Backbone, Animal Noir Game, Coming to Windows Next Month

Fans of critters and detective games rejoice. Backbone, a noir detective game featuring fuzzy animals, comes to Windows on June 8. It will be available on Steam, GOG, the Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store. There will also be a free download with Xbox Games Pass for PC.

Take control of Howard Lotor, a raccoon. As a private investigator, he takes on a new case. It seems like any other, but spirals out of control. Howard must confront the systemic oppression of the city itself. Taking place in an alternate dystopian Vancouver, a caste system keeps the various animal denizens in line. Howard will explore British Columbia, his journey on his mysterious new case a far cry from the years of banal cases, evenings spent alone, and eking out just enough to survive. Developer EggNut emphasizes that Howard isn’t any sort of hero, but a detective trapped between making rent and uncovering the truth.

Howard will investigate the underbelly of Vancouver, making connections with the cast of anthropomorphic characters to find the truth. What he finds could shake Vancouver to its very core. Backbone will also feature 2.5D pixel art, combining the spritework with 3D effects such as volumetric fog and dynamic lighting. It will also include a doom jazz soundtrack composed just for the game, designed to evoke the crushing, repressive atmosphere.

Backbone: Prologue, the game’s first chapter, is available via Steam and GOG now. Don’t forget to Wishlist the full release on Steam, as well. Backbone will also come to consoles later this year, though no specific release date has been announced. Check out the trailer up above. Vancouver’s cityscape is gritty and rough, with blaring neon shop signs glowing and buzzing in a gloomy, rainy drizzle.