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I'm a massive sucker for studios that infuse unique elements of their culture into their games. It's why I've long championed Ghostwire: Tokyo, a playable encyclopedia of Japanese ghosts, as a criminally underrated horror RPG. It's why Mariachi Legends and its traditional Mexican cuisine is the only Metroidvania I care about right now, and it's why I'm mesmerized by Immortal Life, a Stardew Valley-like steeped in Chinese mythology.
My latest obsession is an upcoming indie JRPG called Bestiario, which, tangentially, is absolutely blowing up on Kickstarter right now. Barcelona-based studio Wiggin Industries was heavily inspired by Atlus's Persona series in creating a somewhat traditional JRPG with social elements, but took the whole framework and rooted it in Spanish culture, with a story set in Spain following a pandemic.
The player character is part of a diverse group of hunters looking to solve a supernatural mystery and save the world from an emerging threat. Your team includes a classic guitar-wielding hunter-wizard "going through a mystical mid-30s crisis," a wise librarian, and "the noblest and most foulmouthed hellhound ever."
🔥Check out the first trailer and Kickstarter for @RpgBestiario🔥A turn-based combat RPG set in a Spain full of Spanish mythology. Could we call it ÑRPG?We hope you like it!⬇️RT is appreciated⬇️https://t.co/WUzWYQKpJB pic.twitter.com/0UQQgGU7jgFebruary 1, 2024
Through the 30-40 hour campaign, you'll square off against beasts from mainstream fantasy as well as monsters from Spanish mythology, which is what really piques my interest. Wiggin Industries also says we'll get to explore "many places in Spain and Europe to unravel this mystery and discover fascinating stories that are not widely known."
"From La Puerta del Sol in Madrid to the mountains of Asturias, we can encounter a variety of mythical creatures such as witches, gnomes, fairies, angels and many others, including ojancanos, urcos and scornaus," it says.
While explicitly inspired by Japanese IP, Spanish culture runs through every vein of Bestiaria, from the aforementioned folklore to the comic aesthetic influenced by Spanish artist Alfonso Azpiri, and even the soundtrack, done in the classical style of renowned artists like Manuel de Falla, Joaquín Rodrigo, and Isaac Albéniz.
Persona is undoubtedly the game's primary influence, but Wiggin Industries says the game is stuffed with references to the "timeless classics," including The Legend of Zelda, Grandia, Final Fantasy, The Legend of Dragoon, and Mega Man Legends.
There's clearly appetite for a JRPG inspired by the best of the genre that still has its own identity. Bestiaria went live on Kickstarter on Thursday and was funded in less than two hours, and now it's cruising steadily toward its first stretch goal, at which point some new outfits will be added.
Bestiaria is on its way to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch in both digital and physical formats in December 2026, based on its Kickstarter delivery date. The wording on the game's target platforms – "Steam, Epic, PS5, Xbox, Switch and Next" also seems to indicate that Wiggin is planning to release on the next Nintendo console, which is increasingly expected to arrive this year.
For everything nearer on the horizon, don't miss our guide to upcoming indie games of 2024.
