Kiddos Puzzcade by Gretgor

 

In a lazy and mundane day, four children were playing in the woods. As night approaches, they realize they lost track of where the way back home was, and decide to try asking for help within the gates of a suspicious looking place. As they walk into the walled garden and search for anything that looks like a house, things get strange, and they see themselves trapped. That's when their bizarre adventure begins.

 

 

Kiddos Puzzcade is a lighthearted puzzle game with four playable characters. In each of this game's eight levels, you must alternate between the four children and interact with the scenery in order to open up the door that leads to the next level. Each kid has a special ability that comes in handy in different situations:

Jack is a brave young buy who loves adventure and exploration. He's the strongest of the four, being the only one capable of moving heavy boulders around. 
Russel, the helmet boy, is an intelligent, but rather insecure lad who tries to avoid taking risks. He has a special... gift at breaking brittle rocks, one he still doesn't know is rather unhealthy. 
Anne is a tough and independent girl, she's quite a bit irritable, but always resourceful and reliable. She jumps higher than most kids her age. 
Marie, the ribbon girl, is the prettiest girl in school. Pampered as they come, she always has the most expensive things at her disposal. She might be fearful and spoiled, but she's truly loyal to her friends no matter what. 

Download Link

Rpgmaker.net

Rmarchiv.de 

 

Random Fact: this game is an improved version of the original one made by Gretgor for a tiny contest in the long gone (and short lived) Foolish Forums community back in 2008-2009.

 

 

Final Verdict: Kiddos Puzzcade is a really inspired and creative lighthearted game: the system made me remember The Lost Vikings videogame, a quite similar '90s Amiga puzzle-platform where the player had to control alternatively three vikings with different skills. Well, Kiddos Puzzcade is basically the same game without monsters and with four characters instead of three. Is it fun? Yes, very much, and as I said before my complaint is that it's pretty short, despite having enough elements for many more levels and challenges. There isn't much to criticize here, there are no issues, no bugs, no mapping errors. It's a simple little puzzle game and it works, the plot and dialogues are minimal, but all is done with attention to the details. Well done!

Ketsuro by sriden (french)

 

The story takes place in 1581, in the remote northern reaches of China. Japanese migrants settled here as early as the 15th century, establishing their own small, independent territory in these forgotten lands. They blended local cultures with those of the Mongols and Chinese, but one aspect of their original Japanese culture remained deeply ingrained: the veneration of the sword.  

 

In short, it is in this mountainous and barbaric environment that we find our hero: Heiden. He belongs to a resistance group of skilled warriors who oppose the sordid regime of Kyôda, a brutal and corrupt tyrant who has been poisoning the territory for 17 years. But an unexpected alliance might hasten the bloody fate of this small territory.

 

Ketsuro is an oriental adventure in which we play as a swordsman that later is joined in his adventures by other warriors. The game is mostly a realistic/historical adventure with battle against human opponents and wild animals, anyway the system is the usual Rpgmaker 2003 with some edited sprites and rips from games like Samurai Shodown and The Last Blade. The game also includes action sections, and saving can be done at the stone lanterns.

Award-winning game at the 2022 Alex d'Or:  - Best Direction   

Download Link

Play Online 

Oniromancie

Alex d'Or

Rmarchiv.de 

Youtube Longplay

 

Random Fact: the hand-drawn portraits are sketches scribbled in ballpoint pen by the author in the margins of his school notebooks between 1997 and 2003,  where he drew these characters, among others, to hone his drawing skills from scratch.  The game's ending was also created using hand-drawn animation.

Inside the game you can also find a drawing school where you may see additional artworks. 

 

There was also an attempt to make the game using only custom made graphics, as you can see in the video below.

 

Final Verdict: an excellent adventure game with a perfectly reacreated oriental setting. Visually really impressive with excellent music and an evocative setting, and it's even a complete story.

Beetle Ninja by Prosciuttoman aka 16bitking

Beetle Ninja is the story of an early-twenties ninja for hire, Montrell Saint Luc, the Beetle Ninja. After accidentally unleashing a cataclysmic entity which is set to destroy the world in two weeks, Beetle Ninja must work to prevent the realization of the incoming cataclysm. Partner with a slew of different ninjas, and defeat hordes of devious monsters as you work against the clock to stop the end of the world. 

Beetle Ninja is an adventure with rpg elements and a time limit: the protagonist has few days to prevent the end of the world and the actions that our hero will choose will be really important: train, get new allies, perform various missions or tasks, and so on. Every activity takes time and will let Beetle Ninja earn something that will help, anyway time is scarce so there won't be enough time to do everything. The first thing to do is looking for allies, and all these are ninjas. However some will be harder to get and someone may also betray you, so pay attention. This game includes various battles against weird opponents and custom graphics, plus more than one possible ending.

Itch.io

Gamejolt.com

Steam 

Rpgmaker.net 

 

 

Random Fact: a sequel was planned but later cancelled: Beetle Ninja 2 plot was about Mikhail Layka, "the Whip Scorpion". The eighty sixth pupil of a facility called "the Dojo", the Scorpion's journey begins when he's contacted anonymously via mail with a special mission: stopping an Armageddon: a war of untold proportions with the power to decimate civilization.

 

 

Final Verdict: a fantastic game with a unique visual style. While it may seem cartoonish, the game includes mystery and violence. Mapping is really fantastic, anyway the game isn't really very long but it's not a problem considering the replayability, I guess.

Gnosis by JCM2

 

Doug Bigham liven an enjoyable life as a member of a safety riot team, until he found himself lying in the middle of the debris of a town with no memory and serious injuries. His dream world and memories are his only method to rebuild the events that brought him to that situation.

Gnosis is a Yume Nikki fangame made in spanish by JCM2 and translated into english by Patchy Illusion Team. The demo was released in 2012 but the project was abandoned in 2014. In 2014 was also released the english version.

 

The game is a surrealist adventure game like Yume Nikki by Kikiyama. The game is about exploring a weird dreamlike world and collect various "Effects". Effects with an action can be usually toggled with Shift, though sometimes the 2 key can cause actions (cancelled with 3). At least 17 primary effects, including Kama-El, are required for getting an ending.

Outside of the regular 19 effects, there are also Gag Effects that can be collected but not used.

 

Download Link

Official Site

Rmarchiv.de

 

Random Fact: there is a wiki with a list and details on all the various collectible effects.

Check it here: https://yumenikkifg.fandom.com/wiki/Gnosis 

 

 

Final Verdict: like most Yume Nikki fangames this can surely be more appreciate by those who played the original game, but since it's not really tied to it I think it may be also well liked by new players that like the genre.

Carpe Diem - The Living Flame by Linkforce

In Carpe Diem, the story is about several young adults as they become entangled in world affairs in the land of Kelevor, menaced by an alien race called Zylacs. 

 

The main protagonist, Skylar, is a run-of-the-mill swordsman hero, versed in the element of lightning, except he does not really show any obsession with "saving the world", and he gets in trouble with some of the more noble factions at several points in the demo. His childhood friend, Haru is a two blades fighter and the typical arrogant hero, putting him at odds with his buddy at several points. Then other playable characters are introduced, like the mysterious swordsman Trance, Alkamar the dark mage courtesan, Ledron the weak boy with regenerative powers and so on.

 

Carpe Diem - The Living Flame, Episode 1, was supposed to be the first part of a trilogy, but even if this wasn't completed, the demo is pretty long and will take more than six hours to be completed: this is a pretty much linear rpg adventure heavy on dialogues and with many playable characters in a techno-fantasy world full of detail and lore. Mapping, animations and the music are among the bestaspects of this game. The walking speed is pretty slow, but pressing the Shift key you can make the character run.

Download Link

Rpgmaker.net

Rmarchiv.de 

 

Random Fact: some enemy charsets are clearly inspired bycharacters of popular fighting games: the red and blue ninjas Faron and Daron, that act as secondary bossed are identical to Fuuma Kotaro and Hanzou Hattori, the two rivals of the World Heroes series. Then there is Rixtia, that is a pixelated version of Ivy Valentine from Soulcalibur.

Final Verdict: with shorter cutscenes, more savepoints and consumables, and less boring combat this game could have been a lot better. It's a shame since there are still many good qualities and ideas. In any case if you like epic Jrpgs with a large cast of characters, play it, it's still quite enjoyable.

Balmung Cycle Part I: The Messenger and the Heretic & Balmung Chronicle by Magi

An outcast god consumed by despair threatens to bring the world of Midgard to its knees. Aided by a ragtag group of volunteer soldiers-of-fortune and a small loyal following, he aims to establish his kingdom once more. When reason and diplomacy with the outcast deity fail, the Aesir god Loki prepares to make a final bid to halt the ambitions of the heretic. What will become of the world should he be unable to succeed? 

 

You play as Blitz Ymir, a disconnected servant to the Aesir. The god Loki has offered you a limited freedom if only you were to complete a simple task in his name. When past obligations become personal choice, will you choose to live a menial life or continue to take up the sword in the name of the gods?

Balmung Cycle is a classic rpgmaker rpg, but unlike using a classic fantasy setting it's inspired by the Norse mythology. It's a really solid adventure with many playable characters, and a complete game despite being a part 1, so it was apparently the first chapter of a bigger story. The game offers battles, puzzles, duel and exploration. Maps are really well done too.

 

The game won six Misao awards in 2008:

Game of the Year

Best RPG

Best Completed Game

Best Sound

Best Game Design

Best Level Design

 

Download Link

Rpgmaker.net 

Rmarchiv.de

 

Random Fact: like often happens, a demo was released before the complete version about two years before. Originally the game was titled Balmung Chronicle: Echoes of Idavoll and was pretty different, so much that this cannot be considered only a demo, but really another game. See below for this extra.

Final Verdict: The story was well made, gameplay properly applied and just a very consistent feel from start to finish and I wish more games were like this. Side note, if it wasn't for this game Forever's End might never have existed! 

 

 

 

EXTRA - Balmung Chronicle: Echoes of Idavoll (demo): in the Ironfall prison arrives an Einherjar named Blitz, despite he seems to not have killed anyone. His old friend Alrick with his associate Eitri are attempting to help him escape. Once out Blitz plans to investigate if the Viscount Andhrimnir is behind his arrest...

 

Balmung Chronicle seems like a more traditional rpg, without the duels and other interesting additions of the final game, despite this it's still an enjoyable adventure that even uses the same interface and battle setup of Balmung Cycle, not to mention the same characters, but in a different situation and setting. 

 

Download Link

Rmarchiv.de

 

Random Fact: although the characters have the same name and appearance, the plot is very different from the story we play in the complete game, and also the setting is different and much more techno-fantasy.

 

 

Final Verdict: it's only a demo, and maybe has less character and identity than the Balmung that was released, but this old prototype has still its charm and is enjoyable since it takes a very different approach. Try it.

The Legend of the Philosopher's Stone by Nemesis aka XxNemesis29xX

 

After a cryptic introduction about something happened a century before, we start the story with Marjan and his schoolmates visiting the natural reserve of their city. They have to celebrate the graduation camping there, however something unexpected happens: Marjan and Farris find that their friends disappeared, and then a portal opens, sending them elsewhere... to the unknown world of Terra.

Here the two friends will have to reunite with their schoolmates and find a way back home.

 

The Legend of the Philosopher's Stone is a classic Rpgmaker fantasy jrpg adventure whose plot seems to be inspired by Chrono Trigger. However the game stands out for the excellent use of Rpgmaker rips and Roco graphics, great mapping and locations designed with functionality in mind.

The game also has custom made menus and a refined battle system where you  can change the composition of your three-person party, teach your heroes skills using acquired orbs of magic, and equip them with up to four skills.

Download Link

Mirror Link

Rmarchiv.de 

 

Random Fact: even if the main protagonist is Marjan, in many parts of the game we'll control other friends like Zsu Zsu or Kris and their respective party... at least until they will reunite with Marjan.

 

Final Verdict: a game I can recommend, it's an interesting linear demo with few optional areas. And this is the negative. The positive is the great mapping, immersive setting and beautiful locations, fun combat and likeable characters. Really good. 

FF: Cry to Heaven by P0sitr0nic Productions

For generations, the lands of Corsica have been plagued by monsters, known as the Horde. The source of the Horde is the Maelstrom, a storm of great magnitude and evil.
In an effort to save the lands, the royal De'Carthani family has raised a fleet of ships to enter the Maelstrom and stop the Horde at its source. Unfortunately things do not go as well as expected, because the fleet is ambushed by some obscure creatures. 

 

Lilian De'Carthani, the princess daughter of the king of Corsica, after shipwrecking find herself lost in an unknown land. However she's a promising red mage, trained in both the arts of magic and combat, and she is determined to reach home. With the help of new associates like Bailey the Chocobo and some old friends like Arcius the royal mage she'll try to stop the Horde menace once for all.

 

 

FF: Cry to Heaven follows the same formula of FF: Shattered Lands: is a pretty linear stand alone story that takes inspiration from the series, creating another FF-lite andventure. It's not very difficult, and this time the plot seems to be a little more original than the one of the previous game from P0sitr0nic Productions, even if it's the classic story of heroes against the force of darkness. This time the game also seems to have a more high-fantasy and less techno-fantasy setting.

Download Link

Rmarchiv.de 

 

Official P0sitr0nic Productions Site (Wayback Machine) 

 

Random Fact: the multi-claw attack of Bailey the Chocobo is overpowered: has a cost of zero and hits all enemies for much more damage than the standard attack. So why shall we use the standard attack at all?

Final Verdict: another homage to the FF series, again not very long and with four main characters plus few guest characters. More of the same, but still good!

Tales of Banalia & Chronicles of Malvagion by LolloRocketDiver aka MissingSeven (italian)

 

In the past the world was threatened by the King of the Demons that was spreading chaos and distruction everywhere, however a valiant hero, the Knight of Crystal, challenged the King of the Demons. After seven days the Knight won and the King was banished. After many years the forces of evil are resurfacing, but the Knight of Crystal isn't around anymore. Eide, the son of the hero of the past decides to join a former comrade in arms of his father to defeat evil once for all.

 

Tales of Banalia is a jrpg adventure game that's also a parody of the jrpg games: it includes classic dungeons and battles but also many puns and bizarre situations. Despite being a silly game it includes hours of adventure, unlockable party members, optional dungeons and much more. Graphics are both Rtps and edits, plus the custom facesets drawn by the developer.

 

The game was the 3rd place for Best of Rpg2s at Game Contest #2 

 

Download Link

Rmarchiv.de

 

 

Random Fact: despite being a complete game, a  spin-off sequel adventure was planned, called Chronicles of Malvagion, starring Eiden's rival brother. Unfortunately this was never completed but a demo was made available, see below.

 

Final Verdict: an entertaining adventure with lots of surprises. It still offers a classic adventure similar to the games it parodies, and it's really full of little details and funny unexpected moments.

EXTRA - Chronicles of Malvagion: after Lugarth's betrayal, Malvagion the Prince of Darkness is sucked into the Crystal Gate, and Eiden, the hero of Tales of Banalia, believes he has lost his brother forever. In reality, Malevagion hasn't been sealed away, but has simply been thrown into another dimension. Our hero is therefore determined to return to his world and get his revenge.

 

Chronicles of Malvagion is a spin off that takes place during the second half of Tales of Banalia.

 

 

Chronicles of Malvagion, as explained before, is a totally different game, compared to Tales of Banalia, because it offers an action system with some rpg elements focused on avoiding traps and solving puzzles. Combat is still present in real time of course, and we play as a single character.
 

Download Link 

Rmarchiv.de 

 

Random Fact: despite the presence of a main playable character, Malvagion, he is assisted by a thif called Otis, that is a member of the same family of Obli from the first game, the Shadow family of rogues. The wise man Scontatus, a party member of Tales of Banalia, also appears in the prologue.

 

 

Final Verdict: an interesting experiment, and an enjoyable diversion, anyway I still think that it would have been better as a classic rpg like the main game. Anyway graphics and humor are still great here too.

Iron Gaia - Virus by Legion aka Max McGee

This time the protagonist is Dietrich Slade also known as Sigmus the Fallen. Once a brilliant and gifted rocked scientist who was the chief of propulsion for the Iron Gaia project, Slade was rewarded by the Gaia for his role as Her creator by being in turn recreated by her. Rebuilt in Her image as one of her Celestials, angelic beings genetically engineered and cybernetically enhanced to act as her servitors.

 

As Slade tries to secure an exit from the self-destructing Iron Gaia space station, he meets someone from his distant past, one of the men who made him what he has become today. Dr. Cross, who he had believed dead. So, as he struggles to escape, he reflects on his journey, from man, to Celestial.

 

Iron Gaia - Virus isn't a sequel of Iron Gaia, but rather a spin-off focusing on Dietrich/Sigmus, a character that we play in the prologue of the first game. This adventure explains lots of details not mentioned on the first game like the survival of Major Tom Brighton, the formation of rebels, and the reason for Gaia going insane. 

 

The game was inspired by System Shock 2 and plays like a dark sci-fi adventure with stealth sections. Dietrich/Sigmus has also hacking and repair abilities that may prove useful but need to be raised in the course of the adventure, and he can also unlock new combat skills.

The game is much more fast paced than the first since it has a time limit of three hours before the Iron Gaia crashes down, leading to Game Over.

Download Link

Rpgmaker.net

Rmarchiv.de

 

Random Fact: while the sequel, Mana From Heaven, was planned but never realized, this spin-off was instead completed, and tells about the past and future of Sigmus before and after the events of Iron Gaia.

What is interesting is that his true name is Dietrich Slade, and unsurprisingly this is obviously a homage to the protagonist of Demon Legacy. Yes, another, after the one in Forever's End!

 

 

Final Verdict: Music is good, and so is the graphic and maps, really better than in Iron Gaia. However the game is a little frustrating at times, it's extremely difficult to avoid battles, compared to the first game.

The ending is also pretty unsatisfying, but I assume that this was supposed to be followed by the real IG 2.

Iron Gaia - Where Angels Fear To Tread by Legion aka Max McGee

As the amnesiac test subject designated Number 898462138069001 (as you later learn, structural engineer Armand Carter) you awaken aboard the enigmatic Iron Gaia mobile space station, your memories shattered.

As the only human awake on board the rapidly decaying station, controlled by an insane artificial intelligence with delusions of deification, is up to you to unravel the mystery of your own identity, and to answer the crucial question: what is the Iron Gaia?

Iron Gaia is an epic sci-fi rpg adventure set on a giant space station controlled by an insane AI. The game includes minigames, puzzles and many battles in a sort of futuristic megadungeon. Graphics aren't the best part of the game that instead offers interesting characters, a gritty adventure and the possibility to choose the difficulty, normal o hard. There are three possible endings to the story.

 

Download Link

Rpgmaker.net

Rmarchiv.de 

 

TvTropes 

 

 

Random Fact: Iron Gaia was inspired by The Systems Malfunction universe is a sci-fi/fantasy setting created by Devon Oratz detailing the galactic civilization that emerged from the ruins of Iron Gaia after it crash-landed on Earth. Besides Iron Gaia and Iron Gaia: Virus that serves as prequels to the setting, a dozen of short stories,  a Live-Action roleplay and a tabletop rpg were based on it.

 

Final Verdict: Iron Gaia can be descrived as an epic adventure inside a futuristic dungeon. Visually it's not impressive, but the sense of dread, loneliness and isolation was really unique. It has its charm and a great atmosphere, despite the not-so-pretty visuals I had fun especially in the beginning, where it becomes more similar to a survival horror than to an rpg.

Weird House by Richterwilker

  

Alan was hired to work as a couple therapist in a strange place, where his decisions can lead to unexpected consequences, both to him and the individuals around. Not only that, but there are ghostly figures, giant spiders and other strange creatures roaming around, and the path forward is not as clear as it seems.

 

 

Weird House is a dark and surreal adventure, but unlike the previous games of this author, there isn't really a mystery to solve, but a situation that can develop in various ways. The mystery is in the setting where the whole story takes place, in any case expect esploration, puzzles and real-time action sequences. Graphics are minimalistic but original and peculiar. The game includes a day-night cycle and various possible endings.

 

Download Link

Itch.io

Rmarchiv.de

Rpgmaker.net 

 

Random Fact: the most dangerous monsters came out only at night, so it's safer to move during the day.

Final Verdict: a really weird game! This is basically an open world adventure with visual novel elements, action sequences and old-style graphics. 

Phileas's Mirror by Kenetec

Phileas's Mirror is a little big adventure game in three parts about Loic, a normal 30-something guy that works, has a girlfriend and a best friend, Amelia and Raphael. During his day he will also meet the young Lucas and the old Mr. Gonzales, two persons that together with his "old acquaintances" will be present in several parts of the game. The game starts when Loic is visited by a supernatural entity who takes him on an adventure through a beautiful fantasy, and a nightmare. 

 

Phileas's Mirror is a short surreal adventure game that mainly consists in explorations and dialogues, although there are some minigames. The story is linear, but it's well written, and the maps are all really beautiful and varied. There are lots of different resources and edits, music is well selected and the game really stands out for its fantastic locations. The game is in english and french.

Download Link

Rpgmaker.net

Rmarchiv.de

Gamejolt.com 

 

Random Fact: although this isn't a jrpg, there is ONE single battle in the game, and it uses the default Rpgmaker 2003 system. Luckily it's pretty easy and if you are defeated the encounter can be re-tried.

Final Verdict: a short but excellent game. Even if it's unlikely that this will be played more than once, it's really a must-play adventure if you have one hour of free time.

Exile's Journey by Dethmetal

 

The game is about Kniryk, a former knight and an exile by choice, that he's now presumed dead in Landoria, his homeland. He's a righteous man, always acting with a sense of honor. However, he is often torn when justice and law conflict. He wears the red cape of the Knights of Landoria as a testament to what they originally stood for before their corruption. When the Kingdom of Nysoroth becomes threatened by a demonic invasion Kniryk decides to stop the rise of evil.

Exile's Journey is a love letter to the classic jrpgs, and for this reason you can expect a classic epic fantasy adventure about various heroes from differents classes opposing the demonic invasion. The game offers many quests, exploration and battles, and it's a long and complete adventure.

Exile's Journey won two Misaos in 2020:

Not Dead Yet Award (Given to the best old game that was finally finished this year)

"Everlasting Journey" Award (The game that has the most content to offer)

 

Download Link

Rpgmaker.net

Rmarchiv.de

 

Random Fact: Firefly84 made a strategy guide for this game, that's available from a different download.

 

Game Guide 

 

Final Verdict: if you like jrpg games this is a must play, the story is pretty much linear but very good, characters are interesting and maps are excellent, offering various environments and locations to explore. A solid epic fantasy adventure.

Deus Cards by Watermark

 

In the near future, two scientists Sidney Terrail and Kalman Svabo made a psi-circuit laced card game combined with mini robots called Deus Cards, hoping it would tide them over till more "serious" business appears. To their surprise, the game is a hit and soon evolves into a worldwide phenomenon with competitions rivaling that of the Olympics.

Today is 5 years later the previous events: a twist of fate introduces newbie player Gus Hunter and his best friend Jacob O'Neal onto the world stage of Deus Cards. Thus begins a tale of friendship, adventure, and awesome card battles!

 

 

Deus Cards is an unusual Rpgmaker game that blends card collecting with some classic rpg aspects and battles. It's a custom made system originally inspired by the anime 'Angelic Layer' by CLAMP,an anime about a girl playing a battle game using mini robots on a machine called the Layer. 

 

Download Link

Official Site

Gamejolt.com

Rpgmaker.net

Rmarchiv.de 

Random Fact: the game was originally made with Rpgmaker 2000 in 2004, and then reuploaded as a new edition made with Rpgmaker 2003 in 2015. The old version can still be downloaded from the link below.

Download Link

 

 

Final Verdict: an unique game, it's just a pity that the Story Mode is a prologue with a tutorial attached and nothing else. For the rest I can really appreciate the attempt to make something different!