South Korean developer Topping Palette has launched a Kickstarter for an open-world romance RPG called Salty Hounds, and it's already more than doubled its goal.

Originally aiming for only $10,000, they met this in 7 hours, and that was before stretch goals were even announced! The developer has also confirmed that the game will be coming to Switch, which means more kissing on the go for us!

What sets Salty Hounds apart from other otome games - aside from that eyebrow-raising title - is its mix of RPG and open-world elements. As the new manager of a security agency, you have to gain the trust of the bodyguards working at the eponymous establishment and maintain the facilities while also getting to know each of the five handsome employees. And boy, handsome is an understatement.

The game itself is a bit of a looker, too, if we don't say so ourselves:

We know you probably want to see the game's features, but aren't the boys also the main attraction? Let's take a look at the five bachelors, who are each voiced by prominent Korean voice actors:

  • Noru, chief bodyguard at Salty Hounds - An aloof loner who borders on unsociable but is excellent at his job, Noru is the protagonist's childhood friend, but he's not always comfortable around them. Voiced by Ryu Seunggon (from Haikyuu!!, One Punch Man, Genshin Impact, etc.)
  • Seha, head of a rival security company - Young, capable, gentle, and ruthless, Seha is someone to be reckoned with as head of Haeryang Securities. Voiced by Son Suho (from Overwatch, Detective Conan, Library of Ruina, etc.)
  • Taemin, a cheerful employee - Free-spirited and playful, Taemin doesn't wear a tie to work, but he is both soft and stern, with powerful leadership skills. Voiced by Shim Gyuhyuk (from Mystic Messenger, Genshin Impact, My Hero Academia, etc.)
  • Yujin, crime investigator - Yujin is determined to create a world without injustice. He's incredibly capable and used to give the protagonist private lessons. Voiced by Jang Sungho (from Yu-Gi-Oh!, Hunter x Hunter, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, etc.)
  • Junho, the gullible bodyguard - Junho works for a shady security agency, and needs some help from you. Voiced by Lee Juchang, (of Gintama, Detective Conan, Darker Than Black, etc.)

You'll be able to do all sorts of things with your favourite boy, and you can even date more than one at once (if that's what you fancy), but you'll have to face the consequences. Here's a list of things you'll be able to do when the game launches, pulled straight from the Kickstarter page:

-A dynamic open-world city to explore
- Your love interests have their own interests and go about their own schedules
- A large amount of romantic random events, text messages and phone calls
- Dynamic and multi-faceted dating game that respects your choices and tests your social skills
- Simulated love interests - The love interests may become sick or (temporarily) angry with you, which will affect your time together and their success rate on missions
-Phone calls to and from the love interests, available around the clock
- The game will have you simulate and skip the days from Monday to Thursday in an instant, thus saving you from experiencing the less interesting part of a week.
- You will be put in full control of your character through Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On these days, you can explore the city, meet the others and interrupt them on their schedules, obtain items, go about different activities and raise your stats or earn more money...
- All for a perfect date with your significant other!

Salty Hounds doesn't have a release date yet, but you can still go and back the game on Kickstarter to get in on some of those (now available) pledges and tiers.

Will you be looking for love with a bodyguard when Salty Hounds releases? Let us know.

Further reading

[source kickstarter.com, via nintendoeverything.com]