Kiwi Walks has announced Shade of the Marionette: The Story of Piyorita, a story driven 3D action RPG set in the WitchSpring universe. The game is scheduled to launch in 2027 for PC via Steam alongside PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo consoles that remain unspecified for now.
Quick Facts: Developer and publisher: Kiwi Walks. Title: Shade of the Marionette: The Story of Piyorita. Genre: story driven 3D action RPG. Platforms: PC via Steam plus unspecified PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo consoles. Release window: 2027. Protagonist: Piyorita, a blank doll seeking to become the Masterpiece. The official Steam page for Shade of the Marionette is already live for wishlists.
A New Story Inside the WitchSpring Universe
The announcement positions the spin-off as the most ambitious project yet from the Korean indie studio behind the WitchSpring series. Rather than following one of the witches from the mainline games, the story centers on Piyorita, described as an emotionless blank doll. According to Gematsu and its report on the reveal, the game draws on the world of WitchSpring to tell a new tale that stands apart from the entries fans already know.
Piyorita wakes inside a place called the White Nest after being roused by a familiar voice. The doll described as a little bird opens her eyes for the first time and sets out in search of food prepared especially for her. That food turns out to be the life force of rival dolls, and absorbing it is the only path toward becoming the Masterpiece. The premise gives the game a fairy tale surface with a darker engine underneath, since every step forward for Piyorita means the end of another failed doll. Fans of character driven RPG storytelling will find familiar ground here, much like the world building focus seen in MIRESI: Invisible Future and its newly revealed world details.
Non-Linear Rooms That Reshape the Story
Exploration centers on hidden rooms tucked beyond a mysterious mirror. Players choose which rooms to unlock, and that choice directly alters story scenes, narrative branching, and crafting options. The structure rewards curiosity because two players can open different doors and walk away with different scenes and different tools.
The official overview frames the loop plainly. As quoted by PlayStation Lifestyle and its coverage of the announcement, players explore hidden rooms beyond the mirror, absorb other dolls, and strive to become the Masterpiece. Room progression feeds back into the crafting system, so the order in which players explore changes what they can build and how later encounters play out.
Fast Real-Time Combat With a Crafting Core
Combat blends fast paced and accessible real-time action with a modular crafting system. Guided by a mysterious voice, Piyorita fights hostile rival marionettes using elemental abilities and weapon skills. Defeated enemies can be absorbed, which expands her combat capabilities over time and ties fighting directly into character growth.
The emphasis on approachable inputs paired with deep loadout choices echoes a wider trend among indie action RPGs heading to Steam. Players who enjoy build focused combat may also want to watch Deified and its relic synergy combat arriving on Steam, another independent action title built around loadout strategy.
Platforms, Release Window, and What Comes Next
The 2027 window covers PC via Steam plus unspecified PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo consoles. No exact date, price, or regional street date has been confirmed, and there is no word yet on a physical release. The Steam page is live now, so PC players can wishlist the game while waiting for platform specifics.
The console ambiguity is worth noting. With new Nintendo hardware in the picture and multiple PlayStation and Xbox generations in play, Kiwi Walks has room to narrow the lineup as 2027 approaches. Until then, the safest read is that the studio is keeping its options open across console families. RPG fans tracking PC revivals in the meantime can follow the Xenogears Atlas project rebuilding a 1998 JRPG for PC for another take on the genre.
More detail should surface as the 2027 window draws closer, including trailers, system requirements, and the full console list. For now, Shade of the Marionette looks like a confident step sideways for Kiwi Walks, trading witch protagonists for a doll with an empty heart and a full hit list.
When does Shade of the Marionette release?
Shade of the Marionette: The Story of Piyorita is scheduled to launch in 2027. No exact date or price has been announced yet.
What platforms will Shade of the Marionette be on?
The game is confirmed for PC via Steam plus unspecified PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo consoles. The exact console models have not been named.
Who is Piyorita?
Piyorita is the protagonist, an emotionless blank doll who wakes in the White Nest and absorbs the life force of rival dolls to become the Masterpiece.
Is Shade of the Marionette connected to WitchSpring?
Yes. It is a spin-off set in the WitchSpring universe from the same developer, Kiwi Walks, but it tells a new story centered on Piyorita rather than continuing a mainline entry.
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