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 term that surely resonates with many users.

The scenes that follow are glimpses of everyday life. You can see the signature Trickcal 'cheeky' art style depicting relatable moments: a transit card beeping due to insufficient funds at a subway station, complaining that there's no money left because payday was yesterday, or scrambling to catch a train. Other familiar spaces like convenience stores and cafes further solidify the 'slice-of-life' atmosphere.

While the setting might seem vague at first, the teaser page and recruitment site launched alongside the video provide clearer details. Keywords like 'a spaceship sailing through outer space,' 'Star-children who are loved by the stars and wield their power,' and 'a tumultuous management diary aiming for the best company in the universe' were presented alongside screenshots. Given that the background artist recruitment post lists 'those who like SF and subculture genres' as a preferred qualification, we can safely assume this is an SF-style title set in space.

This genre choice is quite unexpected in Korea. Historically, space-themed works—whether comics, movies, or games—haven't had a high success rate here. Of course, the genres that struggle are usually space operas with niche overseas fanbases, or works that rely on heavy-handed metaphors or excessive melodrama. Works that balance scientific rigor or well-grounded settings with human drama have achieved lasting success. Alternatively, recent 'space fantasy' titles that define their own rules have also been well-received.

While the connection to the previous game isn't certain, the nature of Trickcal suggests Fatima will likely lean toward the latter. The original world was defined by its lack of a concept of death, where any situation inevitably devolved into chaotic mayhem. While the team currently walks a fine line, often pushing boundaries to capture players' hearts, they remain within that core framework.

There is no sign of a World Tree-like entity yet, but given EPIDGAMES' emphasis on 'Trickcalism'—a term coined from their active use of memes, 'pretending to be amateurish,' and 'insane subject matter'—it is clear that this chaotic storytelling will continue. Whether this 'Zion' is the same person as 'Zion the Dark Bullet,' a parallel-world version, or a star system character remains to be seen, but her presence is telling. Her signature chuunibyou (middle-school syndrome) speech, acting, and the way she gets scolded for mentioning 'top secret' information during meetings are all classic traits from 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 subculture IPs.

While large-scale subculture games often struggle to capture this kind of charm, Trickcal uses its cute, round characters to target small, everyday joys. From Rone, who tries everything to eat expensive pork cutlets only to fail, to Bella, who discovers the darknet and manages to get money from the 'Pope' to go to a PC cafe—the volume of these stories, updated consistently, is substantial.

The 'startup management' aspect was also hinted at previously. The management of the World Tree Church in Trickcal Revive involved building facilities, dispatching Apostles to gather materials, and constant upgrades. Having gained that experience, EPIDGAMES is now tackling the more secular concept of a 'company,' which should allow them to delve even deeper into the fun of slice-of-life storytelling.

An Unavoidable 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.

You might wonder why that matters, but the nose plays a surprisingly large role in facial impressions. In fact, the nose is the second most common area for plastic surgery after the eyes. In art, how a nose is depicted drastically changes a character's style and impression, and in extreme cases, it can feel like it breaks the series' consistency. This is a delicate area that must be managed with great care, especially in subculture games where art is paramount.

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. If you look at the art in Trickcal Revive, most characters are shown from a 45-degree angle. This was an unavoidable 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 because both cheeks must be emphasized. Conversely, a side profile makes the face look flat without a nose. The Butter and Komy figures released for the first anniversary were praised for their high quality, but they felt somewhat 'pressed' when viewed from the side. The subsequent Joan figure avoided drawing a nose but added curvature from the eye area forward to create a sense of depth. Even without a nose, it gave the impression that one existed when viewed from the side.

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 the previous game which started as an auto-battler, this one is explicitly a collectible RPG from the beginning. Many may have forgotten, but Trickcal began as an auto-battler called Roll the Chess. The meme about the 'Goblin Priestess and the Roll the Chess ghost without a house deed' is a remnant of that time. The first Trickcal was born when they hired illustrator 'Diya,' known for the signature cheek art style, as art director and added collectible RPG elements. Of course, the initial version was riddled with errors and was quite rough, leading to its closure and a two-year 'revival' process to become the current Trickcal.

Auto-battlers have simple, short animations because the focus is on the results and how you adjust your hand accordingly. Since Trickcal Revive is essentially an auto-battler where you reroll for cards and artifacts to clear stages, it didn't require separate cutscenes for 'ultimate skills.' Thus, it didn't need a wide variety of character resources.

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 Early 'Trickcalism' and Aggressive Hiring

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

Usually, people avoid such words for fear of bad luck, but EPIDGAMES ruthlessly brought up its own dark history. Looking back, the first theme theater, 'Meltdown Butter,' was the same. They turned the 'second service termination' risk into a joke, building Trickcal's unique sensibility. That sensibility is evident not only in the teaser text but also in the 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. Zion, with her keywords like 'chuunibyou,' 'solipsism,' and 'darkness,' is a given, but the reactions of characters with keywords like #Simpleton #FistKing or #Kid are also highlights. The character who keeps the corporate card and ignores calls to eat parfait, and the one who ignores messages entirely to ask the 'Senior' (the user's avatar) if they've tried parfait, perfectly embody the 'my-way' attitude.

Since it was routine for such self-centered, child-like characters to cause chaos in the previous game, we can expect the same "Trickcalism"—that lingering feeling amidst the madness—to be present here. Trickcal was always about those moments where, after all the chaos, a line like "Come find us when you hear this music" would strike a chord. Looking through the world and stories of Trickcal, there were many parts that couldn't simply be dismissed as jokes.

In fact, the more you dig, the more questions you have: Why do the characters call the user 'Senior'? How did the Senior end up leading 'Star-children' to run a company and drift through space? What is the relationship to the previous game? There are pet-like creatures accompanying them, and it's unclear if they are concepts like 'Aside' from the previous game or just pets. Since it's still early and they are aggressively hiring, 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.