Many of you young'uns might hear the term Y2K and think of a vague, all encompassing descriptor of 2000s aesthetics, but us older folk think of it as this apocalyptic event that never came to be at the turn of the new millennium. Because the world didn't end, many thought that it was just a load of hogwash. In reality, there was a genuine computer bug that could have ruined important infrastructure worldwide if it hadn't been fixed leading up to the year 2000. All this to say, here's MonCraft 199X, a Pokemon-esque survival game where Y2K really did happen.
I'm not often a fan of genre fusions like these, it can feel a bit buzzwordy. However, throw in some nice vibes and a sick concept, and you've hooked me, which MonCraft has managed to do so far. Visually it clearly pulls from the original Game Boy Pokemon games, right down to the protag's little red cap, but still finds its own visual identity. It's the kind of pixel art that feels like an evolution as opposed to a pastiche, with some lovely colours and, thankfully, monster designs (although the music could maybe do a better job at distinguishing itself).
Speaking of those mons, it's not the usual turn-based affair. They all seem to hang out with you in the overworld, and you can use their moves to help you cut down trees, light up your path at night and the like. You can fight with them too, of course, but not much of that has been shown off just yet. There's crafting as well apparently (which means building too), things like dungeons and "crime zones," and its version of Pokemon's badge system can net your player character different abilities. It even has multiplayer!
Amongst all of this is a story that sees you attempting to discover just how this "Y2Katastrophe," went down back in 1999, "before history disappears forever." All you really know is that after the event, literally all animals went extinct, being replaced by (not Poke)mons. It all sounds neat! It just doesn't have a release date just yet. Whenever it does launch, it'll do so in early access.
You can wishlist MonCraft 199X on Steam right here.