Crumbling aims to recreate your childhood nostalgia of playing with action figures through a hack ’n’ slash VR roguelike, and it’s coming to Quest and PC VR next week.
Created by solo German developer Ole Jürgensen, Crumbling sees you fending off hordes of plastic monsters inside toy dioramas with a third-person view. Controlling your action figure with one hand once its unwrapped, your goal involves fighting the Böse Corp, a shady toymaking corporation. Presented like an animated comic book, Jürgensen says the story takes inspiration from Saturday morning cartoons.
Crumbling joins a growing list of VR roguelikes and while the trailer doesn’t offer a clear look at progression, Jürgensen confirms you will “learn from each defeat and come back stronger than ever.” You can try it now through a free Quest or Steam demo, and here’s the full gameplay description:
Control your character with one hand, just like an action figure. Move your palm-sized hero through gorgeously crafted toy dioramas and clash with an army of plastic monsters in thrilling hack ‘n’ slash combat. It’s a test of skill and timing as you evade, counter, and smash your way through to the next boss! Crack open an animated comic book and discover the story of Mr and Mrs Crumble, creators of the magical ‘Crumbling’ action figures. Can this sweet couple and their plucky creations triumph against the nefarious toy making corporation Böse Corp?
Crumbling arrives on January 18 for the Meta Quest platform and SteamVR, while a Pico version will follow in Q2 2024.
Notice: This article was originally published on February 1, 2023. It was updated on January 10, 2024, to reflect the release date confirmation.
