Imagine a sprawling fantasy world with the freedom of a classic open-world RPG and the visual soul of a pixel-art adventure. That’s the promise behind World of Anterra.
There is something irresistible about a role-playing game that asks you to wander off the main path. Not because a quest marker told you to, but because a ruined temple looked interesting, a mysterious character said something strange, or a forest path simply begged to be followed.
World of Anterra is being developed by independent studio 81monkeys, whose ambition is to build a living fantasy world around those moments. Its hand-animated pixel art may evoke the RPGs of another era, but the systems behind the scenes are being designed on a much larger scale: nonlinear stories, branching encounters, detailed environments, customisable characters and grid-based combat with real-time interaction.
Social media has been comparing it to Skyrim rendered in pixels. The comparison is an easy way to convey the idea, but Anterra is aiming for its own identity, with a distinct approach to dialogue, battle and a tactile interface.
A world designed for curiosity
The developers describe Anterra as a handcrafted environment full of bustling settlements, wild creatures, dangerous factions and monster-filled dungeons. Exploration is built around gathering information as much as finding loot: questioning characters, reading books, interacting with objects and following environmental clues can lead to new discoveries.
And sometimes, the point isn’t adventure at all. There’s also a place for sitting by a campfire, stopping at a tavern and watching the world continue around you. That contrast between danger and downtime matters in a fantasy world, especially one that wants to feel like somewhere people actually live.
The Steam description teases a larger mystery surrounding an enigmatic force known as the Eye, while asking players what it really means to become Anterra’s champion.
Combat with a different rhythm
Instead of copying conventional action combat, World of Anterra blends grid-based positioning with quick-time actions for attacks and defence. Weapons, crafted equipment, special abilities and spells are intended to shape encounters, with simpler battles designed to move quickly and more demanding foes requiring thoughtful decisions.
That mixture could give combat a distinctive rhythm, combining planning with a sense of immediacy. How naturally the systems work together is one of the questions we’ll be interested in answering once we have suitable hands-on access.
Eight years of determination
The game has been in development since 2018, and the road has not been straightforward. On its Steam page, 81monkeys speaks openly about funding difficulties, pandemic disruption and the sacrifices involved in keeping a small team together over so many years.
That makes the progress visible in the studio’s 2026 updates particularly meaningful. A new trailer arrived in May, while the developer announced in August that the project had crossed 150,000 Steam wishlists, a milestone achieved without the marketing budget associated with larger releases.
This is precisely the kind of long-running indie project that First Signal exists to follow: a team investing years in an idea that might not fit neatly into the industry’s established mould.
A closer look at the adventure
The official May 2026 trailer showcases the progress 81monkeys has made with its environments, animated characters and combat presentation. These are promising glimpses rather than proof of how the finished game will perform, but the attention to detail is easy to appreciate.
Can you play it yet?
The full game has not launched. Steam currently lists a planned 2026 release window, but the developer has not confirmed a specific public launch day, and pre-release schedules can move.
Recent social posts mention a demo, and 81monkeys has discussed development playtests and backer demo plans. However, we could not confirm an openly downloadable public demo button on the game’s Steam store page when checking on 26 October 2026. Check the official Steam page and developer community for the latest access information before assuming a public build is available.
FIRST SIGNAL / WHY WE’RE WATCHING
The appeal: A handcrafted, freely explorable pixel-art fantasy world with strong storytelling ambitions, atmospheric presentation and an unusual approach to tactical action.
The question: Can 81monkeys turn its intricate world-building and interconnected systems into an experience that feels as good to play as it looks in the trailers?
Our status: First-look coverage based on official game information and development updates. A hands-on assessment will follow only if we actually play the game.