Kejora Next Fest Demo Preview: There’s Something in the Forest

Kejora from Developer Berangin Creative is a platformer, puzzle game that features hand-drawn art and animation. You play as a young girl named Kejora with her two best friends who are able to help her on her journey. I spent about 30 minutes with the Next Fest demo and can’t wait to jump into the full game.

At the beginning of Kejora’s Next Fest demo players are introduced to the sweet little village where she lives. The members of the village are all friendly, they know each other very well and are protective of Kejora and her friends. When the kids get a little too close to the forest outside the village they’re reminded of the time they got lost and are warned against venturing there again. And naturally, kids being kids, when they do end up in the forest again, they uncover a dangerous secret hidden there. 

Kejora plays like your average puzzle platformer where you’ll control the main character as she explores the village and the forest. She is also accompanied by her two friends that both have their own unique abilities. Jaka is able to push heavy objects and use a sling shot while Guntur can use his martial arts lessons to break down certain obstacles and give Kejora a boost up a tall wall when she needs it. Together the three characters are very capable at traversal and exploration. Other than exploration the majority of the demo was collecting items needed to progress.

When you get to the forest, you’ll encounter a creature that you must hide from and players will also be introduced to some stealth mechanics. This section wasn’t too difficult but I did fail once when trying to get away. It will be interesting to see in the full game if they decide to amp up the difficulty or if they intend to have the game be more of a relaxed experience. 

What stuck out most to me about Kejora was its art style. There’s an adorable Ghibli-like look to it and not only do the cutscenes look beautiful but the characters themselves and the background settings are stunning as well.

Kejora does not have a release date just yet but this short demo was a great glimpse of what to expect. I can’t wait to see more from this adorable puzzle platformer.