Zeboyd Games is proud to announce Cosmic Star Heroine!

We are pleased to announce that our next game will be called Cosmic Star Heroine!

Here’s a short plot teaser:
Alyssa L’Salle is one of the galactic government’s top agents and always manages to save the day! But when she accidentally uncovers a dark conspiracy, her own government outs her as a legendary spy and the people’s champion! Sure, now she has hordes of adoring fans but every villainous organization she’s ever crossed in her career knows who she is and is out for her blood! Can she save the day once more while she faces her greatest challenge… Everyone!?

Here’s some of the first concept art we drew of the main character!

cshalyssa23

In this image, you can see some of the tools of the trade that Alyssa uses in her spy work. Her weapon may look like a regular bo but thanks to space age technology, it can also transform into a gun for long range combat and can be spun around to generate a personal force field. Of course, it’s a rather large weapon and not at all a stealthy one so when she isn’t using it, she stores it in her dimensional vortex-containing satchel which holds all sorts of useful spy gadgets (it’s bigger on the inside than it is on the outside, you see).

Here are a few details about the game:

Future sci-fi setting
2D pixel art visuals (but with various improvements over our previous games including bigger and more animated ally sprites)
Created with Unity so that we can cover more platforms
No separate combat screen – combat will occur directly on the same maps that you explore on
Turn-based RPG gameplay that takes the best elements from our past games while adding a few new ideas.
Enemy groups will no longer just stay in one place on maps but will patrol and chase after the player as appropriate
Not a parody but will still have plenty of humor
Players will be able to customize their own spy headquarters by recruiting more agents (think the Suikoden series)
Will be trying to get Hyperduck (who worked with us on our last game) again for the music (they’ve already agreed that they’d like to do it but we haven’t signed anything yet)

We will be doing a kickstarter for the game later this year to help raise funds for development costs but we’ll have more details on that later.

Unlike previous games we’ve worked on, we don’t want to save up news and art for the game just for big sporadic reveals. We’re going to be more open with this game’s development so we will be sharing updates, news, design musings, art, and graphics on a regular basis. Here are some helpful links you’ll want to bookmark or follow to keep up on the game’s development:

Zeboyd.com (Hey, that’s here!)
The Zeboyd Facebook page
The official Zeboyd Twitter feed
The Cosmic Star Heroine Twitter feed
Robert Boyd (Gameplay Designer, Writer, Programmer) Twitter feed
Bill Stiernberg (Artist, Animator, Level Designer) Twitter feed

47 Responses

  1. So wait, just checking- how does preordering it work? Do we get sent a code via email or something?

  2. After this game you guys should make silver-screen. It look amazing. I will hope for it 😀

    Good Luck to you all.

  3. In case the praise has died down, I’m still looking forward to seeing this finished!

    The main character of Phantasy Star VI was a badass woman named Alys, whereas the main character here is a badass super spy named Alys…sa.

    I see what you did there. I see it.

  4. Put this on steam I need it. Love the other games. This one looks like a great addition to the family.

  5. Hey just bought cthulhu and I must say I love it my favorite game is dragon warriors 7 it reminds me of its game play and its nice to see indi developers continuing my favorite RPG style keep em comen n I will keep buying

  7. Wow, I just finished playing CStW and BoD-VII today for the god knows how many times and was interested in seeing if any more behind the curtain docs where released or if there was a new original Zeboyd Games on the way.

    I must say it. Chono-Trigger was and still is one of my all time favorite Classic RPGs. To see this project being inspired by that masterwork of the 90’s era gaming scene. Brilliant and awesome. Sometimes i miss those glory days, but teams like the pair of you seem to keep the love of the classic alive in new and interesting ways.

    I really can’t wait to see this one hit the Indy game scene and will be looking for it on Steam or other sources as time move on.

    Sadly I missed the Kickstarter call or I would have so dropped you guys $100 easy. Well worth the money guys.

    Anyways looking forward to this games release and thank you for the hard wonderful work you do.

  8. An RPG with a female lead who isn’t ridiculously oversexualised to the point she looks utterly inhuman? I’m in.

  9. Most curious…. A Sci-Fi RPG done by Zeboyd? You have my attention. Also,if I may,(Don’t worry too much about it. This looks interesting, and I’d prefer not to intrude, but are there plans for DLC for Rainslick 4? I saw a teaser for the Fish Force’s lair in the coliseum.

  10. Looks super awesome; Excited to see a sort of homage to Phantasy Star.

    Will definitely be backing this when possible.

  14. Turn-based RPG gameplay that takes the best elements from our past games while adding a few new ideas.
    Enemy groups will no longer just stay in one place on maps but will patrol and chase after the player as appropriate

    I’m not sure how these two features will coexist. The combat is going to be something like Ys or more like Xenoblade Chronicles, or something else entirely?

  17. Cthulhu Saves the World did not have auto-leveling enemies. Instead, some areas had 2 sets of random encounters – after fighting many battles in that area, it would switch to the harder set of random encounters. It had no relation to your LV.

  19. Will this include auto-leveling enemies so that when you level up the enemies get harder, giving you a treading-water feeling? This is how Cthulhu was for me.

  20. I’m very much interested in this game. You can count on me for Kickstarter support.

    My only question regards character development? Any ideas on this? One of my favorite things about RPGs is character customization. I like attribute points, skill selection (trees, whatever), and fighting styles, etc. Any thoughts or plans for something along these lines?

  25. Your previous games have shown that you loved classics such as the Dragon Quest series, and the Persona series, and even little-known RPGs like Okage: Shadow King. One look at the heroine, let alone her name, makes it clear that you loved Phantasy Star too.

    I definitely want in on the Kickstarter!

  26. Death, sorry to hear you’re not convinced we could write in the appropriate style, but I’m here to assure you, that we can. We write in the style the developers asked us to, with close referencing and everything was down to the letter for style and feel from the Zeboyd guys. If it’s a matter of who composes it, then we’re comfortable being able to do a massive array of styles. With that in mind, if we’re given the right references, we can and will attune to that writing style and sound. Worry not 🙂 Now shouldn’t you be grim reaping or something? I saw a guy across the street wobbling a bit, he wasn’t looking too good.. jump to it! <3

  27. Sounds awesome! This looks very Phantasy Star to my eye as well, which is great as PS2 and PS4 are two of my favorite games ever. I’ve wanted to make a Phantasy Star inspired game for ages, but I guess I procrastinated too much as it seems you guys beat me to it 😉 Can’t wait to see more! 🙂

  28. This is sounding great. i’m glad you guys are going back to making original IP’s. I know you mentioned earlier about the difficulty ideas you had for this but i’m really hoping that the difficulty can NOT be changed during a playthrough. that’s one of my biggest problems with your previous two games. Secondly although the soundtrack was great for your previous game, I was kinda hoping you’s wouldn’t go back to Hyperduck for this game. My reasoning being is that it doesn’t fit the 2D theme of the games. if you are going for retro well… than do it right. Something just doesn’t feel right when the sounds and visuals don’t match up. One last thing, the enemies, they need to be smarter, i’m dead serious about that. The enemies in your previous games have been dull and predictable. There’s hardly anything they do outside of “attack”. Mix it up, keep it interesting, don’t sludge through them like a work horse, think about it.

    Anyway i’m staying hopeful for this game. I’ll definitely support it if you’s go to Kickstarter. Good luck and keep up the good work. I know it’s pretty tough for two guys to make a full game, I’ve been making games solo for several years now and it can get overwhelming.

  29. Kinda has that “Phantasy Star”-ish feel to it already…. And ALYSSA?!? wow… Paying homage are we? Anyway, I’m pretty sure it going to rock… Just like your other efforts… (PA4 is amazing btw) And hopefully it makes it to XBLA…

  30. I will most certainly back the kickstarter, but that being said, will there be a physical version of the title offered on higher tiers?

  31. I would like to see some of the fun extra stuff from the suikoden series used in the base in this game as well. Like Suikoden 2 had a very large cooking tournament with story segments and everything, 3 had multiple different plays you could put, etc… just fun silly side stuff.

  32. > Enemy groups will no longer just stay in one place on maps but will patrol and chase after the player as appropriate

    go go A* search

  33. I knew as soon I saw that screen shot (and the character’s name) that it would be Phantasy Star inspired! While at first I wasn’t a fan of the way Phantasy Star went with the online stuff and so on I think that’s turned out nicely, but I still really miss the console RPG Phantasy Stars… if you can make a good send-up or game with just a few of the systems, that will be really awesome. You guys make some pretty cool games so I hope this one works out!

  34. When you say “think Suikoden”, does that include the ridiculously huge cast of characters? Either way, looking forward to the frequent updates mentioned and how that pans out.

  35. Awesome, dude.
    “Alyssa”, huh? Wonder where that came from 😉
    Looks great guys, can’t wait to see more.

  36. Guys, don’t take it the wrong way (and there’s really no reason to) but this design looks Phantasy Star as hell.

    Props to Eurogamer for pointing out “How that title not already a David Bowie song?”

  39. I’m happy you guys are going back to your own IP. I don’t like the PA humour and characters so this will be a day 1 purchase for sure!

  40. When I first saw her she reminded me of someone – Maybe Raquel Applegate from WA4?
    Looking forward to seeing this in works and of course I’ll help the kickstarter.

  41. Sounds like a pretty cool idea. Hope you do get Hyperduck to do the soundtrack, I loved their stuff on Penny Arcade 4.

  43. It is great to hear other indies deciding to become more open with development. I’m really looking forward to following CSH as it develops. Sounds like some great stuff!

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