16 Best RPGs With Pixel Graphics - The first knowledge sharing application in Vietnam

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.

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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 February 26, 2023, By Nico Dagny: As RPGs develop into modernity, more and more terrific examples of what makes the genre so great are releasing. It’s such an expansive genre that you can play one RPG from the 90s and another from the 2020s and still feel that same sense of wonder. And while pixel art isn’t as popular as it once was, many developers still use these visuals.

Starbound

Think of Starbound as Terraria or Stardew Valley in space where you can play with up to three friends, and you’ve got Starbound. 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.

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.

Crosscode

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. 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.

As you progress, portions of Lea’s life become muddled, and things only get stranger as personas from her past join the narrative.

Eastward

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. But the real winning point here is the combat, bosses, and the connection between the characters, which make the game memorable.

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.

Moonlighter

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pokemon Yellow

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 is the best place to start. Any of them is the correct answer, but an even better starting point is Pokemon Yellow.

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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.

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.

Ultima 7

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.

Vampire Survivors

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. 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.

Earthbound

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.

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.

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The player controls Terra (or Tina for those in Japan) 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.

Stardew Valley

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, mining, exploring the mines, foraging, making your own produce, and hanging out with friends. 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.

Omori

Omori is a game you must play yourself to enjoy, so we won’t discuss significant spoilers here. All you need to know is that it’s an RPG following a young boy and his path to overcome his fears, with the experience wrapped up into one sprawling adventure.

Omori sets off slow and follows this steady momentum for most of its runtime, so it’s something you’ll have to find patience in. It also doesn’t primarily focus on the role-playing elements and is much more attuned to its story’s simplicity and heartfelt nature.

Chrono Trigger

Everyone wishes to go back and change the way they did something, how they acted towards a friend, what they responded with, maybe something they did out of anger that they want to change more than anything. Chrono Trigger runs with this notion’s simple concept and builds upon it, developing it into a story for the ages.

You play as Crono, who stumbles upon a conspiracy that, in the future, an alien known as Lavos will destroy the world. Traveling through time and working with newly befriended allies, he must rush to stop future events from coming to pass. The game features real-time combat that allows for strategic moves but requires quick thinking and visuals that still stand tall today. It also has multiple endings, with your choices affecting the outcome.

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