Darkbright raises $6M to build life sim RPG Smolbound

Darkbright Studios announced today that it has raised $6 million as part of an oversubscribed seed round. The studio plans to use this funding to create midcore game titles, with the first being life sim title Smolbound. This RPG/sim hybrid is a player-driven world with seamless Web3 integration. The studio has initiated closed beta tests for the game, with plans to launch it on the Treasure Layer-2 blockchain next year.

Smolbound features an infinite world, where players can engage mechanics including travel, farming, exploration and collection, with colorful fantasy art design. Darkbright describes the game as “a quirky marriage Animal Crossing and Raft.” It also features an extensive UGC ecosystem and live ops, along with Web3 integration that promotes player ownership.