PPG Game Of The Year 2024 - 23 - Undertalers And RPG Makers
It's a very small but worthwhile distinction between these games and those in previous RPG categories. These games take homage to the Earthbound/Undertale lineage, or are built using an RPG Maker style tool, to create a top down experience that is often quirky, heavy on the vibes, more focused on story than combat and grinding, or often all of the above.
Crystal Story: Dawn of Dusk
Standalone Prologue RPG
A self contained introduction to a larger mythos. Relatively short, pretty pixel art, turn based battles and overworld adventure.
Diets and Deities
Rhythm Cooking Gods
A super neat little gem that uses the Everhood battle system, which I can always get behind. Each battle comes with a culturally appropriate recipe, which is even better! An excellent tale celebrating cultures while pushing back against homogenization tops the experience perfectly.
Athenian Rhapsody
Comedic Unique Adventure
This one is just bursting with personality. I feel like you'll either love it or hate it, most likely the former. Great minigame battles, belly laugh writing, and a really cool "trade your playthrough" mechanic where your entire save file can be traded with others to experience your own individual choices and path through the game.
Starstruck Vagabond
Strange Universe Delivery Sim
You're stuck in an unknown universe, but some things remain the same - people still need shit delivered. Open ended gameplay in a procgen universe with a cosmos spanning story that unfolds as you play.
Faye Falling
Story Driven Abstraction
Excellent abstract design blends with some heady death related themes. Dodge focused combat encounters / minigames. Definitely in the overlooked gem basket, this one.
Leximan
Expressive Wordplay
Combine partial words to create magic in order to solve puzzles in this witty and charming RPG. Set within a magic school where you've been banished to the basement for your previous misdeeds.
Never Forgotten
Black And White Flesh Horror
A survival-ish RPG-ish top down horror game about navigating a world "enveloped in flesh". Maintain your resources and solve puzzles to make it through.
Next of Kin
2D Story Game
A narrative focused experience about a man trying to find his missing wife. melancholic with a bit of light puzzling and detective work involved to reach a conclusion.
oath
Interactive EP Companion
A small RPG Maker style game with VN segments that is a companion to a music album. Has some really neat unexpected visual flair.
Cricket: Jae's Really Peculiar Game
Hand Animated JRPG
Pulling from classics like Paper Mario and Earthbound, this one is an earnest RPG lovingly crafted and animated with a classic coming of age story built in for good measure.
Party on Hallow Grove
Top Down Halloween Party
A good halloween-set game for those that prefer spoopy to spooky. Emphasizes story, exploration, interaction, dialogue and item trading.
Marron's Day
Gameboy Adventure But Make It Cute
Explore a cute retro town and help out the locals with their problems. Solve some classic puzzles in a game that could just as easily have come out on the original Gameboy.
And The Best RPG Maker / Undertale Style Game Of 2024 Is…
Atlas Wept
Emotionally Devestating Undertaler
At first the use of Amazon Polly VA in the trailers put me off, but that isn't in the game, it's just a solo dev finding a way to explain the trailer without putting their own voice into it, which I totally can get behind. Separate from that, this Earthbound/Undertale RPG is way too slept on and deserves a bunch more attention for its emotional themes - A glance through the reviews and how affecting it was for folks that played it should be convincing enough.