‘Dragon Quest’ Creator Teams With ‘Blue Lock’ Mangaka For ‘Reincarnation Game’, Nintendo Switch Exclusive Promises To “Definitely Ruin Friendships”
In a team-up that few saw coming but everyone will definitely want to keep their eyes on, veteran Dragon Quest series creator Yuji Hori and famed Blue Lock manga writer Muneyuki Kaneshiro have joined forces to develop Reincarnation Game, a new Nintendo Switch-exclusive board game that promises to put a friendship-ruining spin on the concept of ‘karma’.
As detailed in an April 30th press release announcing its development, as machine translated by ChatGPT, the tentatively-titled Reincarnation Game will present players with “a board-style game centered around themes of ‘reincarnation,’ ‘karma,’ and ‘fate,’ where players compete by sabotaging each other in a race to be reborn.”
“Players will reincarnate repeatedly, using karma to hinder or betray others,” it continues. “The closer you get to winning, the more friendships fall apart—it’s being developed under the concept of ‘a game that will definitely ruin friendships.'”
And rather than the real world, Reincarnation Game will take place “in a dark fantasy afterlife world called ‘Rinnekai’ where quirky, intense characters aim to tear apart bonds of friendship.
Set to be developed by ArtePiazza Co., Ltd. and produced by Any Co., Ltd., the former a video game development studio best known for their work producing the enhanced remakes of the 2D Dragon Quest games (as well as Dragon Quest XI‘s 2D mode) and the latter a Japanese corporation that, unfortunately, we could not find any specific information about via English-language internet search engines, the game will also see creative input from “Koyakky, a popular YouTuber” and “SUPER STUDIO Inc., known for its integrated commerce platform ecforce, which will handle IP and commerce strategies and services.”
As for their specific roles, Reincarnation Game will see Horii serve as an official Advisor while Kaneshiro will provide the title’s character concepts, which will in turn be visually translated by ArtePiazza CEO and long-time Dragon Quest series art director Shintaro Majima.
Providing a comment for the press release, Horii himself beamed, “I found the idea of making a game that’s fun to stream very appealing—something unique to this era. I’m excited to be part of this project and hope it becomes a game everyone can laugh and have fun with over and over again.”
Likewise, Kaneshiro asserted “When I was approached with ‘Wanna make a board game?’ I thought, if I were to do one, it should be about sabotaging others to be reborn—thus, Reincarnation Game. I hope it becomes a daring work. I’m giving it my all.”
For his part, Majima asserted, “I’m honored to be part of this very intriguing project. We aim to create something that’s not only great for live streams but truly enjoyable for players. I’ll make sure the characters, full of the original flavor, come alive (or should I say, reincarnate?) in the game.”
And finally, in providing some additional insight into just what players could expect from Reincarnation Game, Any Co., Ltd. CEO Ayaka Sato admitted, “I’ve never been a hardcore gamer myself. But I wanted to create something that’s modern, absurdly fun, and social-media-friendly—a game that gets better the more you play.”
“Working with legends like Horii and Kaneshiro still feels surreal,” she added. “We’re building a chaotic, hilarious, and unforgettable game you’ll fight over but still want to play again.”
Admittedly an intriguing concept – and one that, at least personally, gives a positive Danganronpa vibe – players interested in Reincarnation Game will sadly have to wait a little longer for any concrete game details, as the above press release is the only piece of media released by its dev team thus far.
However, the team has not promised that it “is currently in active development”, but also teased that their plans for “IP expansion beyond the game—including anime, manga, merchandise, and real-world events. Short animations and TikTok content are already underway—stay tuned for more.”
At present, Reincarnation Game is aiming for a release sometime in 2026.
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