Published by Neowiz Games and Round8 Studio, Lies of P is a 2023 third-person soulslike game based on the 1883 book The Adventures of Pinocchio, written by Carlo Collodi. Following a puppet protagonist named P as he traverses the plague-ridden city of Krat, Lies of P remixes a familiar story with a new flavor and tone that draws on the darker aspects of the story. As he fights against puppets who have lost all sense of control, P slowly learns who is behind the petrification epidemic and the puppet uprising, building to a memorable climax.

Lies of P was full of surprises as a soulslike game, ultimately rising above most of the genre with memorable encounters and nail-biting challenges, not to mention a healthy dose of secrets and twists to uncover. Still fairly new and only a year old, Lies of P has plans for the future, which includes not only DLC but also a sequel hinting at the inclusion of another fairy tale character who has ruby-red shoes: Dorothy from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Lies Of P's Sequel Will Apparently Follow Wizard Of Oz's Dorothy

A New Protagonist Shifts The Direction

Dorothy was teased in the post-credits scene in Lies of P, raising the possibility of a sequel centering on Dorothy or adding her to the roster of characters. While The Wizard of Oz and The Adventures of Pinocchio are vastly different in some regards — apart from the prospect of gaining new hearts — a Dorothy sequel could still make for an interesting game in various ways. Starting with the location in the post-credits scene, it's clear Dorothy is no longer in Kansas. Though the woman in red shoes is standing atop a roof in Krat, it's possible P will her in Oz.

Whichever path Neowiz decides to go for, players can expect to either travel outside the city of Krat or approach the dynamic city from a different perspective than before. It is also highly possible that the woman in question isn't Dorothy, as the woman in the red shoes is also wearing striped socks, a marker of the Wicked Witch of the East from the original film. The red skirt is a break from Dorothy's most iconic look that matches some merchandise of the Witch of the East, but it could just be a way to contrast P's blue color theme.

The Wizard Of Oz Would Be A Cool Story

Another Dark Children's Tale

Despite the bright and vibrant colors described in the book and enhanced in the film, The Wizard of Oz is already a famously dark story. Not all is bright and cheery in the great land of Oz, as revealed by the Wicked Witches of the East and the West. The Wicked Witch of the East was known for oppressing the munchkins in the Land of Oz. This could create a story of taking down a tyrannical force. If Neowiz were to make the sequel with The Wicked Witch of the East, she could serve as the next main enemy of Lies of P.

Likewise, should the woman in red shoes be Dorothy, she could either be an ally, a main character, or an enemy. In other, darker iterations of The Wizard of Oz—the Dorothy Must Die book series, for example — Dorothy takes over Oz as a new tyrannical ruler, which is a potential storyline that Lies of P and Neowiz could adapt. Or, should Neowiz adapt the original Wizard of Oz story, then Dorothy could be a teammate of P, introducing a new party system in the sequel.

It is also possible that Dorothy herself could be the star of the game. Her Oz friends — the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion — could be her allies in a party system or enemies controlled by a particularly scheming version of the Wizard himself. All of these potential takes could make for a very interesting sequel, and the potential to explore themes of belonging would make sense as a follow-up. As a bonus, Toto could make for an excellent canine fighting companion.

Lies Of P Pulled Off The Impossible, and Its Sequel Could Too

Neowiz Has Already Exceeded Expectations Once

With P's primary source of fighting coming from the use of using melee weapons, magic played a secondary role in Lies of P. However, since The Wizard of Oz focuses heavily on magic, it's entirely possible that Dorothy's gameplay could be centered on the use of magic. The end credits emphasized Dorothy clicking her red ruby shoes, which could be transformed in the game to be a power buff or even a mechanic that switches the kind of magic being used (e.g., offensive vs. defensive).

It's easy to dismiss The Wizard of Oz as a familiar tale that's been recounted too many times, but like Pinocchio, the broad themes and interesting characters provide plenty of room for reinvention. The extensive original book series by L. Frank Baum often went into weirder places than the iconic film did, something that other adaptations, like the significantly more unnerving Return to Oz, have leaned into. Breathing new life into the story wouldn't be easy, but there's no reason that Neowiz couldn't pull it off.

All 14 of L. Frank Baum's Oz books are public domain, giving Neowiz plenty of material to pull from without licensing issues.

The best argument for an Oz sequel is Lies of P itself, which completed a similarly tricky feat. From the beautiful yet tragic background that highlights the dark aesthetic of The Adventures of Pinocchio to the precise spectacle of combat, Lies of P rarely falters in any way that matters. Following their previous formula and expanding upon new opportunities, Neowiz could make a dark sequel centered around the Wizard of Oz that could surprise fans and players yet again, establishing a huge gaming franchise that follows fairy tale characters in their fight against evil.