Whispering Willows was recently entered into the OUYA Create Game Jam and were picked as finalists for three separate categories including Grand Prize, Most Immersive, and Best Visuals. The developers are also seeking to get the game approved through Steam Greenlight.

Although the game isn’t expected to launch until Q3 of 2013, an alpha demo has been released to help drum up interest. The demo is brief (about 5 minutes or less), but offers a glimpse into what the game is all about. The lead character, Elena, has a connection with the spirit world and is trying to find her father who many believe is dead. She can create an astral projection of herself within the land of the dead, and the player must alternate in between these two forms in order to open up new paths and help ghosts within the 2D environments. The game features some quality artwork that looks inspired in design from a number of Japanese-animated films and cartoons. The background music also helps set the somber mood for the story. The only nitpick I have is with the browser-based controls in terms of the odd choices for the keys assigned to different actions. The game is still early on, though, and it’ll be interesting to see how the final product turns out.

Swap between this world and the land of the undead to aid spirits and further your own quest.

Whispering Willows will be headed to a variety of platforms including Linux, Mac, OUYA, and PC. The studio has launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring in additional artists to help get the first chapter of  this multi-platform game out the door. Give the demo a try, and if you like what you see, you can reserve your copy of the game through Kickstarter for $10. You can also receive updates on the game’s progress through Night Light Interactive’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts.

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