'Pendula Swing' news: Social puzzle game set in America's Roaring '20s fantasy version releasing in 2019

A promotional photo for the game "Pendula Swing." The social puzzle game developed by Swedish independent developer Valiant Game Studio is set to release in 2019. The game is set in a fantasy version of the America's Roaring '20s with the main objective of raising awareness on racism by using stereotypes of dwarves, humans, orcs, goblins and elves.Valiant Game Studio official website

Valiant Game studio, the Swedish independent developer of the "Pendula Swing," announced that the social puzzle game is scheduled to release in 2019.

"Pendula Swing" is the debut game of Valiant Game Studio. According to Valiant, the game will be focusing on the racism and prejudice during America's Roaring 20s in a single-player fantasy version of the era. The game's aesthetics were inspired by other role-playing games "Baldur's Gate" and "Pillars of Eternity." However, unlike its inspirations, "Pendula Swing" will focus on a more social experience for players.

Players will be taking the role of a dwarven hero who managed to save the world 400 years ago. He will be coming out of his solitary retirement and will rediscover the optimistic and glamorous world. Beneath the fancy façade, however, he will see the prevailing complex social problems between goblins, elves, orcs, humans and dwarves. The main objective of the game is to raise awareness on the effect of prejudice and racism in the lives of people using fantasy stereotypes. 

Instead of the usual gameplay in which players have to hit enemies, players of "Pendula Swing" will have to use their speech to achieve their goal. According to mxdwn, "Pendula's Swing" will feature social puzzles to persuade nonplayer characters (NPCs) to help. Players' tone when they are asking for help will be the basis for the NPCs reaction. The players' main goal is to find the legendary ax owned by the dwarven hero that was stolen. Players must investigate the matter to discover who stole the ax and why it was stolen.