Frank and Drake release date set for July, new trailer

Frank and Drake, the rotoscoped narrative adventure starring an unlikely duo solving a conspiracy, now has a release date. Publisher Chorus Worldwide and developer Appnormals announced today that it will be available for Switch on July 20, 2023.

Frank and Drake was originally planned for Spring 2022 before being quietly delayed to February of this year. It saw another delay, but now that we have an actual date, the game shouldn’t be pushed back any further.

Everything you need to know can be found in the following overview:

The latest title from the award-winning developers of STAY alongside the console publishers of A Space for the Unbound and Coffee Talk tells a strange tale in a fictional mid-Atlantic city. Explore a branching tale of the eponymous, unlikely roommates set in the lovingly rotoscoped Oriole City, with more than 8,000 hand-drawn frames of traditional 2D art overlaying filmed footage.

Frank, still recovering from an amnesiac episode a year ago, runs a ramshackle apartment block as its superintendent during the day while taking care of Underdog, a scrappy one-eyed, wheelchair-riding dog. Drake’s solar allergy requires him to live the night life as a bartender, communing with his deceased mother from her gravesite under the moonlight after shifts. Lately, he deals with visions of unhoused people protecting him from an unsavory character.

The duo’s already odd circumstances intensify when the two find themselves enmeshed in a strange conspiracy teeming with riddles. Playing as Frank by day and Drake by night, communicating by sticky notes left in the apartment, the duo works asynchronously to get to the bottom of Frank’s missing memories, Drake’s visions, and the unseen puppet master pulling the strings.

Delve into the city’s secrets through a branching narrative across seven in-game days, where each choice guides the story down branching paths. Gain insights from multiple endings to uncover the true reality of Frank and Drake’s shared situation. Scrutinize the whole story across various paths with puzzles to solve and mini-games to complete.

Shintaro Kanaoya, founder and CEO of Chorus Worldwide, said: “Frank and Drake really isn’t like anything I’ve ever seen before from its look to how the story unfolds; it’s the kind of game where if it clicks with you, you’ll really love it. Everyone’s going to love Underdog, though. He’s a good dog.”

See a new release date trailer for Frank and Drake below.

Frank and Drake will cost $24.99 / €22.99 / £19.99 on the Switch eShop. Physical versions will arrive on store shelves later this year from Funstock.