Constance lead artist talks about Studio Ghibli inspirations & the game's themes of mental health | Shacknews

Constance lead artist talks about Studio Ghibli inspirations & the game's themes of mental health

The team developing Constance is looking to add a charming, hand-drawn flair to the Metroidvania genre.

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Fans of adorable visuals and roguelike games rejoice, because Constance looks to be the perfect mash-up of the two. We recently got to speak with Siba Gasser, the lead artist behind Constance, about what makes this Metroidvania so special. Please, take a look at the interview below!

In Constance, players take on the role of the titular character who is a paintbrush-wielding artist. Stuck in the drudgery of her fulltime job, Constance escapes to her inner worlds which are unfortunately succumbing to the weight of reality.

Viewers will no doubt immediately notice a Hollow Knight-like similarity in the style and movement of the main character. Constance looks to be able to dart quickly, climb up walls, and attack with her paintbrush. But what’s rather unique about this title is that it is all hand-drawn, things are literally being drawn frame-by-frame. According to Gasser, the team was inspired by Studio Ghibli movies with their vibrant worlds and rich color palettes.

Constance doesn’t have a release date yet, though the developers are hoping for a late 2025 or spring 2026 release window. They’re also hoping to release across all platforms! In fact, there is a Steam page up right now, so head over there and wishlist it and even give the demo a shot. Listen to more developer interviews over on our Shacknews Interviews YouTube page.

Guides Editor

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler 

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