RMVXA Turovero: The Celestial Tower (Dark Fantasy RPG with Light Horror)

Long ago, our world was created, born from the wishes and dreams of four benevolent gods. From Their hands sprang forth life; from Their imagination, a purpose for that life. Under the guidance of the Four Gods, the land flourished. The people used Their generous gifts to cultivate the land, to raise mighty kingdoms, and to live among one another in peace and harmony.

However, this era of prosperity was not to last. From the depths of darkness rose an aberration - the Dark One, a being which embodied the antithesis of all that the Four Gods had wished for: Pain. Loneliness. Hatred. Fear. Despair. In its malice and depravity, it clawed its way to the top of Turovero, a tower which rose endlessly to the gates of Heaven, before usurping the throne of the Gods at its summit and casting Them away.

Under the influence of the Dark One, the people now knew true despair. The land grew barren, the kingdoms waged war, and society began its slow descent into destruction. To this day, no one knows for certain what happened to the Four Gods who gave life to our world.

Yet not all hope is lost. Even now, the Celestial Tower still stands, waiting for its chosen warriors to free it from the Dark One’s grasp. You who now stand before the gates of destiny, before the eyes of Heaven and the heart of darkness itself… what will you risk to make the light of truth shine brightly once again?

Summary

Turovero: The Celestial Tower is a freeware, dark fantasy role-playing game created with RPG Maker VX Ace.

Players will take on the role of four young adventurers - Sigurd, a brave and kind-hearted knight, Leilia, a gentle and motherly cleric, Edric, a gifted yet sharp-tongued mage, and Ruby, a cheeky, fun-loving thief - who have no recollection of their lives prior to meeting one another. Determined to free their world from the influence of an ancient evil, the Dark One, the group sets forth on their most perilous journey yet as they climb the mysterious divine tower, Turovero.

However, as the heroes ascend the Celestial Tower, they begin to realize that not everything is as it seems. Just what is the Dark One that plagues their world so, and what truly happened to the Four Gods of legend? The answers to these questions lie in wait for them at the top of the tower… but do they truly want to discover them?

Turovero: The Celestial Tower features:

• A marriage of some of the best elements of RPG Maker games: the dungeon-crawler gameplay and aesthetic of old-school JRPGs with the mystery, intrigue, and macabre elements of the RPG Horror genre.
• An original, dark, psychological story with multiple routes and endings, determined by player choices, exploration, and even battle outcomes.
  
• All-original title, character, enemy, and cutscene artwork by a team of talented artists:
  • Title artwork by Cristina Moreno
    
  • Character artwork by Genkaiko
    
  • Enemy artwork by Amy C.
    
  • Cutscene artwork by Meaka
• An entirely original soundtrack.
  
• Environmental puzzle solving requiring the player to use character skills to their advantage.
  
• A wide variety of optional, character-centric scenes to expand the story and affect its outcome.

Important Note: While not strictly a horror game, Turovero contains light horror elements as well as scenes of violence and other sensitive topics. It is recommended for players aged 14 and up.

Screenshots

Spoiler

Teaser Trailer
(Note: This trailer utilizes older art assets that have been upgraded in the final game.)

Downloads and Other Links

Download Turovero: The Celestial Tower Version 1.1 here!

RPG Maker VX Ace RTP (REQUIRED)
Official Tumblr Blog
RPGMaker.net Homepage
Game Jolt Homepage
Itch.io Homepage

Please also check out my previous game, Prom Dreams: A High School Love Story!

 

Heheh, got to just comment as that title of yours (Turovero) is like Finnish word for Income Tax (Tulovero)

Looks like a neat game

 

Tulovero: The Celestial Deduction

LMAO thanks for the laugh and for the comment! I hope people enjoy the game

 

Hey!

Something about your game caught my attention, I think it might be that the characters seemed to be well-developed when I watched the trailer. How about describing the characters in the topic? Because I sure got interested in them!

I will download and play your game as soon as I have time! (having a lot of work lately)
I will let you know when I start playing it, but it will probably be sometime during this weekend. ^^

 

Absolutely! I'll copy the characters page on RPGMaker.net here. Please note that the images are also older artwork that has been updated for the final game.



Whew… Looks like we’ve finally made it, guys. The Celestial Tower, Turovero… they say few have ever made it to the gates alive, and even fewer have returned. The fact that we even made it this far is nothing short of a miracle…

Sigurd’s only remaining memory is that he was once a knight in the service of a great kingdom, and his code of conduct reflects that. Honest and noble to a fault, he will always speak the truth – even when it would be more diligent to lie – and is constantly helping others – even when they don’t need it. While these tendencies sometimes get on the others’ nerves (especially Edric’s), they know they couldn’t ask for a truer, more genuine companion. Despite his profession, he is also a skilled musician who enjoys playing the dulcimer in his spare time. He is skilled in the ways of the sword and has a strong constitution, but his bulky knight’s armor slows him down quite a bit.

Sigurd’s special ability is “Stonecleaver”, which can be used to clear obstacles made from stone within the tower.



Indeed. I was beginning to think we would never reach this place. The journey was long and hard, but it’s thanks to the mercy of the Four Gods that we were able to get here. We’ll need to remember to give thanks when we can. Then, hopefully, They will continue to grant us Their protection inside of the tower.

Leilia, an Elven druid, does not remember her tribe or who she was before meeting the other heroes; the only thing she does remember is her connection with the spirits of nature, giving her an ability to use healing and earth-based magic. She is incredibly empathetic and has a warm, motherly air about her, which is exemplified by the way she dotes on (or coddles, depending on who you ask) her companions. But while she is a mother hen in the truest sense, she is also a mother bear, who can become fiercely protective – even possessive – of her friends under the right circumstances. Her hobbies include tea blending and brewing, a talent she is always willing to share with her friends. While the spirits of the land give her good luck and resistance to evil forces, she is physically quite fragile.

Leilia’s special ability is “Undergrowth”, which can be used to accelerate the growth of plant life within the tower.



I concur. We need all of the divine providence we can get after THAT little excursion. We’ve used up half of our food and nearly three-quarters of our medical supplies. And that’s not even mentioning all of the gear we had stolen along the way… Venturing inside of a tower without even knowing what lies within is foolish enough, but to do so as ill-equipped as we are would be akin to suicide.

Edric is a talented mage with a sharp mind and an even sharper tongue. His worldly and academic knowledge is vast, although to his frustration it does not help him remember who he was in his past. Seemingly surly and sarcastic, he often has disparaging things to say about the people around him; however, deep down, he cares greatly for his friends, and he’s actually something of a romantic at heart. In fact, some might suggest that he has feelings for his comrade Leilia, as he has a tendency to get tongue-tied around her. He can usually be found with his nose in a book or taking sketches and notes of the creatures seen on the group’s travels. His talent in attack magic is unmatched, but his toying with supernatural forces has taken a toll on his karma, resulting in a streak of bad luck.

Edric’s special ability is “Ember”, a basic-level fire spell that can be used to burn a number of things within the tower.



So what are you saying? That we should just give up and go home? As if! We worked way too hard to get here, and you KNOW what’s at stake! Not to mention, if we go back now, without defeating the Dark One, we’ll be a laughingstock! I’d never be able to look a cute girl in the face again…!

Ruby is a classic example of a thief with a heart of gold; although she doesn’t know how she learned her trade or what sorts of nefarious activities she was a part of, she’s resolved to use her thieving skills for good by thwarting other bandits’ raids and reclaiming stolen goods for their original owners. She has a very bold, plucky attitude, acting as a cheerleader of sorts for the group when times get tough. This same enthusiasm, however, often gets her into trouble, as she has a tendency to head into dangerous situations unprepared. She’s most well known for her salacious tavern hijinks, but she is also a skilled cook, often treating the group to warm, hearty meals on their travels. Ruby is the swiftest of the group, but she also has the lowest magical aptitude, making her weak against enemy spells.

Ruby’s special ability is “Sniper”, which allows her to hit long-distance objects with her bow and arrows within the tower.



…Oh, right, I should probably introduce myself, shouldn’t I? Eheheh… The name’s Ami - that’s “Ah-mee”! - and this is my faithful canine companion, Francis! We’ve traveled the world looking for a place to set up shop - and now that you’re here, I think we’ve finally found it…!

Within the labyrinthine dungeons of Turovero, our heroes meet an unexpected new ally - the Elven merchant girl, Ami, and her dog Francis. Although evasive at best when questioned by the group, Ami claims to be a “merchant of great repute” despite her young age, and she certainly has the goods to back up her story. She provides the party not only with the items, weapons, and armor they’ll need on their quest, but also a certain level of companionship. Despite her cheeky, playful attitude, she also displays rare moments of wisdom far beyond her years…

 

I am loving the game so far!

I am in the middle of the Ice Dungeon, so I can already give some feedback

The character development is what shines the most in this game, in my opinion. I just love how diverse they are and how they interact during the cutscenes! My favorite character is Ruby, followed by Leilia, and Sigurd is just so cute! I don't mind about the Mage, though I can see people liking him too. The idea of choosing between 6 possible conversations when they relax in the campfire was also great, because I got really curious about the other possible conversations! (I chose Ruby x Leilia, Ruby x Sigurd and Leilia x Sigurd for the first campfire). I can see all of them have very deep and kind of dark backgrounds, as it has been foreshadowed, so I'm dying to learn more about them!

The puzzles are really well made, if it wasn't for the "bug" that you have to literally bump into objects you want to interact with, it would be perfect. I figured you didn't find a way of doing it with events alone.

The battles started kinda dull, but they are getting more interesting as I progress in the game. Oh, and I loved your creativity with the characters' skills and magic! Sigurd is very versatile with his defend and battle cry skills, Leilia is undispensable as she's the healer (and I love using wood magic in games!), Edric's elemental magic is very useful and I love using Ruby to steal everyone hahaha also, her fire arrow is pretty useful against the ice sprites, too.

There are some things I think should be corrected, if possible:

1 - The shadows, since we are inside a tower during the whole game, it doesn't make sense for the walls to be casting shadows, so it would be nice if you removed all of them. However, since you used RPG Maker VX Ace, I'm not sure if that's possible without the use of scripts.
2 - I had to figure out how the elements work by myself, as there's no tutorial of the sort. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the opposites hurt each other, right? That means fire is effective against water, water is effective against fire, wind against earth and earth against wind? It would be nice to add a little tutorial, nothing really fancy, maybe Edric could teach the players during a battle or something in the beggining of the game.
3 - Random Encounters, I really don't like these. The good thing is that the frequency of encounters is really low so it is not stressful when a battle begins. Well, I get this is more of a personal issue, but I reckon most people don't like random encounters.

The game is perfect, though! These are just suggestions, so if you want to keep the game as it is, it is completely fine, I'm just giving my honest feedback ^^

9,5/10 is my final score (because of the random encounters), now I will be back to playing! s2

 

Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you're enjoying the game so far.

1. As you'll see later on in the game, Turovero doesn't exactly apply by normal logic and physics, and there are some areas that, for all intents and purposes, resemble outdoor areas. Plus, just because it's indoors doesn't mean no shadows will be cast.

2. There's actually a bestiary in the Memory Journal, selectable from the key items, that will tell you an enemy's elemental affinity so that players can figure out what they're weak against.

3. I understand not everyone enjoys random encounters, but... it IS a traditional JRPG at the core of its gameplay style, and random encounters are kind of a key element of those. If they really are that much of an issue for you, you can stock up on Monster Repellents, which eliminate random encounters for 3 minutes.

Thanks again for your feedback and I hope this helps you understand some of the choices I made for the game!

 

Version 1.1 has been released! Get it here!

Change Log:

Spoiler: Version 1.1 Changelog

• Fixed the battle intro effect to the way it was intended to be, since, fool that I am, I accidentally compressed it LOL.
• The Monster Repellent timer will now pause and resume before / after major cutscenes and scripted battles, meaning their effect will no longer be cancelled out prematurely. Thanks to Shaz for the script!
  
• Conversely, I’ve also made it so that you can’t break timed puzzles by using a Monster Repellent during them.
  
• Fixed the Sniper glitch on the second floor which causes 2 switches to activate at once.
  
• Made statues in the second floor’s boss chamber breakable because… uh… reasons?
  
• Made the path to the Rose Garden’s campfire area a bit more salient because people keep missing it for some reason…
  
• Fixed errors involving the use of Warp Gems on floors three and four.
  
• Fixed a minor bust portrait error on the fourth floor.
  
• Fixed a few minor graphical errors during the fifth floor cutscenes (no more sword teddy bears!).
  
• Fixed a game breaking bug on one version the seventh floor.
  
• Fixed some minor dialogue errors in the Final Spring of Truths.
  
• Fixed an emote bubble error on the eighth floor.
  
• You can now view the Memory Journal in the Developer’s Room.
  
• Character dialogue in the Developer’s Room will now occur in a set order rather than in a random order.
  
• Spelling and grammar fixes.

Known (though rare) issues I’m aware of, but don’t currently have a fix for:

• Videos may sometimes crash the game; videos are in the native .ogv format so I’m not sure how to handle this one. Thankfully this seems to only happen very rarely, and if it does it will usually work again upon rebooting the game.
• Input to get out of the menu may not work correctly if certain buttons are pressed; based on research this is an issue with VX Ace games in general when other programs are running in the background. It’s suggested that spamming shift may help with the issue, as would closing any potentially interfering background programs.

 

Hello!

I'm still playing, just finished the Rose Garden part (which is probably going to be my favorite of all! I love cute but yet terrifying places in animes/games)
I'm now on the fourth floor with my favorite girls, so I'm pretty excited to see what happens! (chose "Life" back then, and now "Unity")
Anyway, I just came here to ask you if it wouldn't be better to make the row boat a little bigger? Its size feels A LOT weird because everything in the game until now has been proportional, so... just a suggestion.

As for the 3 other suggestions I made:

1 - I understand the shadows when the floor looks like outdoor areas, like the fourth floor, but when it really looks like a tower, like the first 2 floors, the way the shadows are cast on the walls don't make sense. Anyway, this is a trivial issue and is not really a problem.

2 - Yes, I always look at the journal when it's updated, because one of my favorite things in the game is the way all entries are written by the main characters with their respective colors, I found it very creative! But the game still doesn't explain how the elements work, I kind of figured it out, but I'm still confused as the fire weapon is effective against water and earth and the wind weapon against... I don't remember, it was earth and something else... I really think you should explain this element stuff somehow, because I still haven't figured it out.

3 - Yes, random encounters are typical of jrpg, but still a pain in the butt, if you ask me. Also, famous jrpg, like Chrono Trigger, don't have random encounters and their mechanics make the game way more fun. I know I can use repellents, but if I keep doing this during the whole game, I will be under leveled for sure haha it's not that I don't want to fight the battles, it's just that random encounters are really stressful specially because I love exploring the maps, but the random encounters make me not want to :\ anyway, it would be too much to change this now that the game is released and I certainly am not asking you to change anything about that now, I am just stating my opinion and explaining why my score for your game is 9.5 and not 10, because oh boy, is this game good!

 

I like your character bust artworks. The first cover image is pretty sweet too.
But from what i have seen from the video, i'm still not sure if i wanna try this game.

 

@phamtruong1992

I think you should give it a try! From the video, the battles don't really seem fun, but they are really well made. The characters and the story are pretty great and there is a lot of suspense during the whole game which is keeping me really addicted haha.

 

Actually, the mapping is the one that got me weak. Sure these are stock assets, and i don't mind it. But when a mapper plays it too safe (or if it's just his style) by making the maps looks too boxy, too neat and every corner from 2 sides are straight up the same. That's what i've never been a fan of because it's not natural and repetitive. Plus that first person view combat system.
Btw, have you finished the game, Pako? How is its story and music?

 

As for the mapping, I didn't find any issues, since the game takes place in the tower of Turovero, which is like a mystic tower that doesn't follow the rules of physics, that means some floors look like the outside world, even though they are inside a tower. The first two floors are "boxy", as you said, but that's because they actually look like the interior of a tower, so it's not natural, it's manmade, so it makes sense to me. The next two floors don't look like a tower, but they aren't boxy. Also, the third floor is really, really, really well done, really haha. The creator used very specific tilesets to make the floor, so it's my favorite one until now.

The first person view combat system could actually look better, I agree, and the monster sprites seem a bit out of place from the video, but as you play you get used to it, and the battles are actually well made, that means every monster has their unique traits and best ways of being defeated. In my opinion, the only thing that is bad about the battles is the random encounter system, which makes exploring the map a pain in the butt. However, the frequency of encounters is not high, so you will have an average of 3 battles in bigger maps and 1 battle in smaller maps.

And no, I haven't got the time to finish the game because I'm really busy with personal stuff, but the story is really creative and I'm dying to know what happens in each floor of the tower. As for the music, it was all composed by the authors of the game, so they all match and have an unique style, they are also played at very pertinent moments. My favorite ones are the suspense songs, which get more tense as the suspense grows (there are like 3 versions of the same song, each of them more "tense" than the other), and the boss theme, which I actually listened to while I was studying yesterday, it's calm yet fells like you're dealing with a challenge. I'm very attencious to the soundtrack of videogames so yeah, I think music is not an issue of this game, and is actually one of its selling points.

Whew! I feel like they should pay me for writing such an extense positive review XD But I'm being honest about what I think of the game and think you should at least give it a shot. ^^

Oh! There are A LOT of puzzles and I found them to be very creative and that they really make sense, I didn't get stuck too long in any puzzle

 

Thank you for the detailed reply, Pako. And yeah they should pay you somehow for that smooth of promoting post, lol. I asked about the story and music because, despite of those not-in-my-taste things that i have mentioned above, these 2 things alone could hook me to the game easily if someone confirms they are interesting. And based on your latest post, i think it'll be worth Pako (Dude, it's a super lengthy and passionate post, if i don't play it i'd feel bad for the rest of my life, lol)

 

*Her

I will admit I have a huge bias towards maps that are somewhat symmetrical so I get it if it's not your thing lol. A lot of the game's maps are also branching paths surrounding "hub" rooms so I think that contributes to the symmetry. And to be honest, I wasn't looking to impress anyone with the combat system or maps; I used what I thought serviced the game and tried to focus mostly on the story, puzzles, and music, which are my relative confidence areas for game development.

Glad you seemed to be interested by the story though!

Thanks!! I'm actually the sole composer on the game (I essentially did everything in the game, actually, except for the art assets), and I'm pretty proud of how the OST turned out. If you haven't already done so you can download it in MP3 format via RPGMaker.net, Itch.io, or GameJolt (it's free too!!)

 

Hey, i downloaded and played your game a little bit a few days ago. My first impression is, for the dialogues, they are ok although pretty typical and predictable. Felt like they were a little lengthy too but it might just because i was rushed. Then i went inside the tower, there was 1 minor thing about presentation i have to point out is when Leila found the herb, flower thing (sorry can't remember), and the thief commented right after that by saying "good find" or stuff like that and they agreed wholeheartedly, kinda awkward . Because it was right in front of them, on the narrowed and only path. It would have been better if you placed the herb in some darker corners.

And that's it, i ended the playthrough after that because i had work to do, i'll update it when i play more.

 

Im really stuck on the left hand ice square puzzle but I am now running out of supplies so I need help before I have to start all over again. I melted the top left hand ice box. I have started from the bottom clearing all the squares to go to the alter and press the blue button. I then go back on myself to the bottom changing all the colours back to how it first was. Nothing happens. What am I doing wrong? Just got it at last but.....

How do you take the bowl from the under ground to put it on the alter please.?

Really enjoying this game. It makes a good change from other games.

 

Thanks for playing!! Answers are under the spoiler.

Spoiler

1. Only press the button when none of the squares are lit up; change the tiles back BEFORE you step on the button.
2. Use undergrowth on the potted, then examine it.

Hope this helps!

 

Yes. Thank you. On the last stretch of this level and have used the sniper but the black square at the beginning is still not usable. What is the next thing missing please so I can open the doors?

 

The black square is a one way warp from the top of the room, it's not supposed to be activated. If you have the Silver Key you're good. You need both Silver Keys to open the door (the other is beyond the spikes of the upper right portion of the main chamber).