EPIDGAMES, the studio that popularized the charm of 'squishy cheeks' through Trickcal Revive, unveiled its latest project, Trickcal Fatima, on the 29th. While the countdown on the 1k-day teaser page on the 26th left many skeptical, the teaser that played once the countdown ended confirmed it was indeed a new title.

With its signature art style and sense of humor, Trickcal Fatima is already drawing attention not only in Korea but also in Japan, where various memes from the series have recently gained popularity. We have gathered the clues to see what kind of experience this new project—which has officially entered development with a 2-minute and 40-second teaser and an aggressive recruitment drive—might offer.

A Chaotic Startup Life in Space and Aboard a Spaceship

After the turntable scene that initially made people think it was a rhythm action game, most viewers likely noticed the character—reminiscent of Erpin—brushing her teeth with sleepy eyes. The word 'work' flashed by, a concept that surely resonates with many users.

The scenes that follow are glimpses of everyday life. We see cute depictions in the signature Trickcal art style: a character beeping at a subway gate due to insufficient funds, complaining that it's not payday yet, or scrambling to catch a train. Other familiar settings like convenience stores and cafes firmly establish the 'slice-of-life' atmosphere.

While the setting seemed ambiguous at first, the teaser page and recruitment site provided clearer details. Keywords like 'a spaceship sailing through outer space,' 'Star-children who are loved by stars and wield star power,' and 'a tumultuous management diary aiming for the best company in the universe' were presented alongside screenshots. Given that the background artist recruitment notice prefers 'those who like SF and subculture genres,' we can safely assume this is an SF-themed title set in space.

This genre choice is quite unexpected in Korea. Historically, space-themed works—whether comics, movies, or games—have not had a high success rate here. Most of the less successful ones were space operas with niche overseas fanbases, or works that relied on heavy-handed metaphors or excessive melodrama. Works that succeeded were those that either maintained rigorous scientific grounding or masterfully blended human drama with their setting. Recently, 'space fantasy' works that define their own internal logic have also been gaining traction.

While the connection to the previous game isn't fully clear, given the nature of Trickcal, Trickcal Fatima is likely to lean toward the latter. The original world was defined by its chaotic, slapstick nature where even death wasn't a permanent concept. While the series occasionally walks a fine line, it has largely stayed within that framework.

There is no sign of a World Tree-like entity yet, but since EPIDGAMES has emphasized 'Trickcalism'—a term solidified by active meme usage, feigned incompetence, and bizarre subject matter—a chaotic story is guaranteed. Whether this 'Sion' is the same character, a parallel-world version, or a 'star system' actor remains to be seen, but her behavior is unmistakable. Her chuunibyou (middle-school syndrome) dialogue, acting, and tendency to get scolded for mentioning 'top secret' information during meetings are all hallmarks of the previous game.

The inclusion of relatable, 'salty' everyday terms like 'corporate card' and 'fringe benefits' alongside 'work' and 'payday' is a nice touch. Focusing on these small, mundane details has been the driving force behind Trickcal's ability to survive among massive, long-standing IP giants.

While large-scale subculture games often struggle to capture this kind of charm, Trickcal targets small, everyday joys through its cute, round characters. From Rone, who goes to great lengths to eat pork cutlets only to be thwarted, to Bella, who manages to squeeze money out of the 'Pope' for a PC bang after discovering the darknet—the game has built a substantial amount of story content over time.

The 'startup management' aspect was also hinted at previously. Managing the World Tree Church in Trickcal Revive involved building facilities, dispatching apostles, and gathering materials. Having gained that experience, EPIDGAMES is now bringing a more secular 'company' setting to the table, which will likely deepen the slice-of-life fun.

An Inevitable Change for More Diverse Angles

Keen-eyed users have already noticed and expressed mixed reactions, but the art style of Trickcal Fatima is, strictly speaking, a bit different from that of Trickcal Revive. While the 'squishy cheeks' and the four-fingered hand rule remain, the most significant changes are the slightly smaller cheeks and, most notably, the addition of noses.

It might seem trivial, but the nose plays a significant role in facial impression. It is, after all, one of the most common areas for plastic surgery after the eyes. In art, how a nose is depicted drastically changes a character's style and impression, and can potentially disrupt the consistency of a series. For subculture games where art is paramount, this is a detail that must be managed with extreme care.

EPIDGAMES, which even has a company motto of "Die if you aren't cute," is surely aware of this. One reason for the change is likely the desire to naturally portray more diverse angles. Looking at Trickcal Revive, most characters are shown in a 45-degree angle—a necessary choice to emphasize the signature cheeks and large, bright eyes.

Turning this angle to a full front view risks making the face look overly large to accommodate both cheeks. A side profile, without a nose, makes the face look flat. The Butter and Komy figures released for the 1st anniversary were highly praised for their accuracy, but they felt somewhat 'pressed' when viewed from the side. The subsequent Joan figure addressed this by adding curvature from the eyes forward, creating a sense of depth even without a drawn nose.

In fact, the teaser provided several glimpses of 'Shion' and other characters from side angles. While this perspective feels quite unfamiliar to users since it rarely appeared in the previous game, it will likely broaden the scope for merchandise and fan art, potentially boosting engagement. Unlike the original Trickcal, which had to worry about survival before even considering merchandise, the IP is now firmly established and selling goods consistently. With the series gaining enough traction to host an exclusive fan event in Japan in March 2027, these factors were likely taken into account.

More importantly, unlike its predecessor which started as an auto-battler, this title is explicitly a collectible RPG from the beginning. Many may forget that Trickcal began as an auto-battler called Roll the Chess. The memes about the 'Goblin Priestess' and the 'Roll the Chess ghost without a house' are remnants of that era. The first Trickcal was born when illustrator 'Diya' was brought on as art director, adding collectible RPG elements. After a rocky start and a shutdown, the game was 'revived' over two years into what it is today.

Auto-battlers have simple, short animations because the focus is on the results and deck-building rather than the combat process itself. Trickcal Revive followed this logic, using coins to reroll and upgrade cards, so it didn't require dedicated cutscenes for ultimate skills. Consequently, it didn't need a wide variety of character assets.

However, Trickcal Fatima features a wealth of what appear to be skill cutscenes right from the teaser. From a character with a vibe similar to Cash from the previous game pressing a button to trigger warning screens, to Shion calling in a fleet while mentioning protocols, we saw several animations that highlight each character's unique traits. The guitar-playing character, in particular, was shown from a more side-profile angle than the standard perspectives used in Trickcal, resulting in a more dynamic performance. Other characters, such as one raising a riot shield or another chasing a fleeing sheep, emphasized front-facing angles. This implies that the game requires a wider variety of character assets, necessitating a shift in style.

'Trickcal Fatima' Starts Its Engines with 'Trickcalism' and Aggressive Recruitment

"This surely won't fail from the start. Probably"

Most would avoid such words for fear of bad luck, but EPIDGAMES ruthlessly embraces its own dark history. The first theme theater, 'Meltdown Butter,' was the same. They turned the trauma of a second service shutdown into a joke, building Trickcal's unique sensibility. This is also evident in their recruitment notice, which parodies Ernest Shackleton's legendary explorer recruitment ad.

The characters themselves promise a story that will unfold in a Trickcal-esque way. Beyond Sion, with her chuunibyou and 'darkness' keywords, the reactions of other characters—tagged with keywords like #Simpleton #FistKing or #Kid—are highlights. One character ignores calls to eat a parfait while holding the corporate card, while another ignores the 'Senior' (the user's avatar) to talk about how delicious her parfait is.

Since it was common for these self-centered, child-like characters to cause chaos in the previous game, we can expect that same "Trickcalism"—a mix of comedy and lingering emotion—to return. Trickcal was always about those moments that hit you in the heart, like the line, "Come find us when you hear this music," at the end of a chaotic mess. Many parts of the Trickcal world and story cannot simply be dismissed as mere comedy.

There are many questions: Why do the characters call the user 'Senior'? How did the Senior end up leading these Star-children and running a company in space? What is the relationship to the previous game? There are also pet-like creatures accompanying them, and it's unclear if they are similar to the 'Aside' concept from the previous game. As this is an early stage with only a teaser released and recruitment ongoing, it will likely be some time before these answers are revealed.

Nevertheless, the Trickcal Fatima teaser clearly demonstrates a commitment to evolving into new perspectives while maintaining the core identity of 'Trickcal.' While the changes in art style and other aspects might feel unfamiliar, the 2-minute and 40-second teaser, along with the recruitment notice and teaser page, clearly convey the intent to preserve the series' signature quirkiness, ruthless parodies, and small, everyday details that bring humor and lasting appeal.

Furthermore, EPIDGAMES is currently hiring extensively not just for Trickcal Fatima, but also for Trickcal Revive and the team managing the Trickcal IP itself. This suggests a move to solidify the 'Trickcal' universe beyond just launching a new title. As such, we can likely expect more substantial information around early 2027, once the new hires have settled in. It will be exciting to see if Trickcal, which carved out its own niche among countless blockbusters, can further cement its position with this new release.