Developed by Pixpil and published by Chucklefish, Eastward was one of the most charming indie hits we got to play last year. The game features a really beautiful retro 2D pixel aesthetic, Zelda-like action gameplay, and a moving story about a girl who wants to know the truth about the surface world and what really happened to Earth that drove humanity to live underground.
It was definitely a success at launch, and iam8bit and Skybound are working to release a physical retail version of the game this year.
The game will be getting a Collector’s Edition for Switch, which comes with an original tabletop game and a lovely cover sheet. Here’s how the game works:
“The cooperative tabletop game has 2-4 players working together to rescue villagers and defeat enemies, racing against a sinister miasma that threatens to engulf the world — complete with a foldout game board, 15 food cards, 10 item cards, eight Miasma cards, and four unique playable character standees.”
In addition to that, Eastward is also getting a vinyl release that will also come with the board game. The boards you get from both the vinyl release and the Collector’s Edition can then be combined to allow players to experience the full map while playing. The boards can also be enjoyed separately, though it seems that having them both will allow for a more enjoyable experience.
The regular physical editions will start shipping on May 24, and the Collector’s Edition and vinyl will be released at a later date.