Kiwi Walks has announced Shade of the Marionette: The Story of Piyorita, a new 3D story-driven action RPG set within the broader WitchSpring universe. The game is planned for release in 2027 on PC through Steam and unspecified console platforms, with Kiwi Walks handling both development and publishing. Its reveal was accompanied by a teaser introducing Piyorita, a doll who awakens without memories or emotions and is drawn into a world beyond a mysterious mirror.
Piyorita begins her story inside a white room known as the Nest, where she is guided by a familiar disembodied voice. The voice orders her to absorb the life force of the other dolls she encounters so that she can become a complete being, while failed creations around her are driven by the same desire for approval. That conflict forms the basis of a story in which Piyorita must decide how to move through the hidden rooms beyond the mirror and what kind of being she ultimately becomes.
Kiwi Walks says the order in which players unlock those rooms will affect which scenes they encounter and how the narrative develops. The structure therefore appears to place progression choices directly alongside the story rather than treating exploration as a fixed sequence. Piyorita’s journey is built around gradually uncovering new areas while absorbing other dolls and pursuing the status of what the game calls the “Masterpiece.”
Combat represents a major departure from the turn-based systems most closely associated with WitchSpring. Shade of the Marionette uses real-time 3D action built around sword fighting, unlimited dashes, ranged weapons and magic, with aim assistance intended to keep the controls accessible. Kiwi Walks says players will not need to memorize complicated command sequences, while terrain, cover and elevation are designed to turn movement through combat spaces into tactical problems rather than simple arenas.
The battle system also extends beyond Piyorita’s own weapons. Bosses defeated under certain conditions can be transformed into special Dolls that fight alongside her, adding coordinated abilities to the player’s available options. Materials collected while exploring can then be used to upgrade individual Doll parts, creating another progression path alongside Piyorita’s direct equipment.
Crafting is similarly tied to exploration and combat. Enemies and rooms provide materials that can be turned into new weapons, spells and traps, giving players different ways to approach encounters as the available toolkit expands. Kiwi Walks is positioning those systems as part of a broader loop in which exploration, combat rewards and equipment development continually feed into one another.
The developer describes Shade of the Marionette as a new story within the WitchSpring world rather than a direct continuation of one specific earlier game. That connection allows Kiwi Walks to retain the fantasy setting and character-driven storytelling associated with the series while moving into a faster action-RPG format. The studio is also promising more detailed visuals and a presentation intended to feel closer to an animated film than its earlier releases.
The reveal trailer itself focuses mainly on Piyorita’s awakening and the game’s premise rather than showing the full extent of its combat. Kiwi Walks has already said that a separate trailer featuring battle scenes and actual gameplay footage is planned, which should provide a clearer picture of how its sword combat, Dolls, magic and environmental mechanics function together.
Shade of the Marionette had previously surfaced through trademark filings made by Kiwi Walks earlier in 2026, but the latest announcement is the first time the studio has formally revealed what the name represents. The project is now confirmed as a full action RPG rather than a mobile-only spin-off or smaller experimental title, with PC and console versions planned from the outset.
Kiwi Walks has not yet named the individual console platforms, so PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo versions should not be treated as specifically confirmed until the developer provides a full platform list. A more precise release date has also not been announced beyond 2027. For now, Shade of the Marionette: The Story of Piyorita is confirmed for PC and consoles, with its first proper gameplay showcase still to come.
