Worlds of Aria, an adventure RPG with mechanics inspired by classic tabletop games, has just been delayed until “Early 2024”. Developed by Ludogram and published by Ishtar Games, it was originally expected to release on PC and Nintendo Switch this fall.

According to today’s official Steam post, the devs decided to delay the release because it would give them “more time to improve and polish” Worlds of Aria. However, the post also mentions that a new Steam demo is on the way, coming in just “a few weeks”.

This delay might also explain why there haven’t been many trailers for Worlds of Aria. For a look at the gameplay, art design and tone, you can watch the original gameplay trailer from last year on Ludogram’s YouTube channel:

Worlds of Aria takes its tabletop influence quite literally, as campaigns are played out with virtual counterparts of traditional hobby gaming components. It will also support online, local, and cross-platform co-op for up to four people, making it easy to group up.

Tabletop RPG fans will appreciate the mechanics and hammy performances in the trailer above. But Worlds of Aria might not be so accessible for those who aren’t accustomed to the tabletop experience.

The goofy, charming sense of humor is friendly and consistent with the visuals, which are very cute. There’s also an emphasis on the social mishaps in decision-making.

Ideally, the lore will be equally playful and distinguish itself more, including some kind of hook. The Steam page does mention there will be 10 different heroes and unique outcomes.

So far, the trailers for Worlds of Aria haven’t quite justified the selected medium. It may struggle to win over casual gamers, but it should be a convenient novelty for board game fans like me. Also, I enjoy the adorable art design, and commend bridges between tabletop and video games.

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