And it’s arriving on Switch this month
- by Alana Hagues
Onion Games has revealed the Western launch date for Stray Children, a whimsical RPG where a young lad is transported into the realm of a nostalgic RPG and encounters a universe inhabited solely by children. It is finally slated for release in the West on 30th October 2025.
If that rings a bell, it should! Onion Games is the studio responsible for the re-release of the beloved PS1 RPG Moon, which similarly thrust your character into the domain of a video game.
In fact, many of the developers at Onion Games were involved in the original 1997 launch; the group mainly consists of Yoshiro Kimura (director and game creator), Kurashima Kazuyuki (art supervisor), and Hirofumi Taniguchi (music composer), whose portfolios include Rule of Rose, Chulip, Little King’s Story, Chibi-Robo, and Super Mario RPG. An eclectic assortment!
However, Stray Children appears to align closely with Moon, an unconventional RPG that subverts genre conventions. Moon is probably most renowned for influencing Toby Fox and Undertale in contemporary times, and you can observe those elements more distinctly here.
Rather than confronting enemies directly, you can opt to whisper to the Olders — depicted as “monstrous adults bearing the weight of their own shortcomings, self-doubt, and the many grievances that all grown-ups accumulate.” Oh dear, way to call us out, Onion Games…
You can choose to evoke laughter, smiles, or express your affection for them, but don’t anticipate winning them over in an instant. There will be numerous peculiar and distinctive interactions as you strive to rescue the children from the Olders. And if Moon is any indication, this will certainly be quite the eccentric experience.
October is already laden with remarkable games, but this one might be one to keep an eye on. Especially if you adored Moon (as this writer did). It’s not for everyone, but there’s nothing else quite like it.
Have you been watching for Stray Children? Will you be exploring this on Switch later this month? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Alana has been part of Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her primary passion, Nintendo is a close second. She delights in analyzing battle tactics, characters, and narratives. She also dreams of being a Sega air pirate.