Pokémon developer Game Freak has unveiled its next game, and we can’t quite figure out what to make of this one.
While Game Freak is best known for the Pokémon series, it has since gone outside of its comfort zone and released a few other original titles that have found moderate success.
Beast of Reincarnationis the most recent release, which came earlier this year with a mixed reception from fans and critics.
Following this, many people have been anticipating the developer’s next project that’ll keep us going until Winds and Waves is released next year.
Game Freak has now revealedGirl After The Rain, a new mobile game with a rather bizarre premise, and an equally strange teaser trailer
Titled Ame no Chi Hare Onna in Japan, the game is a free-to-play mobile title that describes itself as a “laundry game”, using real-world weather information to inform the gameplay.
Set in modern-day Japan, expect there to be a huge fantasy angle to this, featuring mysterious creatures and godlike entities.
Girl After The Rain looks to be a cosy game about the weather that’ll be available for free later this year
The teaser trailer reveals a few of the women who make up the main cast of the game, who are called the “Hare-Onna”, whose magical abilities harness the weather to bring brightness and sunshine to all of Japan.
Game Freak hasn’t detailed how this’ll work exactly from a gameplay point of view, but it’s known that Girl After The Rain connects to real weather forecasts in Japan, which will lead to real weather patterns affecting the gameplay in some shape or form.
The abnormal weather is said to be caused by a mysterious entity called the “Yamikumo”, with the Hare-Onna receiving their powers from god-like creatures who can also utilise the power of the weather.
Girl After The Rain is being developed with Chronogate as publisher. Previously, the developer had partnered with Fictions for Beast of Reincarnation, so it’s clear that the studio is able to have a good working relationship with many different publishers despite being wrapped up in Pokémon business.
It’s scheduled to launch in Japan later this year, with Winter 2026 being the aim for iOS and Android devices. Whether or not it comes to the West remains to be determined, but it sounds like the company is focused on its home market for now.
Prior to this, Game Freak has developed a small number of original games outside of the Pokémon series. Aside from Beast of Reincarnation, the studio has also made Little Town Hero and Giga Wrecker.
Next year, it’ll be releasing Pokémon Winds and Waves for Nintendo Switch 2, which kicks off the franchise’s tenth generation and introduces many new pokémon for players to catch.
Featured Image Credit: Chronogate
