REPLACED is a 2.5D sci-fi platformer that was announced in 2021, and developers Sad Cat Studios have announced the game is finally almost ready. This will be Sad Cat Studios’ first game, and has been highly-anticipated thanks to its stunning hand-painted animations set in a dystopian version of 1980s America.
In REPLACED you’ll play as an Artificial Intelligence that’s been trapped in a human body, while the world is suffering from corruption, outlaws, and greed, following a catastrophic nuclear event.
Sad Cat released a gameplay overview last year that shows intense combat, edgy dialogue, and an innovative approach to platforming using camera angles and stunning cinematics, and gamers are hyped up about it.
Cyberpunk-Inspired Platformer REPLACED Release Date
After generating quite the buzz with its gameplay overview, which has led fans to compare REPLACED with the beloved puzzle platformer INSIDE, Game Director Yura Zhdanovich says they’re taking their time to ensure the game lives up to expectations.
“We know that our community is incredibly excited to play REPLACED, and it’s no secret that it’s taken longer than we initially thought to deliver that to you all – we apologize for that.”
When the game was delayed in 2023, the Sad Cat Studios team explained they had set their bar for quality extremely high, and the release date shift was essential to delivering a memorable gaming experience with handmade art that takes time to create.
To give an example of this, the main character in REPLACED has more than 500 meticulously hand-painted animations made just for platforming.
In an age where unfinished games continuously cause outrage among gamers, and A.I is playing a bigger role in the industry, fans appear to be more than happy to wait a little longer for a finished game made with love, by humans.
In the official development update trailer, Sad Cat reveals that since the announcement, almost every aspect of the game has been changed or upgraded, including a complete overhaul to every environment, and they are now almost finished with production.
Sad Cat has created a unique and immersive experience using a mixture of 2D animation, 3D object movement, and camera angles to create the illusion of a cohesive world. 2026 already looks very promising when it comes to video game releases, but this hand-painted pixel-art platformer has the potential to be one of the best indie games of the year.
