RPGDX has just wrapped up its annual short-form RPG challenge. All participants had from August 9th to August 18th to create an RPG having to do with the challenge theme, Alternate History. Here is a list of the games that were finished within the time constraints of the challenge: –If Only, a short but funny [...]

Title: Dubloon Developer: Banov Platforms: Windows Price: Free Dubloon is a jRPG developed by Banov that sports a pirate theme, tile-based movement, and visible, wandering enemy encounters. Featuring an odd mix of inspired design decisions and sloppy implementation, Dubloon is the first RPG I can recall having played where the system I played it on [...]

Title: Ainevoltas 2 Developer: Silvernova Platforms: Windows Price: Free Developed by Silvernova, Ainevoltas 2 has been described as a platformer-RPG. In reality, it plays more like a platformer with stats and floaty damage numbers than a proper RPG. Imagine Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but minus the puzzles, loot, cool abilities, tight controls, and most [...]

Word has it that Pseudolonewolf, the pseudonymous developer behind Fig Hunter Games, has finally released Mardek RPG: Chapter 3 after years of development. As with the first two chapters, Mardek 3 is a free-to-play browser game with a Paper Mario-style, reaction-based combat system.

This is apparently something of a week for nautical-themed RPGs. Banov has released his freeware JRPG “Dubloon,” which he describes as a “point-n-click pirate RPG adventure game.” It’s available here–you can see a short gameplay vid of it below: Meanwhile, I’ve received an email from Heather Albano of Choice of Games, who has recently released [...]

Title: Ara Fell: The Legend of Dirisetsu Hollow Developer: Stephen Anthony Platforms: Windows Price: Free Ara Fell is a freeware jRPG produced in RPG Maker 2003 by Stephen Anthony (a.k.a. “Badluck”). The game is unfinished, which is a pity, because it’s really quite fun while it lasts. To summarize the plot is to summarize the [...]

Title: Boundless Ocean Developer: RPGCreations Platforms: Windows Price: Free An RPG by Hardi “Orchard-L” Gosal of Radical Poesis Games, Boundless Ocean is a bit like a jRPG take on What Dreams May Come. It has some great ideas, but unfortunately, it is also saddled with an execution that doesn’t quite do them justice. Boundless Ocean’s [...]

Title: Exit Fate Developer: SCF Platforms: Windows Price: Free Exit Fate is an improvement upon Last Scenario in almost every conceivable area. It’s quite a good RPG, albeit something of a shameless rip-off (not that you’d know it from reviews like this). First, what Exit Fate gets right. The biggest area of improvement is in [...]

Title: Last Scenario Developer: SCF Platforms: Windows Price: Free Made using RPG Maker XP by SCF, Last Scenario is a typical jRPG with typical jRPG weaknesses. It stands out vis-a-vis other RPG Maker RPGs primarily because it has some nice custom graphics. While most of the tilesets used in the game are stock RPG Maker [...]

Title: Caravaneer Developer: Dmitry Zheltobriukhov Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux Price: Free Caravaneer has been around since 2007, when Dmitry Zheltobriukhov created it as an homage to the Fallout series. One part post-apocalyptic RPG and one part economic simulation, Caravaneer doesn’t quite fill Fallout’s shoes, but it does stand up quite well on its own two [...]