<s>
Heartbound	B-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
American	O
indie	O
developer	O
Pirate	O
Software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
alpha	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Linux	B-Application
in	O
November	O
2016	O
on	O
Steam	O
Greenlight	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
beta	O
was	O
then	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Linux	B-Application
in	O
February	O
2017	O
along	O
with	O
a	O
Kickstarter	O
crowdfunding	O
campaign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heartbound	B-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
game	O
that	O
borrows	O
many	O
conventions	O
from	O
other	O
gaming	O
genres	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
series	O
of	O
cryptographic	O
puzzles	O
can	O
be	O
solved	O
outside	O
of	O
Heartbound	B-Application
,	O
available	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heartbound	B-Application
does	O
n't	O
use	O
the	O
traditional	O
systems	O
of	O
levels	O
,	O
experience	O
,	O
or	O
consumables	O
;	O
everything	O
is	O
skill-based	O
and	O
combat	O
can	O
change	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
actions	O
and	O
relationships	O
with	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hall	O
lists	O
Secret	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
,	O
EarthBound	B-Application
(	O
and	O
the	O
Mother	B-Application
series	I-Application
)	O
,	O
Wario	O
Ware	O
,	O
Secret	B-Application
of	I-Application
Evermore	I-Application
,	O
and	O
1o57	O
as	O
sources	O
of	O
inspiration	O
for	O
Heartbound	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heartbound	B-Application
was	O
initially	O
greenlit	O
on	O
Steam	O
in	O
December	O
2016	O
,	O
slated	O
for	O
release	O
into	O
Steam	O
early	O
access	O
in	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nearly	O
a	O
year	O
later	O
,	O
Heartbound	B-Application
released	O
into	O
Steam	O
early	O
access	O
on	O
Christmas	O
Day	O
of	O
2018	O
,	O
featuring	O
the	O
first	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
five	O
acts	O
and	O
an	O
expansion	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
companion	O
alternate	O
reality	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Over	O
the	O
next	O
five	O
years	O
,	O
Heartbound	B-Application
would	O
continue	O
development	O
,	O
with	O
much	O
of	O
it	O
streamed	O
live	O
on	O
the	O
studio	O
's	O
Twitch	O
channel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heartbounds	B-Application
alpha	O
and	O
beta	O
releases	O
were	O
both	O
very	O
well	O
received	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
the	O
mechanical	O
and	O
visual	O
similarities	O
with	O
Undertale	B-Application
,	O
many	O
comparisons	O
would	O
be	O
drawn	O
between	O
the	O
two	O
games	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
a	O
controversy	O
involving	O
popular	O
YouTuber	O
MatPat	O
regarding	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
standalone	O
nature	O
instead	O
of	O
its	O
existence	O
in	O
reference	O
to	O
Undertale	B-Application
.	O
</s>
