Let's explore a dark and spiritual underground fantasy world of the Wild West in Rose and Locket! The game was developed by the independent studio Whistling Wizard (from New Zealand) after more than 6 long years of development and published by Ninja Kiwi (the famous developer behind the Bloons series). Rose and Locket is a 2D action-adventure platformer combined with tactical shooting mechanics, which was officially released on Steam on May 26, 2026.
The biggest highlight of the game is its incredibly sharp and artistic 2D hand-drawn animation style. The framing and scene transitions are directly inspired by the visual storytelling style of the genius animator Genndy Tartakovsky (the creator of classic animated series like Samurai Jack and Primal), blurring the line between a motion comic and a video game.
Not only that, but the game also features cinematic camera angles and a mystical, colorful yet lonely world, accompanied by full voice acting for the characters and narration throughout the journey.
The gameplay is a combination of high-speed action and 360-degree boss battles (360° Shooting Gallery). First, players will perform acrobatic gunslinging, dodging, dashing, and stylish shooting; therefore, to survive, you need to master weapon upgrades and combo chains.
The game takes you to the land of Underwest—a dark, spiritual, and fantasy underground version of the Wild West, where you will play as Rose, a retired outlaw gunslinger.
To rescue the soul of her young daughter, who is trapped inside a locket, Rose is forced to pick up her familiar six-shooter once again and venture into the underworld of Underwest to hunt down the entities representing the Seven Deadly Sins – those who are manipulating this world.
The battles against the bosses (representing sins such as pride, gluttony...) require extremely fast reflexes, as the arena sometimes transforms into an intense, full-scale shooting space, forcing you to constantly move and calculate precise shooting angles.
The game offers a choice between a light, story-focused experience or a brutal, lightning-fast shootout mode for those who love heavy reflex challenges. Along with the shooting action, the game intertwines platforming sequences that require precision and some environmental puzzles to unlock pathways.
The game is currently receiving very positive feedback from the indie gaming community and news outlets thanks to its meticulous investment in art style and satisfying action gameplay after many years of development.
If you love a fantasy Western atmosphere, Samurai Jack-style graphics, and challenging side-scrolling shooting gameplay, this is definitely a title worth trying out. Remember to use our comparison tool to buy Rose and Locket at the cheapest price!
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