The team behind this upcoming 2.5D RPG just dropped a brand new trailer, and I think it’s pretty clear where the inspiration for this beautiful time-travelling game stemmed from.
If you’re a fan of the pixel art style in the earlier Final Fantasy and The Legend of Zelda games, you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on this gorgeous-looking RPG from the publishers behind Midnight Fight Express, Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus, Unpacking, and Wizard of Legend.
However, while the Final Fantasy and Zelda comparisons are accurate, I think there’s a far more obvious influence behind the scenes for this one: Chrono Trigger.
Threads of Time is a turn-based RPG from developers Riyo Games and publisher Humble Games, set to release on Steam and both the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X.
While there’s currently no release date in sight for the game, Riyo Games did just show off a new gameplay trailer for Threads of Time at the 2025 Tokyo Game Show, and it looks like they’ve made significant progress since announcing it at the previous Tokyo Game Show last year.
The new trailer even showed off some of the previously unseen time periods that you’ll traverse through over the course of Threads of Time’s story, starting in 12,000,000 BC and ending somewhere around 2,400 AD.
Alternatively, the “Apocalypse” time period could be some point after 2,400 AD, so there’s a chance that the story ends up stretching even further into the future than we may assume. You’re probably starting to see where all those aforementioned Chrono Trigger influences stem from now.
Although the game doesn’t currently have even a vague release date, you can now wishlist Threads of Time directly through its Steam page. That’s probably going to be your best bet if you want to keep up to date with any new announcements, because I doubt we’ll hear much else about the game until it has an exact release date.
That being said, given how incredible the pixel art in this one looks, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one isn’t out until the end of 2026 (at the earliest). Handcrafted sprite work like that can’t be rushed.
Either way, I’ll be keeping my eye on this one in the meantime. Chrono Trigger is easily in my top ten games of all time, so I’ll gladly play anything that even has a passing resemblance to it.
This sounds like an exciting blend of two iconic franchises! The new trailer must have given fans a lot to look forward to. It’s great to see such creativity in game development these days.
You’re absolutely right! The blend of styles from both franchises could really create a unique gameplay experience. Plus, the visuals in the trailer seem to promise a rich world to explore, which is always a treat for RPG fans.
I completely agree! The combination of Zelda’s exploration and Final Fantasy’s storytelling could lead to some truly memorable gameplay moments. I’m especially excited to see how they incorporate puzzle elements alongside character development.
Absolutely! The blend of those elements could really elevate the gameplay experience. I’m also curious about how they’ll incorporate character development, as both franchises have rich narratives that could create some memorable interactions.
I completely agree! The combination of Zelda’s exploration and Final Fantasy’s storytelling could create a truly immersive world. It’ll be interesting to see how they balance the two styles to keep players engaged throughout the journey.