On the 2nd, EXLIX announced that its fishing life simulation game Orion Blue will launch on Steam on November 29. Prior to the official release, a playtest covering seven in-game days—approximately three hours of gameplay—is currently underway.
Orion Blue is set on an ocean planet where players spend their daily lives catching fish. Resources gained from deconstructing caught fish can be used to craft furniture and customize boats as well as living spaces.
Each region on the planet offers a distinct atmosphere and fish species. Players travel between different areas to complete their fish encyclopedia and interact with local residents. The planet is home to 14 residents, each with their own routines, events, and personal backstories. Residents who become close friends may open up about their concerns, and players can romance 10 of the 14 characters. Fishing supports both a manual mode—where players cast and reel in their bobber directly—and an idle mode that continues while players attend to other tasks. The soundtrack features a variety of genres, including ambient, acoustic, tropical, and bossa nova.
Lee Jae-bok, CEO of EXLIX, said, "I started developing this game after searching for a fishing game to leave running on the side while working." He added, "It combines fishing games like 'Cast & Chill' with living alongside townspeople like in 'Stardew Valley,' crafting elements from Minecraft and Terraria, and relaxing music that is pleasant to listen to in the background."
EXLIX is a four-person development team that previously created the deck-building game Shambles: Sons of the Apocalypse. Shambles: Sons of the Apocalypse won an award at the 2022 Busan Indie Connect Festival (BIC) and was selected in the Indie Game category for the second half of 2022 in the "Good Game of the Month" hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Orion Blue will support 14 languages at launch, including Korean, English, Japanese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Thai. Additionally, the game will participate in Steam Next Fest from October 19 to 26 and is scheduled to launch on PC (Steam).
