Former Chibi-Robo! developers announce robot action-adventure game koROBO for consoles and PC

■ About us

koROBO is an action-adventure game that follows the story of a small robot named “koROBO” and his owner, Tom, a young boy who receives koROBO as a gift from his father on his 10th birthday. Players step into the small but mighty shoes of koROBO and embark on an exciting and heartfelt journey that begins in Tom’s room and unfolds into a world-changing adventure.

■ Story

Sometimes it takes the smallest hero to fulfill the greatest destiny!

Somewhere in the Brocklyn neighborhood, nestled in the urban jungle of New York City, Tom and his mother are celebrating his 10th birthday. When a wrapped present arrives from his estranged father, Tom rips it open, excited to see what’s inside.

What he finds isn’t the coolest, newest small household robot technology, but a knock-off model.koROBO?”

But soon koROBO is cleaning the house, helping Tom with his homework, and even playing games and reading comics with him like a brother. What will koROBO’s arrival bring to Tom, his family, and maybe the world?

koROBO‘s story takes place in Tom’s family apartment in Brocklyn, New Yock. Players take on the role of the little hero. As koROBO they help the family, perform tasks in and around the house, meet the many residents of the apartment building and defend Tom and his loved ones from a mysterious enemy… who can travel through space-time?

■ Game explanation

Little hero, big adventure

koROBOThe core gameplay involves traversing the family home, cleaning up messes and solving problems wherever they find themselves. That’s quite a task for such a tiny hero!

But be careful! koROBO has a limited battery life, and performing tasks will drain it even faster. While more popular robots require owners to plug in for adventure, Tom has modified koROBO to soak up some sun to recharge the solar battery on its back. Players will need to be on the lookout for sunlight to keep koROBO running at maximum capacity!

As they explore Tom’s apartment building, players aren’t just helping him and his family. There’s a whole host of wacky residents going about their lives that koROBO will encounter. As koROBO, players can talk to these characters and help solve their problems to unlock some of his most powerful upgrades!

Better, faster, stronger

Players can collect items as they clean and explore to upgrade koROBO and what it can do. While koROBO can run, jump, and float at first, over time it will be able to fly, swim, and even travel through time…?

But wait, there’s more! koROBO isn’t the only toy in Tom’s entourage. Players will discover new miniature friends and get an assortment of attachments that allow koROBO to adventure and sometimes even battle in new and exciting ways!

The parts players need to find for their upgrades are scattered throughout the house, each with a rarity color that indicates how difficult it will be to obtain them. Players must collect as many as possible to upgrade koROBO!

House of the Future Past

While koROBO has an entire apartment to clean and explore, players will do much more than just travel around the house and help out the family.

Eventually, koROBO will gain the radical ability to travel through time, with just the touch of his tiny fingertips…?

■ The cast

koROBO “Robot Cleandroid”

Tom gets a robot as a gift for his 10th birthday, and the little hero of our adventure, koROBO, is given to Tom by his estranged father.

koROBO isn’t strong by any means, but he has a go-getter mentality and a mischievous streak. koROBO helps clean up, helps Tom with his homework and more. But does he have what it takes to fill the void that divides Tom’s family?

Tom “Ten-year-old tinkerer”

Tom is a homebody by nature, has few friends and spends much of his time in his room, working on his collection of toys and machines. Although he rarely sees his father after his parents divorce, he sometimes receives toys and other trinkets from his father’s travels around the world.

Sally “The mother of invention?”

Originally from Japan, Sally now raises Tom alone in their Brocklyn apartment. Sally hates it when things are messed up and gets frustrated when Tom says things that don’t make sense. While she and Tom’s father enjoyed a whirlwind romance, she eventually divorced him when his wanderlust became too strong. Strong-willed and kindhearted, she once dreamed of becoming a singer, but now works as a waitress in a café to make ends meet.

John “Wanderlust King”

Tom’s father. John and Sally were seen by some as an eccentric and by others as a genius engineer. They were madly in love growing up. When Tom was five, however, John mysteriously left, leaving only a note that read: “I’m leaving to protect you.” Despite the distance between the two, Tom clearly inherited his love of mechanics from his father.

Garth Vader (real name: unknown)

A suspicious figure who roams the courtyard of the apartment building, many rumors have surfaced about the truth surrounding Garth. Some say he has fallen to the dark side and is planning to take over the world. Others suggest he is simply the building super, watering the plants, feeding the birds, and taking care of the plumbing. However, no one actually speaks to Garth, so the truth remains shrouded in mystery.

■ World

A world in crisis

The year is 2025 and the world is facing a looming energy crisis. Fossil fuels are rapidly becoming unreliable as a fuel source and humanity teeters hopelessly on the brink. However, even in these most dire of times, there is eternal hope in the hearts and minds of those who believe in a better future. When the world needs it most, a small hero can be the catalyst that sets humanity on a new path, one that would change the course of history forever: koROBO!

The Brocklyn Apartment

While crossing a living room or kitchen might not seem like a monumental task, it looks a whole different story when you’re a tiny, highly motivated robot. While well-placed stacks of books and an overturned chair might help koROBO reach hard-to-reach places around the house, it would be impossible for them to get to the hardest-to-reach places on their own. koROBO needs a little help!

Tom’s room

You could look at Tom’s room and see the messy den of a lazy child, but that’s far from the truth. If you looked closer, you’d see instead the workshop and playground of a gifted child, wildly imaginative and naturally inclined to work with electronics. Tom’s room is filled with toys, tools, and electronics in various stages of tinkering. One boy’s trash is another boy’s treasure, and Tom’s room is a treasure trove for koROBO. What new treasure will be discovered as they explore Tom’s room?

■ koROBO Crowdfunding Campaign and Message from the Developer

Tiny Wonder Studio is calling on fans for their support in releasing koROBO to life. Together with the support of the community, koROBO will be created through collaboration between creators and enthusiasts, with the goal of releasing the game on PC and modern consoles if sufficient funding is obtained.

“Our goal is to create a game that everyone can enjoy, koROBO is meant to be a fun and comfortable game that we hope everyone will fall in love with. The core of koROBO is all about bringing people together and working towards a better future. This campaign, combined with your support, is a great opportunity to bring video game fans together, something our little hero would be proud of!

“The future is a dream we all share! Let’s make it a reality together.”

—Kenichi Nishi, Director

■ About Tiny Wonder Studio

Tiny Wonder Studio is a new development studio comprised of key members formerly of Skip, Ltd. and other industry veterans.

• Kenichi Nishi – koROBO director (Tiny Wonder Studio)
  • Previous works: Chibi-Robo! Join the adventure!, moon: Remix RPG Adventure, Unbelievable crisis, LOL: Lack of love, Gift
• Hiroshi Moriyama – koROBO director (Tiny Wonder Studio)
  • Previous works: Chibi-Robo! Join the adventure!, Chibi-Robo! Park Patrol, Okay! Chibi-Robo! Congratulations Richie Osoji!, Gift
• Keita Eto – koROBO director (Tiny Wonder Studio)
  • Previous works: Chibi-Robo! Zipper Lash, LOL: Lack of love
• Hirofumi Taniguchi – koROBO Music & SFX
  • Previous works: Chibi-Robo! Join the adventure!, moon: Remix RPG Adventure, Chibi-Robo!: Photo Finder, Chibi-Robo! Zipper Lash, LOL: Lack of love, Gift, Captain Rainbow, Snow park, Chulip, Black bird, Hotel Million Onions, ufo～a day in the life～
• Hikarin – koROBO art, character design
  • Previous works: Chibi-Robo! Join the adventure!
• Hisashi Koshimizu – koROBO producer (Tiny Wonder Studio)