Since the dawn of time, video games granted us a world to call our own. One that we can tailor to our playing style. RPGs extended on that idea and gave us almost complete reign to fulfil our wildest fantasies. In a pixelated style, creators don’t have to worry about the ins and outs of 3D animation, leaving them room to build impressive stories in lush worlds with unlimited skills for us to play around in. This list of pixelated RPGs features some of the modern and classic games that give us a world to explore and a list of skills to build as we choose.
15. Starbound [PC / Xbox One / Mac]
Starbound is an intergalactic adventurethat never end
Starbound propels us into the endless expanse of space with boundless procedurally generated planets to explore. We enter the boots of an intergalactic peacekeeper in the Terrene Protectorate out to bring justice to the universe ahead.
Developed by Chucklefish, this pixelated adventure is unique for providing a playground stretching to the end of the universe without any limits on how we’d like to play. However, most players find that each new planet becomes repetitive after beaming around enough, so this experience is recommended to be played in multiplayer.
14. Hyper Light Drifter [PC / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch]
Hyper Light Drifter is a pixelated RPG with elements like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Diablo. Our adventure is played through the eyes of The Drifter who suffers from an unspecified illness and uses forgotten technology to search for a cure.
It has a unique gameworld style that has been likened to Studio Ghibli’s Castle in the Sky. With its beautiful visuals and music, Hyper Light Drifter tells a story we can step into. And with its gruelling boss battles, hours can be spent creating the Drifter you want to be.
The Drifter holds out hope for the cure as he searches the Continent.
13. CrossCode [PC / Nintendo Switch / PS4 and 5 / Xbox One and X/S]
Crosscode is a retro-style MMORPG set in the Crossworlds, an overworld that gives you the classic RPG experience with puzzles and mazes. Lea, our mute protagonist, wakes up in a videogame with no memories and so naturally, she searches for answers.
The most unique aspect of Crosscode is its well-crafted puzzles that challenge us to use different elements of the world to change Lea’s attack and puzzle-solving abilities. We have freedom in our choice of abilities and playstyle that gives us a way to play Crosscode the way we would if we were in its intricate world.
12. Sea of Stars [Windows / Nintendo Switch / PS4 and 5 / Xbox One and Series X/S]
This cute fantasy RPG brings mystical elements to our list of pixelated escapades. The mighty Fleshmancer, an evil alchemist, and his army of Dwellers must be destroyed by our heroes, Valere and Zale, in classic turn-based combat.
As a lore-filled journey, Sea of Stars provides us with many character arcs to choose from with respective abilities and attack styles. This enchanting world is also gorgeous and easily draws you into its world teeming with adventure. Who would pass up on the opportunity to wield the power of the very sun and moon in a breathtaking fantasy realm?
11. Omori (PC / Mac / Nintendo Switch / Xbox One and Series X/S / PS4)
Omori by indie developer Omocat blurs the line between dreams and reality while delving into themes of mental illness and trauma. This thought-provoking game gives us control of Sunny and sometimes his alter-ego Omori. Our choices directly influence the relationship between the two and every little decision makes a difference.
This is one of the few games I feel deals with such a difficult reality in a way that every player can relate to. Omori’s turn-based battle system truly emphasises careful consideration as every outcome changes Sunny and Omori’s emotions. It’s a simplistic game with a dense and deep story.
10. Undertale [PC / PS4 / PSVita / Nintendo Switch / Xbox One]
Developed by one man, Undertale is a unique RPG which draws inspiration from classics like Brandish (1991) and Mother (1989). As a human who fell into the Underworld, we must make tough decisions with the monsters we face. The catch in Undertale is that every choice influences the world around us.
Undertale is a must for any RPG player looking for an adventure with meaningful characters. Even the enemies in Undertale have emotions and lives outside of the battleground, and every choice will come back to help or haunt you near the end of the game.
The human we play as (left) and Toriel, a homage to tutorial characters.
9. Live a Live [Super Famicom / Nintendo Switch / PS4 / PS5 / PC]
Live a Live is a classic RPG that was first published by Square and later remade by Square Enix for a wider array of platforms. In this multigenerational tale, we control 8 different characters to fight against a powerful, recurring enemy named Odio across multiple eras in history.
Live a Live is unique for such a classic game due to the great ambition of its director, Takashi Tokita, to create an RPG with many different stories within a single game that has interlinking plots. Combat takes place on a 7X7 grid in action-packed turn-based skill use. This game is monumental in its gameplay as it combines smooth visuals with a powerful story.
The Lord of Dark takes a Valorous Slash
8. Rise of the Third Power [Nintendo Switch / PS4 / Xbox One / PC / Mac]
In the style of 90s JRPGs, Rise of the Third Power brings us into the political climate of Europe in the late 1930s during the Age of Sail before the greatest war in history threatens to erupt. We control a party of eight characters set on bringing down our antagonist, Dimitri Noraskov, in the beautifully animated world of Rin.
By weaving a dense political plot within a perfect balance of Western and Japanese story writing, Rise of the Third Power is an ambitious RPG that will captivate you. It’s easy to get lost in the world of Rin and feel the pressure building up as world peace depends on our suicide mission.
7. Chained Echoes [PC / Mac / Nintendo Switch / PS4 / PS5 / Xbox One & X/S]
A universally acclaimed title with over 30 hours of gameplay comes to us in the form of Chained Echoes. Like Rise of the Third Power, we traverse a fictional world known as Valandis to bring an end to a multi-generational war between three kingdoms.
With magic, swordplay, and mechs to use in combat, Chained Echoes sets itself apart from other pixelated RPGs for its intuitive battles and interesting combat mechanics. Random encounters with enemies are abandoned for battles being triggered from our map and we level up our characters automatically through our playing style.
6. Octopath Traveler II [PC / Nintendo Switch / PS4 / PS5 / Xbox One & Series X/S]
By building on the foundation of its widely successful first instalment, Octopath Traveler II has improved with a day and night system that gives us greater freedom of choice. We play as eight individual characters each with a story to tell and a variety of choices to make in the world of Solistia, a medieval land.
Octopath Traveler II has a few unique game points that bring it into the spotlight of modern pixel RPGs. The game series has a lovely combat system with a boost or break system in which players can discover enemy weaknesses and exploit them to weaken enemies and boost their skill points. Additionally, its beautifully clean animated world mixes 2D and 3D to present a modern take on traditional 16-bit RPGs. Additionally, it features immersive voice-acted cutscenes.
5. Moonlighter [PC / Mac / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch / iOS / Android]
Moonlighter is a quirky action RPG like old The Legend of Zelda games which puts us into the shoes of a shopkeeper with a nightly hobby of dungeon crawling. Our life behind the counter keeps us busy with upgrading our town and our wares; in the shadows, we traverse through one of four different dungeons.
This title is different for its dualistic gameplay. Where other RPGs have you either building up your farm with goods to sell or hands you a sword to fight, Moonlighter gives you both.
Venture out with the light of the moon guiding your path.
4. Final Fantasy VI [PC / Nintendo Switch / PS4]
Final Fantasy VI has set itself apart as one of the most monumental RPGs ever created. After the War of the Magi, the Second Industrial Revolution allowed humanity to rely on technology until a woman with mysterious powers was discovered, throwing off the balance in the realms.
We play as one of up to fourteen characters and briefly take control of various side characters, the most in the series. This is a game that will draw you in and leave you deep in its brilliant plot, as every character comes with quirks and skills to hone and adapt to. If you are not lost in its quests and side quests, perhaps searching for Relics to customise your character in every way possible might grab you in!
Final Fantasy VI is the first to incorporate Magitek, an armour powered by Magic.
3. Stardew Valley [PC / Mac / PS4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch / PlayStation Vita / iOS / Android]
Stardew Valley is a farming role-playing pixel game with elements of dungeon crawling and foraging. After the death of our grandfather, we inherited a dilapidated farm near Pelican Town. Our new farm is completely open to what we choose to do with it. You could focus on farming, and developing a completely self-sustaining megafarm, or you could even take to the mines and find precious metals to smelt.
Stardew Valley is unique for its open world. This game is massive and the wide array of choices we can make for our character truly makes it an almost perfect role-playing game. By developing our character exactly how we want them to be, you can even abandon the farm aspect altogether and spend your time fishing. It’s all up to you!
The choice is yours in this colourful life simulation!
2. Graveyard Keeper [Nintendo Switch / Android / PS4 / Xbox One / PC / Mac]
Graveyard Keeper is one of those games that enters the genre and takes it by storm. This beautifully animated adventure with macabre themes allows us to enter the realm between death and life. We play as a character caught in the headlights of a car who awakes to find himself in a medieval fantasy town tasked with taking care of the local cemetery.
This game is quirky for its mix of humour through the diverse characters we meet along the way such as the donkey who brings us fresh dead bodies and its spooky themes when we interact with the undead. Despite the main story we get to play, there are many side quests and four DLCs which greatly extend the game's replayability.
Turns out there is an afterlife after all, and it’s as a gravedigger!
1. Kynseed [PC]
Kynseed is a game that will immediately put you into that dreamlike state you used to envision as a child listening to fairytales. With its dazzling, bright colour palette and the cutest-looking animals you can find in a pixel game, this game is incredibly comforting. We choose our fate before beginning the game so that we can completely envision who we want to play as. We’re then released onto our uncle’s farm and given free rein in the world of Kynseed.
This sandbox RPG is unlike any other. Unlike the static worlds of other games, Kynseed has characters that age around us and an ever-changing world. Our adventure spans generations and we can take ourselves wherever we want to go. It draws inspiration from Fable with a pixelated twist, making it one of the best pixel RPGs ever created!
