinguished torch or door left open can trigger the suspicions of those out to get you.

Key Features

• 2D stealth Metroidvania with parkour exploration.
• Rich 16-bit art with modern effects.
• Immersive and dynamic audio builds tension and highlights danger.
• An eclectic range of characters to discover and aid.
• Avoid enemies, evade capture and find other ways to deal with threats.
• Master moves and find tools to help access new areas previously unexplored.

Watch a new trailer below.

Release Date Trailer