The Best Pixel Art RPGs

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 12, 2025 19 Views 24 Min Read
The Best Pixel Art RPGs



Before the delightful world of photo-realistic graphics and an all-too-similar art style, there was pixel art. A time when it didn’t matter if a character looked like three pixels of discernible nothing, and shades of green, red, blue, and yellow were the dominant force.

Best Steam Deck RPGs - Hades, Mass Effect, BG 3, Persona 3, Eastward

Related


The Best RPGs For The Steam Deck

Play one of these great RPGs on the train, in a park, or just from the comfort of your own bed.

Games like this still get made today. For some, it’s a stylistic choice; for others, a necessity, usually due to a budget restriction. But whatever the reason, there’s a whole realm of pixel art RPGs that deliver on this beautiful style while also delving into stories crafted for those who value narrative.

Updated January 11, 2025 by Jacob Whaling: We’ve updated this list with even more pixel art RPGs to play, with an emphasis on the ever-growing indie scene.

26

Sea Of Stars

If there’s one word to describe Sea of Stars, it’s magical. This is by no means an overstatement; Sea of Stars has beautiful, rich pixel art, a modernized turn-based combat system, and a compelling story with detailed lore and interesting character arcs.

Sea of Stars is best experienced with as little prior knowledge as possible, allowing you to completely immerse yourself in the experience. However, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that if you are a long-time JRPG fan, Sea of Stars is the perfect homage to the series, paying tribute to its roots while offering an expanded and modernized adventure.

25

Streets Of Rogue

If Streets of Rogue dodged your indie game radar, it’ll hopefully become a bright, beeping blip after you’ve learned more about it. While the core gameplay loop is focused on a roguelite experience, it’s packed with clever roleplaying mechanics.

You boot up the game, pick from a list of classes, most of which will be unlocked over time, and you get to work clearing levels and main objectives in whatever fashion you see fit. You can blow up walls, sabotage aspects of the environment, set traps, bribe people, level up, and even get sneaky with cardboard boxes like Snake from Metal Gear Solid.

24

Death Trash

Numerous, rugged characters gathered around a flamethrower spraying bright yellow and orange flames.

Death Trash is somewhat like a gritty and raw pixel art version of the Fallout series; that is, if Todd Howard was enamored with the Horror and Cyberpunk genres. Once you’ve allocated your stats and customized your character, you’ll be thrown into an open world with plenty of dialogue choices and roleplaying mechanics.

Octopath Traveler 2, Final Fantasy 16, Cyberpunk 2077

Related


15 Best RPGs On PS5

Explore massive worlds with sharper graphics than ever before.

Both in visuals and the world around you, Death Trash offers a blunt, humorous, and dynamic experience that is sometimes a bit grim and morbid. You should definitely take a chance on this incredibly unique pixel art RPG.

23

Starbound

Think of Starbound as Terraria or Stardew Valley in space where you can play with up to three friends. There’s a campaign to follow but no right way to play, as it’s down to you to create your own path and choose your impact on the universe.

You can explore mines for their valuable resources, build structures on the planets, and capture rare monsters who can fight beside you in combat — all of this is available solo or multiplayer. Starbound also has a large modding community, with the developers supporting the use of these mods.

22

Hyper Light Drifter

Hyper Light Drifter is a gem of a game, but what makes it even more unique is its direct influence from developer Alx Preston who was born with congenital heart disease. The continuous hospitalization stemming from Alx’s condition inspired pieces of the protagonist.

The protagonist, referred to as The Drifter, has an unspecified terminal illness and travels the Continent hoping to find a cure. As with other RPGs, there’s a whole other combat aspect, but the importance here is the story and how music and colors are used to elevate this.

21

Crosscode

The player walking down a path beside a large pink-leafed tree.

Very rarely are mute (rather than just silent) characters seen in anything ever. However, as representation continues to propel forward, developers are starting to branch out, and more people are starting to see themselves in various mediums.

A collage of Disco Elysium, Warhammer Rogue Trader, and Pillars of Eternity

Related


Best Top-Down RPGs On PC

The best view in the house.

In Crosscode, you play as Lea, a girl who has lost the ability to speak. Trying to solve the mystery of why this is, she logs into a game called Crossworlds, an in-universe MMO filled with challenging enemies, engaging puzzles, extremely smooth combat, and gripping SNES-style pixel art graphics.

20

Eastward

The protagonists of Eastward in a town.

Eastward focuses on the deuteragonists John and Sam, who first meet inside an alien facility. From here, the two stay by each other’s side until the very end of the game, traveling from town to town by use of rails. The connection between these two characters drives the action forward in the most memorable way possible.

Combat is simple, following a real-time approach instead of the turn-based combat frequently seen in RPGs. Bosses are entertaining to defeat, and the relationship that forms between the leads is a standout of the pixel art genre.

19

Moonlighter

The protagonist of Moonlighter about to enter a gateway to the fifth dungeon.

If you’re a fan of soothing games like Stardew Valley, you’re certain to adore Moonlighter. Many of its concepts can be likened to Stardew, although Moonlighter focuses more on dungeon play than its farming equivalent.

You’ll spend your time fighting through endless dungeons while balancing your day job as a shopkeeper, which is more challenging than it seems, as items found in dungeons will then be sold in your store. The balance between the two lives is perfectly executed, offering a little something for everyone.

18

Octopath Traveler

Octopath Traveler is big on its characters, a fact present from the beginning as you’re thrust into the world of eight travelers, each with a tale to tell. You get to decide which hero to begin the adventure as, so it’s very much leaning into letting you choose how everything plays out.

Octopath Traveler Therion And Olberic

Related


Every Character In Octopath Traveler, Ranked From Worst To Best

Octopath Traveler is a smash hit – but if you aren’t sure who to play as, we’ve got you covered.

As a Square Enix project, there’s heavy influence from Final Fantasy and a boatload of enjoyment to be squeezed from the game. The usage of HD-2D graphics is some of the best to come out of modern-day gaming.

17

Unsighted

Fantasy RPGs are created much more than sci-fi ones, so when a great sci-fi RPG comes along with exciting combat and an enthralling story, you have to savor the moment.

Unsighted begins with the protagonist, Alma, waking up in a facility amidst a world ruined by war. The thing is, you and many others don’t have much time left before your life force disappears and offsets the wheel of time.

You’ll have to bring together allies and fight through waves of enemies as you progress through war-torn Arcadia to find a cure for yourself and your loved ones. Time is of the essence.

16

Pokemon Yellow

Trainer in the Vermillion City Gym's trash can puzzle.

With so many Pokemon games available to buy at any given moment, along with the ones fresh out of the woodwork, it’s daunting to know where the best place to start is. Any of them is the correct answer, but an even better starting point is Pokemon Yellow.

You do what trainers do best, try to catch as many Pokemon as humanely possible. You then use these Pokemon to fight other trainers and come out on top. Of course, not everything is about bragging rights, but bragging rights are pretty neat.

15

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

As the name already suggests, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is an ultimate strategy game allowing you to recruit up to 100 unique characters for your cause. While you might not be able to use all these heroes for combat, they still have their unique roles that help you manage your own castle.

Many of the champions you can find in Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes

Related


Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes – 8 Best Party Compositions

The best team compositions to strategize in battles against the Galdean Empire.

Yes, you heard it right. Soon after you start playing this game, you’ll get your own castle as you attempt to riot against a tyrannical king and take all the control from his hands. While doing that, you get to visit various unique biomes and cities with their unique culture, character personalities, and fish!

14

Undertale

Undertale rose to prominence in the same year of its release, with much of its success arising from its popularity on YouTube. It’s your typical RPG, except it’s nothing of the sort, because the unique combat system allows you to go the entire game without killing others — you can instead talk your way out of a situation.

Even being over half a decade old at this point, the game has aged exceptionally well and is still just as good as it was in its prime.

13

Ultima 7

Ultima 7 protagonist walking next to weapons on display in glass cases.

The Ultima series is famed for being one of the very first RPGs to solidify the genre; once playing, it’s easy to understand why. These games have a lot going for them and are incredibly intuitive when considering their release dates.

In Ultima 7, you play as The Avatar, who is once again thrown into the fire, this time tasked to take down villain The Guardian, a cosmic entity threatening to conquer Britannia. While the movement system is a little outdated today, the story makes it still worthy of a playthrough.

12

Vampire Survivors

The player fighting off a group of bats.

Although there are various RPG elements, Vampire Survivors is a bullet hell arcade game that’s more roguelite than RPG. There also isn’t a significant story but instead, stages that repeat the same singular goal.

5:16

Death Must Die, Deep Rock Galactic Survivor and Soulstone Survivors.

Related


The Best Games To Play If You Like Vampire Survivors

Already there are great games following in Vampire Survivors’ footsteps, and here we look at the best ones.

Every stage asks you to fend off vampires as one of the survivors hence the game’s name, and this is how every stage plays out. It is a fundamental premise but one you might quickly find yourself enthralled in if the gameplay loop turns out to be your kind of thing.

11

Earthbound

Earthbound: Ness, Paula, Jeff, And Poo Walk Down A Busy Street.

Earthbound, otherwise known as Mother 2 in Japan, is a JRPG following newly-turned teenager Ness as he fights to stop the world from being destroyed by the alien Giygas. Now, if you’ve been on the gaming mysteries side of the internet, like, ever, you’ll know all about the various fan theories for both Earthbound and Giygas itself.

Even though many of them were proven false, there’s much more to uncover. In contrast to its dark themes, the vibrancy in the game’s design and battles make Earthbound something you have to play.

10

Triangle Strategy

Triangle Strategy is a tactical turn-based RPG rendered in Square Enix’s beautiful HD-2D pixel artstyle, similar to the Octopath Traveler series. As you may have gathered from the game’s title, Triangle Strategy puts you in the middle of three great powers set within the continent of Norzelia.

As the peace between these powers begins to dissolve, you will set out on a journey to put things right. Along the way, you will have to make decisions that can alter the outcome of the story. The gameplay is highly strategic, forcing you to consider all of your options in each battle, including making use of the terrain to gain advantages.

9

Secrets Of Grindea

Secrets of Grindea is an indie action RPG that pays homage to classic SNES-era RPGs like A Link to the Past and Secret of Mana, to which the game owes its name. Secrets of Grindea lets you create your own character and journey through a whimsical world, utilizing a variety of spells and abilities for all types of playstyles.

5:32

Hyper Light Drifter and Dave The Diver.

Related


10 Best Pixel Art Games Of All Time

Learn all about the best pixel art video games!

As you may guess from the name of the game, Secrets of Grindea has quite a bit to grind for; every monster has a rare Card that it can drop, and each Card you collect provides a permanent stat buff. While grinding isn’t strictly necessary to complete the game, it is very much encouraged.

8

Final Fantasy 6

The party fighting a flying monster on the airship's deck in Final Fantasy 6.

Everyone knows Final Fantasy. Some love it, and some hate it, but one thing you can’t deny is its influence on the gaming industry. For now, let’s talk about 1994’s Final Fantasy 6. The game follows the actions of a rebel group called the Returners as they work towards preventing the Gestahlian Empire from conquering the world.

The player controls Terra for the story’s first half, and Celes for the second half. The battle system is very similar to other early Final Fantasy games, and since 6 is one of the easiest in the series, it’s an excellent one to jump straight into.

There’s a fantastic “modern” version of Final Fantasy 6 available on many platforms: Final Fantasy 6 Pixel Remaster. Like the Pixel Remasters for the five FFs before it, this version does a fine job bringing a bit of an HD makeover while retaining the delightfully charming style of the game.

7

Stardew Valley

The player fishing in a small pond in their farm.

Stardew Valley is the definition of a chill-out game, the kind of thing you can play to calm yourself down through myriad activities your farmer can do. You can spend the day fishing, exploring the mines, foraging, making your own produce, and hanging out with friends; really, you can do whatever you want.

And the best part about it is, while there is a goal to strive towards, this is never forced upon you, and you can take your sweet time — in-game years even — before you work towards completion.

Source link