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ENCODYA is a cyberpunk point-and-click adventure coming in January 2021

Leisure Suit Larry devs Assemble Entertainment are taking on a bit more of both a somber and whimsical journey with ENCODYA early next year.

TJ Denzer

November 19, 2020 6:30 AM

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When we think of Assemble Entertainment, it’s easy to draw to mind its reboots of Leisure Suit Larry, which has been a fantastic recrafting of a sleazy memory lane in point-and-click adventure form. That said, Assemble’s next game is going in an altogether different and more heartwarming direction. ENCODYA is a girl-and-her-robot point-and-click adventure set in a cybernetic dystopia, and it’s coming in January 2021.

Assemble Entertainment revealed the latest on ENCODYA with a press release and trailer on November 19, 2020. Coming on January 26, 2020 to PC via Steam and GOG, ENCODYA was originally a Kickstarter launched by writer Nicolas Piovesan. The game is set in a metallic jungle of a city where players pick up the role of Tina, a girl surviving on her own with the help of her large and protective robot, SAM-53. In a world run by a tyrannical leader sapping the livelihood out of its people, Tina discovers a message from her father with a mission that could save society, and so Tina and SAM-53 set off on a journey.

A far different tone from the risqué likes of Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Don’t Dry and its sequel, ENCODYA is a far more emotional journey inspired by an interesting combo of Blade Runner, Studio Ghibli, and Monkey Island. It features an interesting dynamic as you control the small and nimble Tina and her large and powerful robot SAM-53. The game more than 100 locations to explore and over 30 characters brought to life by a wealth of dialogue. It even features puzzles that may randomize slightly to keep the journey fresh and interesting.

ENCODYA has a demo from its Kickstarter campaign, but the full game set to launch in January will feature a tweaked, expanded, and fleshed-out to its full form. When it comes, we can look forward to an all-new and interesting adventure about what it means to be human and alive.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.