Nova Forever appears on the horizon

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Upcoming galactic point-and-click buddy comedy unveiled for Steam on Windows PC

We all know the expression "never meet your heroes," but in the upcoming space comedy Nova Forever by indie German developer Potion Of Midi, the warning should be more like "never become inextricably, psychically entangled with your heroes" instead. (Although from the looks of things, a whole lot of fun should result if one does!)

Cargo is an "enthusiastic goofball with a heart of gold" who wants nothing more than to leave his "lonely transporter outpost" behind. He dreams of a better life as an engineer at The Plaza, the popular space station designed by his idol, Nova Cassidy. Nova was a legendary, idealistic scientist whose inventions "propelled the galaxy forward by leaps and bounds" before she tragically disappeared in a transporter malfunction fifty years earlier. Contrary to popular belief, it turns out Nova isn't dead after all. Instead, another "freak transporter accident" causes her mind to become fused with Cargo's upon his arrival at The Plaza. Now this unlikely pair must set aside (or embrace) their differences in order to figure out a way to restore Nova fully back to reality. It's not going to be easy, however, as the "sinister TEAL Corporation," whom Nova believes was the cause of her misfortune, now runs the station and may have other ideas. 

In most respects, Nova Forever is a classic-styled third-person point-and-click adventure, featuring full voice-overs and a charming, slightly cartoony art style. Described as a "heartwarming buddy comedy adventure," it will have plenty of "wacky locations" to explore and "sometimes even wackier inhabitants" to meet, inventory items to collect and store using Cargo's handy HoloPouch armband (a Nova invention, of course), and a variety of puzzles to solve along the way. What makes this game different from most is the constant presence of Nova. As a mental projection, she can only be seen by Cargo – in fact, he is unable to NOT see her, as they are "literally inseparable." Without a physical form, she is unable to operate independently, leaving Cargo as the sole playable character here. But being "trapped in Cargo's mind" doesn't mean that Nova doesn't have any input into their shared adventure. Players can talk to Nova at any time to "bounce some ideas around" or even just to "annoy her a little," but she isn't shy about voicing her own opinion as well. 

It's the evolving dynamic between the two characters that lies at the heart of this game. You might think that Cargo being Nova's biggest fan would be a good thing, but the pair couldn't be more different. Where Cargo is "optimistic, carefree, often impulsive and easily excited," Nova is "brilliant, laser-focused" and reserved in nature. Cargo is "constantly quoting her and asking her questions about her inventions and life," which can feel overwhelming to her, and she's bothered by his excitement for what The Plaza has become. She created it as "a place for progress, science and community," but TEAL has turned it into nothing more than a bustling "space mall with bars, shops, hotels, casinos and many more questionable attractions." What's worse, they have "misconstrued, falsified, and used her image and legacy for ads, books, and products since she disappeared." It will take teamwork and cooperation to triumph over TEAL's "corporate tyranny" and fully bring back Nova, and in the process the two lead characters may just find themselves "learning something from each other and about themselves."

We're likely still a year or more away from the launch of Nora Forever on Steam for Windows PC, but to help tide you over, be sure to check out the developer's FREE previous game, Snow Cone Serenade, a "short and sweet liminal adventure" that will take a little luck to save your dog in the middle of a mysterious cold spell, available on Steam and itch.io.