RPGs are great, but if that’s the one genre players are into, they can get quite stale. Going from a game like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim to Dragon Age: Inquisition to Avowed can be a good time, but all three games offer something similar. There are leveling-up systems, big stories, gear and skill systems, side quests, and so much more.
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The following RPGs are recommended for not being that long, don’t require much grinding or loot progression, and are mostly original ideas with some light comedy in some cases. They may not all be ten out of ten experiences, but they should be applauded for trying something different.
8
Costume Quest
Trick Or Treat
Costume Quest is an RPG best played during Halloween, but it deserves some recognition anyway. Released as a digital game back in the first HD era, this Double Fine adventure stars a group of young kids who get their candy stolen by monsters on Halloween.
They follow them to their home, battling along the way to get those sweet sugary treats back in turn-based combat through an imaginative job system. It’s cheeky like most Double Fine games are, plus there isn’t much of a grind to the gear and level-up systems.
7
Live A Live
An Episodic Journey
Live A Live was released first in Japan on the SNES in 1994, which later made its North American debut in 2022 with a sweet HD-2D remake. Players will have access to several characters at the start, including a cowboy set in the Old West or a ninja set in feudal Japan.
Every character has a two to three-hour campaign, and then once all are complete, a secret scenario will unlock. This curiosity is worth playing since players don’t have to worry about epic campaigns and can instead focus on niche, little ideas that are hit or miss.
6
Miitopia
Making Silly Faces
Miitopia was released as a 3DS game first in 2017 for North American players. The concept was silly and barebones, with not a lot of flash to the story, level design, or the mostly automatic turn-based combat. It was a quirky RPG that allowed players to create characters, import their Miis, or their friends’ Miis to populate this world.
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Friends could appear as allies or monsters, or at least their faces could, which led to some creepy and yet funny combos. The game was remade for the Switch in 2021, which is the easiest way to play it now, but the 3DS version is superior because of the SpotPass and StreetPass functions.
5
Parasite Eve
One Character, Big Problems
Parasite Eve was made with a Western audience in mind, as it is set in New York City. Players only have to worry about one character, Detective Aya Brea, who is chasing down a mutated woman named Eve who is somehow transforming animals like rats and monkeys into monsters.
Instead of traditional weapons and armor, players can equip and customize guns and police wear, and learn psychic powers. It’s a breezy playthrough and unique since it is a horror game as well, and would pair nicely with Costume Quest on Halloween for those who like to be scared more.
4
RPG Time: The Legend Of Wright
A New RPG At Every Turn
RPG Time: The Legend of Wright is certainly the most unique-looking game on the list since the concept draws from a child’s homemade RPG in his notebook. Players will scroll from page to page, viewing penciled-in artwork come to life from one-eyed trolls to angry moles.
There are action segments, turn-based segments, puzzle-solving, platforming, and so much more. Players will never get bored with one idea, and it’s not a long commitment either.
3
Sand Land
Tanks For The Water
Sand Land is definitely a more involved action RPG game, but it’s also unique in its approach to gameplay. At its core, Sand Land is an open-world post-apocalyptic RPG set in a world where humans and demons are fighting for water.
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As a demon prince, Beelzebub, players can pummel enemies with their fists or magic attacks. The true stars of the show are the various vehicles players can customize and pilot, from tanks to mechs. It was the last thing Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama worked on, so it’s worth it for that value alone.
2
Super Mario RPG
An Old Classic Remade
Super Mario RPG is a Switch remake of a SNES game, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, which was Mario’s first RPG spinoff. It was a collaboration between Squaresoft and Nintendo at the time, and they did a tremendous job that then branched Mario off into two distinct RPG series.
Both versions are worth playing since humor is at the core of the story, and the active turn-based gameplay helped start a new trend. The Switch version does have a lower difficulty setting, though, making it easy for beginners or those tired of grinding in RPGs, not that the original version had much grinding to begin with.
1
Undertale
Talk Through Your Problems
Undertale is a game that asks players to stop and wonder about the feelings of the monsters they are fighting. Players can certainly play it like a traditional RPG by grinding for levels and slaying monster after monster.
Alternatively, they could talk their way through battles and dodge attacks through bullet hell-like mechanics, which is seen as the proper way to play Undertale. It is another short game that is hard to describe and best experienced in one afternoon. Once completed, the Undertale sickness will sink in, and players will no longer be able to think of anything else.
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