Celestial Return is shaping up to be a bold new entry in the narrative RPG space. Developed by Metaphor Games and backed by publisher Shoreline Games, this cyberpunk-noir, dice-based adventure is launching on PC via Steam in spring 2026 after blasting past its Kickstarter goal with over 200% funding.
Survival isn’t guaranteed — or even expected — in Celestial Return. Instead, the game invites players into a grim, story-first experience where dice aren’t just mechanics, but lifelines. Every roll represents a choice, a risk, or a last chance to claw forward in a city that refuses to stay dead.
Dice as Weapons, Currency, and Fate
Set in the decaying sprawl of Netherveil City, Celestial Return follows Detective Howard, a burned-out investigator with nothing left to lose. Neon lights flicker over rain-soaked streets, corpses are rising for reasons no one wants to understand, and a trail of suspicious suicides points toward something far darker than simple crime.
Howard’s tools are limited and deeply strange: a rusted badge, a sharp tongue, a loud-mouthed sentient rose, and a pocket full of stolen dice. In this world, dice act as bullets, bribes, oxygen, and desperation all at once. Spend them to push conversations in your favor, hoard them and miss fleeting opportunities, or roll recklessly and watch your resources disappear when you need them most.
A Doomed Loop Built on Choice
At the heart of Celestial Return is a tense gameplay loop built around earning and spending dice while shaping Howard’s personality. Conversations are battles, intelligence and virtue are weapons, and even foolishness can sometimes be a valid strategy — if you’re willing to laugh at the abyss staring back.
Every decision feeds into a branching narrative filled with crossroads, moral compromises, and consequences that linger. Violence is sometimes unavoidable, but desperation defines every encounter.
A Hand-Drawn World of Neon and Nightmares
Visually, Celestial Return stands out with a completely hand-drawn aesthetic that blends the precision of manga with the raw edge of American comics. The result is a striking cyberpunk-noir style that feels gritty, expressive, and deeply personal — a perfect match for a story soaked in cosmic horror and corporate rot.
Sound design and visual storytelling work together to pull players deeper into Netherveil City, reinforcing the sense that every step forward comes at a cost.
Key Features
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Doomed Gameplay Loop – Earn and spend dice while shaping your personality to survive brutal conversational combat
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Dice as Currency – Dice are everything: tools, resources, and survival itself
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Branching Narrative – A sprawling sci-fi story shaped entirely by player decisions
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Striking Hand-Drawn Art – Manga-inspired precision mixed with comic-book grit
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Meaningful Choices – Intelligence, virtue, and recklessness all lead to different outcomes
A Story That Extends Beyond the Game
The world of Celestial Return isn’t limited to the game alone. Metaphor Games has also launched a companion Webtoon comic series exploring the underbelly of Netherveil City. Designed to directly tie into the game’s narrative, the comic unfolds as a living prelude, with its final episode ending exactly where the game begins.
With its successful Kickstarter campaign, experienced storytelling team, and strong publishing support, Celestial Returnis positioning itself as a standout narrative RPG — one where every roll matters, death is rarely the end, and the truth is always more horrifying than expected.
Celestial Return launches in spring 2026 for Windows PC via Steam.