I've not stopped thinking about this open-world dress-up game from a former Breath of the Wild dev for 2 years, and now it finally has a playtest

The stunning open-world dress-up game I covered a little under two years ago has finally announced an offline playtest, and I can't wait to see more of it. 

In December 2022, Paper Games announced Infinity Nikki, the latest game in the Nikki Up2U dress-up game series. I was already sold on the upcoming game, due to its gorgeous visuals, adorable characters, and open-world gameplay, but things got even better when I discovered that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's game designer, Kentaro Tominaga, was heading up the project. 

Now, on April 19, we've had a substantial update. As revealed via the Infinity Nikki English language Twitter account, playtests for the game are set to begin in "mid-May" and those excited to experience Infinity Nikki can sign up today. Before you rush to sign up, it's important to know that this is an "offline" playtest that will take place in Los Angeles, USA - so you'll need to be able to physically attend to take part. 

#InfinityNikki | Offline Playtest Recruitment❣Stylists, we're excited to announce an offline playtest. Fill out the survey below to participate!Link: https://t.co/pY7YDAd8M9Date: Mid-MayLocation: Los Angeles, USA*Time/location will be emailed to selected participants. pic.twitter.com/hioHya0X9iApril 19, 2024

This could be one of the first instances where people outside the studio can try out Infinity Nikki. The sign-up form says the playtest is "to further improve our product development," which suggests that the results of this playtest will shape the game before its launch. The form also reveals that the playtest will be "small-scale" and "confidential" and will even reward  participants with "exquisite merchandise." 

If this is the first time you've heard of Infinity Nikki, it's essentially an open-world platformer in which protagonist Nikki and cat sidekick Momo adventure through the fantasy world of Miraland, where they switch up their outfits to take on new abilities. As it's been a couple of years since we saw