Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout blew up about six years ago—and now a few former developers behind that massive hit have regrouped at Biscuit Factory Games. The team has just announced its first game, Papaya Plaza, and it couldn’t be much further removed from their previous work.

No idea whether I’m about to embarrass myself here, but there’s no taking it back now: I still haven’t played Fall Guys. I’m absolutely familiar with the wonderfully brain-melting TV show Takeshi’s Castle, though. And the not-exactly-few clips I’ve seen from the cuddly battle royale did look pretty funny.

But Fall Guys also became a full-blown phenomenon—and maybe that’s exactly what put me off playing it back then. 😉 Either way, what some former developers of the indie hit have now announced definitely has my attention. Even if Biscuit Factory also has a few ex-Fortnite developers knocking about, I’m willing to forgive them that particular life choice.

The game is called Papaya Plaza, and at first glance it looks like a brand-new JRPG for the NES, released back in 1983. Meaning: two dimensions, a top-down view, bright colors, and cuteness cranked all the way up. Cozy games have pretty much become their own genre by now, and that’s exactly where Biscuit Factory is placing its upcoming debut. Given the look, though, there’s a nice little twist: Papaya Plaza is mainly one for the strategists.

What exactly is Papaya Plaza?

More precisely, Papaya Plaza is a "cozy city builder"—with a dash of slice-of-life sim thrown in. Broadly speaking, it blends building mechanics with the kind of farming and life-sim elements you’d expect from something like Story of Seasons. But let’s take a closer look at the details revealed today, staying reasonably close to the official pitch.

The game makes you mayor of a run-down tourist town. Your job, naturally, is to bring visitors—known as "Beeps"—back and rebuild the community. The cozy side comes through in things like the more than 15 unique villagers, each with their own little stories, requests, and special moments.

At its core, though, Papaya Plaza is still about city building, decorating, placing buildings and shops, and helping out the villagers. You fund your plans with daily income, which you earn by staffing shops with cute residents. The goal is to raise your little town through the Town Rank system until it hits a 5-star rating.

City building, but cozy

With all that in mind, it’s worth stressing again that Papaya Plaza wasn’t made to ruin your day. The pace is deliberately relaxed, and the city-building never seems designed to pile on pressure. The developers themselves even describe it as building your dream escape at your own pace.

Unfortunately, like so many games, this one has been announced very early. There’s no exact release date yet, of course, but at least there’s a release window: 2027. PC is the only confirmed platform for now; Biscuit Factory currently isn’t saying anything about possible console versions.