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Indie Obscure indies that deserve more attention - Updated Jan. 2020

Wayward Son

Fails to keep valuable team members alive
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Idk if this thread is for specifically RPGs but I found this neat Zelda-like cheap on the Switch called Ocean’s Heart. Cute 2D graphics, lots of items and spells to use during fights, enemies with unique ways you have to defeat them, lots of bosses, and a mostly open world with optional content to explore.
 

solemgar

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Now that my game is finished, my new goal is actually to play games.

"Obscure Indie" thread seems a good place to start with :D

I will read the previous posts, let me know if you have recommendations!
Realms of Arkania HD
Has pretty bad reviews
Still the most recommended game on rpgcodex
Will give it a shot then. What is this world becoming that steam reviews can't be trusted anymore!
 

mastroego

Arcane
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
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Italy
Now that my game is finished, my new goal is actually to play games.

"Obscure Indie" thread seems a good place to start with :D

I will read the previous posts, let me know if you have recommendations!
Realms of Arkania HD
Has pretty bad reviews
Still the most recommended game on rpgcodex
Will give it a shot then. What is this world becoming that steam reviews can't be trusted anymore!
It's an in-house joke as ERYFKRAD recommends it all the time.
Still, this is not a reason not to follow his advice
 

solemgar

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Now that my game is finished, my new goal is actually to play games.

"Obscure Indie" thread seems a good place to start with :D

I will read the previous posts, let me know if you have recommendations!
Realms of Arkania HD
Has pretty bad reviews
Still the most recommended game on rpgcodex
Will give it a shot then. What is this world becoming that steam reviews can't be trusted anymore!
It's an in-house joke as ERYFKRAD recommends it all the time.
Still, this is not a reason not to follow his advice
I've been trolled :(
 

KeighnMcDeath

RPG Codex Boomer
Joined
Nov 23, 2016
Messages
15,699
I own it, but I don’t have steam on my laptop. Maybe win11 or win12 I will (unless it becomes a fucking subscription to use windows, then Bill Gates can go fuck himself).
 

Kedar

Educated
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Apr 14, 2022
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I also own Realms of Arkania HD, and I, too, haven't played it yet and probably never will.
 

vitellus

the irascible
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The Ogre King by zooperdan



it's all hand drawn. been playing for about an hour and the mazes are pretty basic, mapped the first level and half the first city before realizing it would be simple maps with simple mechanics, wall button opens door on the other side of the small map, a three button puzzle that was clicked in the order i think of 2, 3, 1, and incredibly simple combat consisting of timing a click on a bar. the rpg aspect is incredibly bare though, you only increase damage by finding another sword, which increases the attack to two and then three and so on. there's more strategy in making sure that all your potions and scrolls last through the level. after four levels, you need to miss a lot of the timed clicks to really die, and even if you're nearly dead, you can escape, drink a potion, then return to the enemy that still has the damage you've already delivered. it's worth it, being free, and i always appreciate when someone tries to do something different even if it's a game i'll only recall because of its pleasant art style. not bad for a weeks work!
 

Grauken

Arcane
Joined
Mar 22, 2013
Messages
13,325
The Ogre King by zooperdan



it's all hand drawn. been playing for about an hour and the mazes are pretty basic, mapped the first level and half the first city before realizing it would be simple maps with simple mechanics, wall button opens door on the other side of the small map, a three button puzzle that was clicked in the order i think of 2, 3, 1, and incredibly simple combat consisting of timing a click on a bar. the rpg aspect is incredibly bare though, you only increase damage by finding another sword, which increases the attack to two and then three and so on. there's more strategy in making sure that all your potions and scrolls last through the level. after four levels, you need to miss a lot of the timed clicks to really die, and even if you're nearly dead, you can escape, drink a potion, then return to the enemy that still has the damage you've already delivered. it's worth it, being free, and i always appreciate when someone tries to do something different even if it's a game i'll only recall because of its pleasant art style. not bad for a weeks work!

Try out It Came from the Forest by him, another mini-crawler made in a week, plays more like Eye of the Beholder but looks pretty good

Or if you like the paper visuals, Notebook Dungeon has you covered, Drawngeon as well
 
Developer
Joined
Mar 14, 2023
Messages
13
Idk if this thread is for specifically RPGs but I found this neat Zelda-like cheap on the Switch called Ocean’s Heart. Cute 2D graphics, lots of items and spells to use during fights, enemies with unique ways you have to defeat them, lots of bosses, and a mostly open world with optional content to explore.
was on the lookout for something like this, looking great, thanks for sharing
 

vitellus

the irascible
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for six freedom fries you can have a neat little 'dungeon crawler'/tile turner with a two action turn based combat. played the demo as a warrior for about half an hour and had a decent time, although the first level was all clicking a button easy peasy, game advises not to try to kill everything so, i naturally killed everything and had fun managing the starting tight economy of gold and inventory slots and using the consumable buffs. demo locks you to one dungeon and i am assuming that there are a wider selection of enemies to pummel. there's a equally similar game by the same company which came out last year. some searching also led me here to this very site (of course it did) and the origins of the game style. coincidentally i've played that mobile game, the fact i remember playing it should say something lol.

the media linked game is fun, can see its mobile origins, but again, it's only $6usd so...:|
 

vitellus

the irascible
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found this during a search:



there's only a demo that has three or four fights. it's something that should probably be kept an eye on. it's either really gonna be a massive turd or something resembling incline even with rtwp, or at least something that you can have a halfway pleasant time playing.
 

vitellus

the irascible
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i wanted to make this game its own thread, but after playing the demo for about half an hour, there seems to be little to no levels (thus far) therefore no stats to upgrade and have found no items so it's more hacky-slashy but it has an rpg tag in the steam store so...:?

the art style is something else, like a schizophrenic fever dream...this fucking thing just had to be seen and at least watched because it's so fucking weird
20231204224242_1.jpg

20231204224320_1.jpg

20231204224330_1.jpg

20231204224708_1.jpg

 

V17

Educated
Joined
Feb 24, 2022
Messages
329
This one used to be not-obscure, but sort of became obscure by force: Undercroft was developed, in the context of the indie scene, quite some time ago (originally for PocketPC of all platforms) by Rake in Grass, then sold to Jagex, and Jagex decided to simply kill it and not offer it for purchase or free download because I guess they're too busy developing one of the most retarded MMORPGs on market.

Jagex still owns it, but Rake in Grass managed to get a permission to offer the Windows version for free, you can download it on the website (same link as above).

undercroft_screenshot_4.jpg
 

Nikanuur

Arbiter
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Joined
Mar 1, 2021
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1,802
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Ngranek
This one used to be not-obscure, but sort of became obscure by force: Undercroft was developed, in the context of the indie scene, quite some time ago (originally for PocketPC of all platforms) by Rake in Grass, then sold to Jagex, and Jagex decided to simply kill it and not offer it for purchase or free download because I guess they're too busy developing one of the most retarded MMORPGs on market.

Jagex still owns it, but Rake in Grass managed to get a permission to offer the Windows version for free, you can download it on the website (same link as above).

undercroft_screenshot_4.jpg
I've finished it years ago. Good classes, reasonable progression (for its format), a surprising puzzle here and there, kinda challenging TB combat too!
Very fond of the memory. I wished for a long time that the team would've made another game like that.
 

Ash

Arcane
Joined
Oct 16, 2015
Messages
7,096
One More Dungeon 2



A simplified Ultima Underworld in roguelite format. Grab it on sale and you wont regret it. Wont blow your socks off but is simply a fun, challenging experience.

dark_world_01_fps.gif


I also recommend Devil Spire for the same thing with a different approach, though it seems to have a more established userbase than the above, when they're both just as good.
 

KeighnMcDeath

RPG Codex Boomer
Joined
Nov 23, 2016
Messages
15,699
IMG_7585.jpeg

That's one classy slug.
 
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