On Wednesday, Madrid-based developer Tequila Works revealed that its exploration-driven desert island puzzler Rime will arrive for consoles and PCs in May after spending more than five years in development. Originally announced as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, Rime will see a multiplatform release at launch, arriving simultaneously for the PS4, Xbox One, and Windows PCs via Steam.
In Rime, players control a young boy who finds himself stranded on a mysterious island after a storm dashes his ship against its shore. The island appears to be uninhabited, though its surrounding environment reveals countless progression-blocking puzzles constructed by an unknown entity.
Throughout the adventure, players must use environmental objects to solve puzzles by building bridges, reflecting beams of light, and changing the time of day, among other included mechanics. During their journey, players will also dive into underground pools, suggesting that deeper secrets lie hidden beneath the island.
Rime will make its long-awaited debut in May following a series of development setbacks and funding issues over the course of its development history. Initially greenlit as an exclusive title for the Xbox One, Microsoft eventually rescinded its publishing offer, leaving the game without a platform to call home.
Rime later resurfaced as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, though developer Tequila Works afterward opted to “reacquire the rights” to the game in order to pursue a multiplatform release through its new publishing partners Grey Box and Six Foot.
Tequila Works first found success with Deadlight, a side-scrolling survival horror game that originally premiered in 2012 via Xbox Live Arcade. A remastered version, Deadlight: Director’s Cut, later arrived for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PCs.
Rime will launch digitally and at retail for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PCs through Steam on May 26. A port for the Nintendo Switch is also in the works, but a release date for Nintendo’s platform is not yet known.
