RPGMaker Games Ranked

RPG Maker is a software for game-creation known for being beginner friendly, allowing artists who don't know how to code to create games of their own. Therefore, the software has spawned a scene of unique, artistic games created by industry outsiders who have a penchant for making quirky, weird and often surreal games.

And given that I am known to enjoy a quirky Earthbound inspired indie game about depression or two, and I love the medium, I figured I'd rank the RPGmaker games I've played! I've excluded some of the less notable games; I've played far too many to rank them all.

The following is a ranking of every RPGmaker game I've played (or watched someone else play...) 16. Mogeko Castle

The cute art is the only redeeming factor... Don't play this game. It is horrible for reasons I cannot say on a UIC affiliated blog.

15. Penpals

This adorable little game is actually hiding a dark secret (this can be said about every RPGmaker game ever created...) A short little game about finding your mom! It is not very good, but it is responsible for introducing me to the one of my all-time favorite bands, The Unicorns. This is done through repeating the same song, "Peach Moon" over and over again for 10 minutes straight, not attempting to loop it at all. Like I said it's not very good but it's cute for a little passion project made by (what I assume to be) a teenager! The creator is now doing art at Netflix; I'm happy to see their career progress so much!

14. LISA: The First

Before it eventually turned into a 10-hour battle-focused RPG, LISA started its life as a short Yume-Nikki-like game! For those unaware, Yume Nikki is an iconic RPGmaker game (covered later) which spawned a subgenre of surreal indie games focused on combat-less exploration of abstract, bizarre worlds. "LISA: The First" actually has a clear story, which makes it pretty unique for a Nikki-like game, which I appreciate. It is a little sad for me though... If you like sad media, I would give this one a recommendation. Somehow, I've played this but never got around to the real game people actually love: "LISA: The Painful."

13. .flow

Another Yume Nikki-like game notable for its edginess. There's rust, there's blood, there's edgy pretty boys made for Tumblr. It's not too notable in my experience, but if you can't get enough of Yume Nikki, and like the spookier parts of the game, it's worth a shot.

12. END ROLL

This game is actually proto-Omori. It's insane. Released just a few years earlier than the much, much more successful Omori, the amount of plot points these games share is actually absurd. Exploring a cute turned scary dream world full of idealized versions of your past friends, waking up in a white room every day and being forced to ----- to progress the game... The number of similarities makes you begin to suspect if OMOCAT purposefully took from END ROLL.

But, despite originating all of these plot points, unfortunately END ROLL just makes me appreciate Omori's execution of the same ideas more in every way and isn't able to stand on its own. The characters aren't nearly as interesting, the gameplay is monotonous, and the soundtrack is full of just 10 SECOND TRACKS INCORRECTLY LOOPED AD NAUSEAM. I genuinely had to mute the game at points because of how infuriating the soundtrack got at parts. The game isn't all bad, it still has a lot of fun ideas, it's just a shame it has to be compared to such a great game which executed nearly all of its original ideas much better.

11. OneShot Now this is a hot take; I didn't really care for "OneShot"! It was okay. I didn't find any of the characters very appealing, they all seemed very one-note. And in a game like this, that's basically all you have. I believe if I didn't know the premise/twist of the game, it would have been great. If you are somehow reading this and haven't heard of "OneShot", download it now!!! There is a free version that's only a couple hours long; play it and read nothing online about it. NOTHING! Then maybe you'll cry when it ends. Even if I didn't like it too much, at least the soundtrack was great: nice, calm, spooky, ambient.

10. Kanye Quest 3030

Back before Kanye was actually a despicable person and more of just a normal bad person, "Kanye Quest 3030" was a sci-fi meme game about clones of famous rappers fighting each other. This game had Lil B as the final boss-- are you kidding me? Instant classic. Also, there was an obscure real-world conspiracy that this game was being used as a cult recruitment tool due to secret sections of the game featuring cult-like imagery while asking for the user's sensitive personal information. Instant classic.

9. To The Moon

This is only here in the list because I haven't finished playing it yet! I'm only about 45 minutes in, but I hear people say it's one of the greats. I'm excited to find out why ^^.

8. The Witch's House

A short tale about a witch's spooky house. This might've ranked lower if I actually played it instead of watching a Let's Play for it, because dear God the gameplay looks frustrating-- A lot of cheap insta deaths. But I think the great twist at the end would still make it worth it. As well as the absolutely amazing main theme. It perfectly paints the mysterious, ominous and whimsical vibe of the whole game.

7. OFF

I mean man. Look at that art! Although there are dozens of RPGmaker games with more polished art styles, OFF can't help but catch my eye with its unique illustration style. I tried to copy that style for years as a kid. Besides the art, the music is equally as great. Listen to "Pepper Steak" and it will sell you on the entire game. This game also gets bonus points for having a Tumblr sexy man of the week, Zacharie (a silly lil guy that wears different spooky masks ooO0ooh!). If you love the games art as much as I do, I'd heavily recommend the comic series "Dr. Cataclysm" by the game's developer. Same great art style but for a super cute, comfy romp through space featuring mafias and fugitives and magic! Such a fun time and super underrated. He's also working on a new game, "Vold Vago" that is more "Metroid" influenced, so keep a look out for that!

(Fun fact this game is responsible for Undertale's Papyrus, as Toby Fox initially based him off of Dedan!)

6. Yume Nikki

The one that started it all, developed by Kikiyama in 2004, "Yume Nikki" has grown to be a media franchise and spawn its own genre. Likened to "LSD: Dream Emulator," Yume Nikki follows a young girl, Madotsuki, through her surreal dreams. The game features no combat, dialogue, or plot; instead, it is soley focused on the exploration of vivid and often ominous worlds. It is by far the most influential RPGmaker game, influencing games such as "LISA", "Omori", "Doki Doki Literature Club", "Undertale", etc., "Yume Nikki" deserves a spot in the all-time indie game hall of fame. And the soundtrack?! Man. Spooky. Good. Very good! If you like the "Silent Hill" soundtracks, you need to give this one a listen.

5. Space Funeral

"Space Funeral" gives me a feeling unlike any other videogame. Bittersweet might be the right word? It's a hilarious game, maybe the funniest RPGmaker game I've played. At one point, you fight a guy named "The King of Crime" who smokes a cigarette which puffs out smoke spelling out "CRIME". The game is disgusting, your companion is Leg Horse, a horse made out of human legs. Theres blood spilling out of everything, people's houses are just giant decapitated heads for some reason. The game kinda just seems like shock value fest-- which I might agree with if the game didn't feel so genuine. There's an underlying sadness beneath it all, not an edgy one. It's not trying to be deep or to make a statement or be anything it isn't truly. It's funny, its ugly and stupid and human. I love it.

4. Hylics

The world of "Hylics" (you guessed it!) is extremely surreal in typical RPGmaker style. NPCs relay random, meaningless dialogue. You attack people with burritos. Whatever. The real reason why this game is so high on the list is the art. The game's art style consists of handmade clay sculptures digitized and pixelated to give the game an art style truly unlike any game you've seen before. I've enjoyed other RPGmaker games before, but none can begin to compete with this game's solely unique artistic vision. The game is a genuine artistic achievement, full of beauty and creativity at every corner! And the music's chill asf too! I give this game two pixelated black-and-white photos of human hands giving thumbs up.

3. Yume 2kki

A fan-made successor to "Yume Nikki," created after the original game's creator mysteriously vanished (all to in-character for the creator of such a game as strange as Yume Nikki), what sets "Yume 2kki" apart is its creator. Or rather, creators, as instead of being a solo project as most RPGmaker games tend to be, "Yume 2kki" is an open, ongoing collaborative project. The game has had hundreds of "authors" add their own dream worlds to the game over the two decades since its inception, creating an ever-expansive experience you could get lost in for days. I love exploring each room, seeing how different authors express themselves in their level's art and music. Some are spooky, some are cute, some are admittedly horrible. But what I appreciate most about it is its ability to give you a small glimpse into the creator's soul for just a moment. Their favorite interests, their fears, their jokes. It's beautiful, and I believe even better than its original.

Also, there's an online version! YNO Project lets you play "Yume 2kki" online on your browser, in a chatroom that's normally populated with around 200 users at a time. Yume Nikki-like games can often be a lonely experience, wandering around sometimes desolate worlds by your lonesome for hours. But playing it online gives YNO Project a sense of coziness unlike any other Yume Nikki-like games. Nothing beats finally escaping a sequence of horrifying rooms to find another player, doing a silly little emote to remind you you're not alone. It seems silly (and it is silly), but it is something you really must experience yourself. WHAT A GOOD GAME!!!

2. Undertale 2: Revenge of the Robots

I was expecting this game to be a low effort shitpost, but wow, it was genuinely hilarious, at points just as funny as the original. If you still care about Undertale, play this game without looking into it at all. It's so funny. Every song is a horrible cover of an Undertale original, and I can't get enough of them. There are so many parts of this game that show the creator cared about it more than just a low effort shitpost. Secret endings, optional bosses, collectible card-hunting, hours of content behind an optional fishing minigame, UI customization: there's so much to do. There are so many insane comedic twists that I refuse to spoil any of. The creator, Zizou, is currently creating a deck-building rouge-like game called "Gimmiko" which has a deliciously crunchy pixel art style and addicting gameplay. Keep an eye out on them if you like good games!!

1. Omori

I've spoken too much about this game. It's kinda a masterpiece or whatever... The game and its accompanying soundtrack have made me cry at least two dozen times... It's pretty good or whatever. (I am acting nonchalant because when I initially played this game it took over my life for two years and it consumed every thought I had. I got so obsessed that now I'm a little sick of it. It may do the same to you, watch out...)