Rose & Locket News

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We are thrilled to announce that Ninja Kiwi will be publishing the visually stunning and narratively poignant platformer, Rose and Locket, developed by Whistling Wizard.


You are Rose, a former outlaw gunslinger whose daughter's soul has been imprisoned in a locket by Envy, one of the Seven Deadly Sins. To free her daughter, Rose must do his bidding. True to his name, Envy wants the power of the other Deadly Sins for himself.

Guide Rose as she ventures into the Underwest, the underworld of the wild west. Hunt down Pride, Greed, Lust, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth. Collect their bounties for your new master.


Traverse this dark yet vibrant underworld. Test your acrobatic gunslinging skills in dynamic boss battles featuring high-energy 360° shooting galleries. Discover the mysteries of Rose’s past as she once again relies on her trusty six-shooter.
But be warned, not everything is what it seems.


Delivered in a bold, handcrafted, cinematic art-driven style with full voice acting and narration, Rose and Locket blurs the line between graphic novel and game experience.


Head on over to Steam and wishlist Rose and Locket at the link below!

Wishlist Rose and Locket on Steam here!


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[p]Whistling Wizard is an indie team dedicated to crafting immersive, story-driven games that blend graphic novel aesthetics with action-adventure gameplay to create unforgettable experiences.

[/p][p]This will be the second game Ninja Kiwi is publishing; however, we remain extremely dedicated to our internal projects! We will always be a game development studio, first and foremost, but we are incredibly grateful to be in a position to support, uplift, and help passionate devs get their own projects out the door. A lot of that is thanks to our amazing community (Yes, you!), who help support us so we can do more for indie and New Zealand game developers. We couldn’t do it without you!

[/p][p]Nope! Much like our publishing for Denari, our team will offer support for game testing, feedback, and community engagement.

[/p][p]Ninja Kiwi socials will be sharing Rose and Locket content, providing the community with updates, and helping to bring another stunning indie game created in New Zealand to a worldwide audience!

Go Wishlist the game over on Steam and make sure to follow both Ninja Kiwi and Whistling Wizard on social media. See you soon! [/p][p]


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Hey, travelers!
As Rose’s journey continues, we leave Gluttony’s ravenous realm and enter the Mirrorverse of Pride.

Don’t trust what you see here, travelers. Just like in the tale told by the victor — there is a lot of fact twisting and pompous self-glorification here.

[h2]The Shogun[/h2]
Once a powerful Shogun – who conquered lands in the name of honor and glory – the Pride clutches the Realm in his ephemeral grip. He uses his influence to show himself as the only hero in his story. And there is no one in the realm to challenge him over it.


You might think that he’s all talk, but all who thought the same way never won the duel with the ex-Shogun. Even in the afterlife, the Pride is as masterful of a swordsman as he was in life.

To keep his distance in a fight he uses myriad of blades, dotted across the arena and doesn’t shy away from petty, underhanded tactics. If not taken seriously enough, the battle will be over in a blink of an eye.


And The Pride will never miss an opportunity to play on your egos and insecurities to lull your vigilance.

[h2]Twisted Epos[/h2]
The realm of Pride depicts a surreal and highly subjective version of feudal Japan during the Samurai era.


In life the Pride – like most other warlords – sacrificed other’s lives for his reputation and standing. And the realm stands as a silent reminder of what unsatisfiable ambitions lead to. Abandoned ruins and destroyed temples, ghost towns and green overgrowth. Each one shows the end result of a bloody feud over power.


As you go deeper into the realm, more and more echoes of the Pride’s conquest will appear to thwart your progress. From burning buildings to confusing labyrinths. From deadly arrow traps to hordes of undead warriors. Everything plays its dedicated role in the Pride’s twisted epos.

[h2]Ukiyo-e[/h2]
Pushing through the domain of Pride is like making your way through the desolated wastelands of unfulfilled ambitions. Here the stale suffocating grays are peppered with the ghostly shades of greens.

The further you go and the closer you get to the Pride, the more vivid and saturated the surroundings become. Freakish pinks mix with delicate deep-blues; saturated crimson adjoins abyssal blacks. And together it creates an almost Ukiyo-e style experience.


In the end, the Pride’s realm — just like all the others we’ve visited so far, — is a tale as old as human society itself. After all, the Sins are primal and simple by their nature. But this realm tries to make it seem as if you are at the wrong for challenging someone as grandiose as the Shogun. And yet, the evil of concealing the truth is, arguably, worse than the deeds committed. This epos is well past due to receive it’s conclusion. And there will be nothing worthy of pride, when Rose puts a final dot its the end.

And now, travelers, – after visiting the realms of Wrath, Sloth, Gluttony and Pride, – will you still be brave enough to gallop through the Underwest with Rose? To witness, what will it take the mother to save her daughter? To find out, what Sins will become the next obstruction of vengeance? To uncover, what do the other realms hide?

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1697850/Rose_and_Locket/

Embrace the story by wishlisting the game and joining Rose’s path of vengeance.

Until next time, travelers!

Follow CRITICAL REFLEX on Steam & Discord to stay up-to-date on the latest updates and news!

Hey, travelers!

We continue to gallop through the Underwest, following Rose’s steps on her path of vengeance. After we’ve explored the realms of the Wrath and Sloth, the road takes us through that of boundless famishment.



This is a realm characterized by its insatiable hunger and gluttonous nature. Acidic lakes, vulturous dwellers, and aggressively carnivorous nature — this is the ravenous domain of the Gluttony.

[h2]The Kingdom of All-Engrossing Famishment[/h2]

The realm belongs to the evergrowing Forest that mutates every soul, damned enough to wind up there. A little note for you, travelers: once you give in to the fear of hunger, you will never be the same again.



The Forest’s only purpose of existence is to consume, transform and mutate any unfortunate soul into another thrall for the Sin’s hordes. Even the Lost Ones, – the smallest and most innocent spirits of the Underwest, – are doomed to this transfiguration in the endless labyrinth of Gluttony. No soul is safe, no soul is unnoticed, no soul is free from the Sin’s enduring clutch.



The dangers of the Forest wary from bottomless pits and treacherous landscapes to scaling waterfalls and acidic cavities. Mind your every jump, calculate your every shot, watch your every step: even the smallest slip up will turn you into compost.

[h2]Colours of Decay[/h2]

The domain of Gluttony will meet you with the murkiness of decay. Acid green and purple, rotten gray and black, fading yellow and brown are the colors that dominate the realm.



A complete one-eighty from the dew of the Sloth, isn’t it? The sense of mustiness and staleness will drown every breath you take.

[h2]The Venus Flytrap[/h2]

The Forest itself is Gluttony. The Sin, – which took the form of a carnivorous plant, – is sitting atop of the acid-washed timber, spreading the pestilence of hunger, consumption and mutation onto every unlucky dweller.



While attempting to claim the bounty don’t let the Gluttony’s appearance fool you, travelers. Despite being a plant he’s a formidable foe: cautious, cunning and well-prepared to counter-attack any uninvited guest. Even the Gluttony’s body seems to be just unreachable — surrounded by innumerable thralls, deadly traps and disfigured vegetation herself.

There are yet more secrets of the Underwest to uncover. Will Rose be able to save her daughter? What kind of Sins will she meet next? What do the other realms look like?

Embrace the story by wishlisting the game and joining Rose’s path of vengeance.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1697850/Rose_and_Locket/
Until next time, travelers!

Follow us on social media & Discord to stay up-to-date on the latest updates and news!

Hey everyone,

Just a quick announcement to let you know that a playable demo is now available here on Steam. We would love to hear your thoughts on what we have so far! Thank you

Hey, travelers!

As we follow Rose along her path of vengeance, we delve deeper into the Underwest. After we already explored the realm of Wrath, our route now takes us through a rather peculiar expanse — nothingness.

It is a realm characterized by its sheer emptiness. Devoid of colors, sounds, and emotions – this desolate domain belongs to Sloth.




[h2]Absolute Kingdom of the Silence[/h2]

Sloth radiates a luminous white glow, drawing inspiration from the dusty, neglected places of yesteryear. This place embodies sheer emptiness. And what conveys the vastness without being boring and inexpressive? Clouds of course!

A realm in ruins where the only purpose is to glide through as if floating aimlessly through life without passion. Drifting in-between these cloudscapes feels futile — a journey through realms devoid of meaning.



If someone enters the Sloth realm — and it’s unlikely that anyone alive will dare — all that awaits them is an endless fall into a colorless abyss. A little tip from the Travel guide: some travelers use coffins as means of traversal, take note.

Crumbling fortresses, skeletons of cities or abandoned houses of the long dead — no one can say what these ruins were. All that awaits them is desolation and oblivion as their last remembrance fades away in the lands of inaction.



[h2]Colors of nothingness[/h2]

The colors here are pastel whites and blues, scattered among forgotten ruins, creating an airy atmosphere.

It's a sharp change from the fiery and energetic realm of Wrath, overflowing with emotions. Think of it as a break! Moving from the aftermath of Wrath to the eerie stagnant air of Sloth.



What is Sloth itself like? The emptiness can look like anything, but Sloth chooses the most fitting appearance. The swirling clouds take on vague outlines. But it's hard to make complete sense of what's it supposed to be.

However, an encounter with him can result in no less danger than that of the fire Sin. Imagine fighting in free fall without the slightest fulcrum.



Everything enters and exits in a void here. But how will Rose transform as she leaves Sloth's domain? And which Sin will she encounter next on her journey?

Join us next time for another chapter of the Underwest Travel Guide, where we'll tell you more about the Lands of Death

Until next time, Travelers!

Follow us on social media & Discord to stay up-to-date on the latest updates and news!