Hidden Gems

[Liak]

As far as I can see, there is a topic about "games you love, but nobody else has heard of", but there is non specifically on RPG Maker games.

So, I constantly check the "Completed Games" section here, and on some other platforms, I have been looking for games with a high rating, but none of them seemed that appealing to me. I found "Born under the Rain" and completed it yesterday, but now I don't have any RPG Maker game to play.

Therefore, I am opening this topic asking you about the hidden gems you've found. Are there any games that stand out, but usually don't get much attention?

(If you want to help me personally, I am looking for games that are very polished, that is, games that have decent visuals and little to none text errors. It's just the way I am. A game can be TONS of fun, if it doesn't look decent or has a lot of text errors, I'm not interested.)

Thanks!

 

[gRaViJa]

Not sure how hidden it exactly is, but it's definitly a gem: Oneshot.

 

[Seacliff]

Not sure how hidden it exactly is, but it's definitly a gem: Oneshot.

Hidden means very few people know about it, specifically within the RPG maker fanbase (any RM game can be considered a hidden gem)

Oneshot is an award winning game... so I really can't call it hidden.

But dang, if I'm self-limiting myself to that, I can't really think of anything less than 1000 downloads on RMN that I played.

 

[Liak]

Yeah, Oneshot isn't hidden at all. But it doesn't matter, feel free to suggest probably-not-so-hidden gems as well, maybe someone hasn't heard of them yet.

 

[Kes]

Just checking before suggesting anything - I assume from the way you worded your OP that you are only thinking of free games.  Is that assumption correct?

 

[Liak]

Well, I was thinking of free games, yes. For some reason, I didn't even consider commercial ones, so you can suggest those, too. And again, this topic is not exactly to help ME find something, but for hidden gems in general.

 

[gRaViJa]

Hidden means very few people know about it, specifically within the RPG maker fanbase (any RM game can be considered a hidden gem)

Oneshot is an award winning game... so I really can't call it hidden.

But dang, if I'm self-limiting myself to that, I can't really think of anything less than 1000 downloads on RMN that I played.

I know what hidden means Someone just sent that game to me and i love it. Wanted to say I don't know how well known. But it looks like it's not really a hidden gem.

 

[C-C-C-Cashmere (old)]

Cope Island (15 posts) - Rtp game that features great battles, some of the best I've seen. Came 3rd in the IGMC and somehow still remains a hidden gem I mean what the heck.


Soul Sunder (2 posts) - Again not very hidden but darn, the story in this game is great.


Last Minute Gift - A dodging game in VX Ace made for Christmas.


Last Word (11 posts) - Had a placing in IGMC as well but still fairly hidden for some reason. Use your chatting skills to gain traction at a party in a really unique battle system that centers around abstract notions of speech, and having the "last word" in a conversation. Very witty dialogue


... If I think of any more I'll post them here.


EDIT: Here's some more I remembered:


The Gift - A special ~10 minute short story that touches on the themes of giving and charity around Christmas time.


Luxaren Allure - Solid RPG with custom graphics and a neat storyline. Still in demo phase, but definitely near completion.


The Heart Pumps Clay (55 replies) - IGMC entry. Good characters, good strategy for battles.


The Farming One (99 replies) - IGMC entry. Simulation game about farming. Very well constructed.

 

[Matseb2611]

From Completed Games:

I think Eremidia Dungeon: Skyward Temple is quite underappreciated, considering it's very well polished and fun.

Unraveled is another one worth a try.

From the projects still in development (judging on the demos released):

Bleeding Moons, if you like visual novels.

Violent Whispers is a very promising game too, even though it's been development for quite a while.

Northwall is another overlooked one.

Gespenst has a lot of potential too.

I might post some more later.

 

[The Stranger]

Ixias - Stellar Complex is a great game. However, it's still in development and doesn't currently have a public demo; I played an alpha version sent to me by the developer.

The game has largely gone unnoticed here, but it's really good. It's definitely worth your attention when a playable demo is released.

 

[Dalph]

Well, I'll just list some of the Completed ones that I particularly liked. Some are very popular but still worth mentioning:

Bleeding Moons

Cope Island

Friend

Incitement 2

Remnants of Isolation

Silver Town

 

[Matseb2611]

Thought I'd post some more good games that need more attention:

Completed:

Lethe's Fate - a very short (10-15 min) game, but the story and atmosphere are done so well, it's worth playing.

Aesparia - The Fallen, one of the IGMC entries that's worth checking out.

Goblin Noir - another IGMC entry worth checking out. This one has a very nicely done dialogue-based battle system.

In Development:

Stricken is a nice mystery horror game that's turning out well judging from the demo.

 

[Liak]

There are quite a few that look promising. I guess I'll start with Lethe's Fate, since it's so short. Thank you!

 

[Liak]

I'm not sure if this kind of double post is allowed, but I wanted to let you know that I actually tried "Lethe's Fate". It really is a short game, but it has a very interesting atmosphere. There's something going on with the music, too, so, all in all, it's really well done. You should all give it a try since it really only takes, like, 10 minutes.

 

[Dragnfly]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I'd like some additional criteria for valid games. I too was going to say Oneshot but I had no idea it was well-known. So I guess please forgive me if I list any that are more well-known than I think they are. Also please forgive me if I list any that were actually made in Wolf instead of RM. I get them confused sometimes and I haven't played several of these in ages. Consider all these games to come with an "adult content warning" because most are horror.

Forest of Drizzling Rain - An absolutely fantastic story

Blood and Rust - A survival game set in a Silent Hill Darkworld-esque place.

Hello HellO - Fun horror game with a bazillion endings, all very quick to get. Just a dude in an extremely haunted house.

Ib - Likely too popular for this list but it's about a girl who gets lost in a haunted art gallery. Very endearing characters.

Mad Father - Also likely too popular for this list. It's about a girl who wakes up and her house is full of the undead. She's trying to find her father. Also, chainsaw.

ReKinder - A cool story-based game where the battles are usually like puzzles. Lots of permadeath and a great atmosphere.

Schuld - A man in a broken world where a plague causing loss of body parts has made organs and limbs a very valuable commodity. But there's so much more to it than that. There's an absolutely fantastic story here. One of the best.

Afterlife - The Second Dimension - A wonky translation but it's the best use of default tilesets I've likely ever seen. I didn't even recognize them. An excellent story and a pretty chilling atmosphere. A bit too heavy on the jump scares though.

The Desolate Hospital - Only takes a few minutes to play but it's scary as $#%&. A guy with a gas mask, cloak and shotgun enters a... desolate hospital.

The Witch's House - Another one that's likely too popular. Fantastic use of puzzles and the story is really amazing.

Hero & Daughter - Plain old fun story about a hero being knocked back to level 1 as punishment for his arrogance. You're stuck at level 1 but you can get stat boosts. However, your summoner friend can give you an army... of cute girls. The thing has a boatload of extra content and more is being added frequently, but you can continue on with your current save.

Moonlight Ghost - By the dude who made Hero and Daughter. It's a really innovative timed puzzle game where you're a... well let's say a poltergeist trying to delay people from getting to their goals in time. It's a wonderfully touching story with an insane amount of post-game content. Actually there's more post-game than main game content. And all of it is pure gold.

The Gray Garden - Might be too popular for the list. The real shiner here is the awesome cast. Best `God' and `Satan' ever. Don't expect deep combat though. This guy might as well be making visual novels. But the characters make it well worth it.

UTOPIA - Absolutely beautiful. It really captures the feel of being underwater when you're not.

Clock of Atonement - You're given the power to manipulate time and get a second chance. Absolutely not for minors but it's got a good story and you can beat it in just a few minutes.

Embric of Wulfhammers Castle - A princess being married off to the local hero. There's a lot of smut comedy so if that bothers you then avoid this. But it's really funny and much bigger than it initially looks.

 

[bgillisp]

@dragnfly: Links for any of those? I tried a forum search for a couple but came up empty, so I'm guessing they are on other sites?

 

[CzarSquid]

To be honest, most rpgmaker games are practically unknown outside the community. Not to say that people don't play them, its just many of them don't get the attention they deserve.

I really like Mortis Ghost Off. Honestly people don't talk enough about this game. It's not the RPGmaker forums. It's a really good game. One of the best RPG games along with the Mother series. The game is inspired loosely on earthbound and its full of atmosphere and awesome things in it.

 

[Dragnfly]

@dragnfly: Links for any of those? I tried a forum search for a couple but came up empty, so I'm guessing they are on other sites?

I thought we weren't allowed to link to games that weren't listed on here. Re-browsing the rules I have no clue where I got that idea so it's likely I got the rule mixed up from another site. I'll update my previous post once I get the chance (getting ready for work now). They're all in english so if you want the links quickly then use google.

CzarSquid - I should've mentioned Off. While I don't think it's the holy grail of RM games some of my friends think it is I do agree that it's very good. But also might be too popular for this list. We need some sort of criteria to go by for that. In my cases with Ib, Witch's House and Mad Father, I don't know many people who've actually played them. Most people just watched Let's Plays. I personal kind of count that as them being popular since people still "know" them. But alas I listed them anyway

I dunno about the validity of voting your own game here. I downloaded but haven't gotten to Friend yet so I can't comment on it's quality but if suggesting your own game is allowed everyone and their dog on here is going to do it. Also, being a gem is something I feel only others can decide.

I was going to mention Lisa but declined because it has both several LPers and a thriving community on Steam.

 

[CzarSquid]

Alright I took my game out. I wouldn't of said anything if someone didn't already mentioned it before.

 

[Matseb2611]

I would also like to add Qui Domi to this topic. It seems to have a bit of attention over at RMN, but over here it's going by completely ignored, which is a shame, since it's a good game judging from the demo.