Overworld is set in a rudimentary medieval fantasy world with overlaid game mechanics. World building is not addressed directly in gameplay. It is developed through the biography or “bio” section of 35 player-driven heroes. These heroes all fulfill well-defined tropes of the genre, not limited to Tolkien’s bestiary there is for example the jester, the naga, and the shepherd. It doesn’t try to break a lot of ground on these classic archetypes, rather pays consistent homage to some of the greats, or hides behind snippets of poetry. Feedback welcome.
These images show the main screen for each hero on the left (including what they look like in-game). Bios are on the right. The more grounded bios reference the “Underworld”, a mythical land to contrast the titular Overworld, guarded by a character called the Gatekeeper. These bios usually introduce a convenient reason that the hero needs to go there. I hope you enjoy my prose and if on Android check out the game!