People of Note Blends “the Combat of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with the Frenetic Energy of KPop Demon Hunters”

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Video games have featured music for years, from the wandering minstrels in *The Witcher 3* to the boss fight song in *Baldur’s Gate 3*. However, games that are *entirely* musicals are still pretty rare. At Tokyo Game Show 2025, Annapurna Interactive announced they’re entering this growing trend with *People of Note*, a new game developed by Iridium Studios.

Similar to games like *Stray Gods* and *Wandersong*, *People of Note* blends gameplay with full musical numbers and performances. The game follows Cadence, a singer with dreams of winning Chordia’s prestigious Noteworthy Song Contest. However, her refusal to stick to the contest’s pop music rules attracts the attention of Smolder, a popular boy band with a hidden, more dangerous side, sending Cadence on a genre-bending adventure.

People of Note is Clair Obscur Meets KPop Demon Hunters

During a pre-Tokyo Game Show event, Iridum Studios’ creative director, Jason Wishnov, explained that he and his team approached the five-year development of *People of Note* with a lot of creative flair and enthusiasm. He described the game as a unique blend of the combat system from *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33* and the fast-paced action of *KPop Demon Hunters*. *People of Note* is a vibrant, music-filled game featuring traditional turn-based RPG battles, dungeon crawling, and challenging boss fights.

In *People of Note*, battles play out like musical performances. As Cadence journeys, she meets allies who specialize in various music genres-from rock and electronic to styles different from the popular music of Chordia. During turn-based combat, characters combine their skills for unique “mashup attacks” and adapt to ever-changing conditions. The game emphasizes teamwork, building a party that fights and performs together as a unified musical group, all in preparation for the grand Noteworthy Song Contest.

Iridium Studios says their game, *People of Note*, will feature challenging puzzle dungeons, team-based battles, numerous musical performances, and plenty of wordplay. It’s currently planned to launch in 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. We can expect more details, including a specific release date, in the near future.

People of Note Continues Annapurna’s Commitment To Delivering Unique Games

Annapurna Interactive is known for creating distinctive and inventive indie games, and *People of Note* fits right in. They’ve previously pushed boundaries with games like *Outer Wilds* (which features a time loop), *Stray* (where you play as a cat), and *Storyteller* (a puzzle game inspired by literature). *People of Note* continues this trend by cleverly integrating music into both battles and the narrative, offering challenging puzzle-filled dungeons, and presenting it all within a bright, futuristic setting.

The publisher has a strong track record with music-focused games, including titles like *Sayonara Wild Hearts* (2019) and *The Artful Escape* (2021). Their upcoming game, *People of Note*, blends genres and features a lot of music, making it a great addition to their 2026 lineup. That lineup also includes the puzzle game *D-topia* and the action-adventure game *Demi and the Fractured Dream*, both of which were showcased at Tokyo Game Show. For players eager to experience something from Annapurna Interactive sooner, *Bounty Star* and *Mixtape* will both be released later in 2025.

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2025-09-24 03:37