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The Faraway King
A narrative adventure with exploration and visual novel elements. Join J.D. on a journey through the nation of Yoom to find the mythical figure known as the Faraway King and rid himself of his supposed curse. But should J.D. trust his bizarre companion, Zxtabella?

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Features
Single-player
Family Sharing
Steam is learning about this game 
Languages:
Interface Full Audio Subtitles
English ✔ ✔

Coming Soon To Early Access

The developers of this game intend to release as a work in progress, developing with the feedback of players.

Note: Games in Early Access are not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“I have a good idea of what the final game should be, which seems consistent with feedback I’ve received so far. But I’m interested in hearing further opinions on subjects including:
-I’ve limited graphic and audio options somewhat. Is anything that’s missing a big deal for you?
-Is gamepad input working for you? I’ve only tested with a PS4 controller.
-Have you experienced performance (or loading) issues?
-Are you engaging with optional narrative elements, such as conversations with Zxtabella or things that happen when you go off-track in the map screen?”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Hopefully the full version will be done in 2028, with a demo that starts at the start of the story in 2027. It mainly depends on what paid work I’m doing in order to be able to eat food.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“The EA version starts some way through the story, so there’s quite a bit of background to catch up on. And certain game/narrative mechanics used in the first hour have roots in a time before I really knew what I was doing. So I think the core plotlines feel a lot less engaging than they will in the final game, and you may feel bogged down by excessive reading. Also, I’m hoping to include more non-core elements that feel meaningful (e.g. explorable places).”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Technically, it roughly reflects what I expect the finished game to be like. At least, on my 4-year-old laptop, it’s running smoothly and bugs are rare. It’s possible you may experience issues on other hardware though, in which case please report it to contact@outoftimeinteractive.com.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“I've tried to price Early Access at good value for what you get. I expect the final version to launch at 4-5 times this price.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“I'm interested in seeing what feedback I'll get, via reviews, the community page, or email (see above). I intend to occasionally share some indication of progress, but as a narrative-heavy game, detailed updates would amount to spoilers. So I'll aim to make them more like teasers or sneak peeks.”
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This game is not yet available on Steam

Planned Release Date: July 2026

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About This Game

Thank you for your interest in The Faraway King. 

The current Early Access version should be largely bug-free, but the core story feels less engaging than the final version should be (see EA section above). I think there’s enough that’s unique about it that it may still be of interest to fans of narrative games (i.e. story-focused games with little challenge), so I have released this version for those who are curious. But you’re equally welcome to wishlist and wait for a demo that starts at the start of the story. It will be a while though…

Having journeyed to the nation of Yoom to find The Faraway King and get his life back on track, J.D. finds his quest entwined with that of the mysterious and inexplicable Zxtabella. Helping her locate The Seven Alterations—tasks of unclear purpose, for an unknown master—appears to be the only way he can find the legendary "king". But with only her vague and cryptic clues to go on, it won't be straightforward.

On the way to their eventual goal, they'll meet fishermen, artists, and members of a bureaucratic cult, they'll investigate the mystical secrets buried in the ancient history of Yoom, and they'll each find a new direction in their lives, depending on the choices you make.


Travel the Yoom map by motorbike, using Zxtabella's psychic visions to narrow down the location of the Alterations to a forgotten cabin in a distant town or a remote spot in a vast woodland. Or try a road at random and who knows what you'll find? 

As they approach each Alteration and we join them in 3D, the duo invariably find themselves immersed in a sub-plot that may or may not be connected to the Alterations, from a murder mystery (not in the Early Access version) to a town with a strange cultural divide. 

See the Extended Gameplay Trailer above for a clear idea of typical gameplay.

Out of Time Interactive is currently Alex Franks, who has previously worked in various capacities for games companies including Sony, King, Ubisoft, and SEGA. More recently, for Nexus Studios, he has contributed to site-specific audio-visual works for the ABBA Arena and The Sphere (Las Vegas), and helped develop Meta's metaverse.

You'll need a PC capable of running Unreal Engine 5 games. Control pad and mouse/keyboard are both supported, and switching back and forth should be OK-ish, but pad input has only been tested with a PS4 controller.

System Requirements

    Minimum:
    • OS: Windows 10
    • Processor: Quad-core Intel/AMD 2.5 GHz
    • Memory: 8 GB RAM
    • Graphics: DirectX 11 or 12 compatible card (e.g., NVIDIA GTX 1650/1050-ti, AMD RX 470/570)
    • DirectX: Version 11
    • Storage: 9 GB available space
    Recommended:
    • Processor: Core i7--8700, Ryzen 5 1600
    • Memory: 16 GB RAM
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