“We want to make this game the hard way”: Hollow Knight-inspired Metroidvania looks predictably sick, and with $40,000 it’s fully-funded on Kickstarter, just like its inspiration

Indie studio Tall Order Games is hard at work on Layers Deep, its upcoming Metroidvania following the adventures of a hardy little onion – and it looks stunning.

Layers Deep offers a beautiful blend of Hollow Knight-esque vibes and a uniquely Southern Gothic world, making for a whimsical indie gem with everything from rewarding challenges to seamless exploration. The upcoming Metroidvania, impressively crafted by just two developers, draws inspiration from other beloved forms of media, too – including animated television miniseries Over the Garden Wall. Tall Order Games didn’t only look to the show for ideas, though.

The game features three musical bangers from none other than The Blasting Company, the folk band behind Over the Garden Wall’s own soundtrack. As for the gameplay itself, Tall Order Games describes Layers Deep as a “non-linear” experience in which you take on the role of a newly sprouted onion – hence the title. Rather than watching the world fall into ruin, you’ll work your way toward the surface as the bulbous protagonist, accessing new areas and collecting upgrades along the way.

With hand-drawn animations, painted backgrounds, and various goals to fulfill for its “love letter to Metroidvania games,” it’s no surprise that Tall Order Games says it’s making Layers Deep “the hard way.” If you’re interested in supporting the devs, you can – you have just one day left to back their project on Kickstarter, though. Thankfully, it’s already surpassed its goal by thousands of dollars. You can also wishlist Layers Deep on Steam right now – I know that I’ll definitely be keeping this on my radar ahead of Silksong.

Itching for more future gems to play? Check out these other upcoming indie games for ideas.