Orbitals
About
Overview
Orbitals is a 2026 cooperative puzzle-adventure video game developed by Shapefarm and published by Kepler Interactive. The game follows Maki and Omura as they travel across space to prevent their space station from being destroyed by a deadly storm. It is built around two-player cooperation, with both players taking visible roles in a split screen format.
The game was conceived by Marcos Ramos and Jakob Lundgren as a short, accessible experience focused on puzzle-solving. Lundgren previously worked at Hazelight Studios as a level designer on cooperative games. To distinguish Orbitals from those projects, the team developed a visual direction inspired by 1980s anime and worked with Studio Massket on the game's animated cutscenes.
Gameplay
Orbitals is played largely from a third-person perspective, with some platforming sections presented from a two-dimensional perspective. It is exclusively a two-player cooperative game and has no single-player option. Local and online play are supported, with online play also able to use the Nintendo Switch 2's GameShare and GameChat features.
Gameplay is asymmetrical, meaning both players take on different responsibilities and must work together to complete puzzles. Each player controls either Maki or Omura, and both perspectives remain visible through split screen. Across puzzle sections, players use tools that require aiming and shooting: the Liquid Launcher, which uses water to extinguish fires and push obstacles; the Beam Cannon, which uses lasers to melt objects; and the Scrap Hook, which can latch onto certain doors and panels.
Between puzzle-platforming sections, the two players manually fly Maki and Omura's ship. One player operates the weapons while the other pilots, and the roles can be swapped at any time. Players can also explore the ship's interior, where non-player characters and minigames become available as the story progresses.
Setting
Orbitals begins with a space station colony threatened by a deadly interstellar storm. Maki and Omura must travel beyond the station and across space to help prevent the colony from being destroyed.
Release
Orbitals was released worldwide on September 3, 2026, for the Nintendo Switch 2. It was developed by Shapefarm and published by Kepler Interactive.