What are your thoughts on the comparisons? GR: Many say the game has Pikmin vibes mixed with Luigi's Mansion elements, but to me, it feels like Stranger Things meets D on't Starve. Just based on our experiences growing up in the Pacific Northwest and it being what we know, we set the world in a place that draws inspiration from the Oregon or Washington forests and coastlines.

As far as setting goes, we knew we wanted to do a different take on something like Neverland or the various worlds seen in Ghibli films. My style is influenced a good amount by storybook illustrations, as well as various media and books like Song of the Sea, Where the Wild Things Are, and Gravity Falls. GR: What was your inspiration for the graphics and the setting of your game? While we didn’t necessarily set out to make a 'period piece' of the era, it ended up being perfect for the story we were telling. We grew up in the 90s and have such great memories of the games that came out in that time, so yeah, there's perhaps a hefty dose of nostalgia thrown into the game. GR: Is it an intentional design choice that The Wild at Heart conveys a certain feeling of nostalgia for past games? Or is it something that came naturally while developing the game? RELATED: 5 Indies Games to Check Out If You Loved The Last of Us 2 This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. The game follows the story of Wake and Kirby, young friends who are exploring the hauntingly mysterious and mysteriously haunted Willowvale Deep Woods alongside their cute Spriteling friends. Game Rant recently talked to Moonlight Kids, the developer behind The Wild at Heart, about its themes, the 90s, hordes of little friends, and much more.ĭuring the interview, Moonlight Kids highlighted the importance of The Wild at Heart's overarching theme of coming of age, and how the developers' experiences growing up shaped the game and the characters in it. The game has firmly established its own identity, while also managing to be reminiscent of other video games, movies, and TV shows.

The Wild at Heart launched merely a couple of weeks ago.

The wild at heart game switch