If you are told that an upcoming MMO is being built to facilitate kids having fun with creativity at the heart of the game, it is understandable if you think of some titles with a less-than-stellar history. And to be clear, that is the pitch at the core of Puzkin: Magnetic Odyssey, which has an upcoming Kickstarter and is advertising itself on Reddit as being developed by team members from Capcom, Square-Enix, and Nintendo. But the CEO of Tokkun Studio, Benoit Ferriere, has kept engaging with comments on the initial announcement – including what the studio means about being kid-safe.
The goal here is ostensibly to create good guardrails from the beginning to allow families to play together and make a safe space for players of all ages. That means no toxic chat channels, no mandatory voice chat, and no way for strangers to contact children. It’s playable solo or in groups, and the trailer very much evokes feelings of a mix of Genshin Impact and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in both style and gameplay elements.
“We’ve also implemented other behind-the-scenes systems to detect and block inappropriate behavior early on,” the devs says. “The goal isn’t to ‘baby-proof’ the game — it’s to build a world where families, teens, and younger players can enjoy an online experience without worrying. It’s still a real MMO — just built with the right guardrails from day one.”
The Kickstarter is not live as of this writing and doesn’t have an asking price, but it’s promising exclusive items for backers that will not be available through other means. There’s also a statement that the game will only have cosmetics available for purchase and some will be available through gameplay, so it’s clear that considerations are in place for the business model. It’s worth perusing the thread in full if you’re curious about this one; we can’t promise that it’s going to hit the nail on the head in terms of being family-friendly, but it’s clear that making a safe online experience that you can enjoy with your friends and family is priority one.
