"Journey to distant corners of our collective memories" is how Throughline Games describes the world of Forgotlings, and that pitch is about to land on consoles. Publisher Hitcents and developer Throughline Games have confirmed the 2D cinematic side-scrolling action adventure will launch for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on June 18, picking up a console audience roughly four months after its PC debut on February 17.
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What kind of game is Forgotlings, exactly
Think Metroidvania structure wrapped inside a hand-drawn animated film. You play as Fig, a gifted posing doll and captain of a sentient ship called Volare, navigating an enchanted realm populated by lost objects searching for meaning. The world is split into semi-open zones, giving you enough freedom to choose your path while keeping the narrative momentum intact.
The combat system offers a choice between stealth and direct confrontation, which gives different playstyles room to breathe. Bandits and critters populate the wilderness, so you're never far from a fight if you want one. If you prefer the quieter route, sneaking past enemies is a genuine option rather than an afterthought.
The social layer most players will overlook
Here's the thing that separates Forgotlings from a standard action platformer: conversation is a core mechanic. You can connect with forgotlings from different tribes through dialogue, and those interactions carry real weight in uniting the world's warring factions. There's also INA, an in-world game described as a popular pastime among the forgotlings, which you can challenge characters to play. It's a small detail that does a lot to make the world feel lived-in.
Full voice acting runs throughout the entire game, paired with a score from Theatre of Voices, a professional ensemble whose work gives the audio a genuinely cinematic quality rather than the ambient loops you'd expect from a smaller indie release.
Thousands of frames, zero shortcuts on the art
Thousands of hand-drawn animation frames make up the visual presentation, and the environments are built to match. The goal, clearly, is to make the whole thing feel like playing through an animated film rather than a game that borrowed an animated aesthetic for its cutscenes.
That kind of production commitment is worth noting for players who gravitate toward strategy games and narrative-driven experiences. Forgotlings sits closer to the story-first end of the spectrum, but the semi-open structure means you're not locked into a single linear path.
What the console release means for the game
PC players have had Forgotlings since February, which means the console version arrives with a small but established community already talking about it. The key here is that console ports of indie Metroidvanias often find their largest audiences on PS5 and Xbox, where the form factor suits the genre well and the install base is enormous compared to niche PC storefronts.
For players who enjoy Craftlings and similar titles with rich world-building and creature-filled environments, Forgotlings looks like a natural next stop. The blend of exploration, combat options, and character-driven storytelling covers similar ground in a very different visual style.
If you want to get ahead of the June 18 launch with broader context on action-adventure and Metroidvania titles, our gaming guides hub is worth bookmarking before the release drops.
