While RPG Maker softwares have existed since the early 1990s, these programs became especially popular for indie developers to use after iconic RPG Maker games such as Yume Nikki and Ao Oni were released in the early 2000s. Now, hundreds of RPG Maker games are released by indie developers every year.
Most websites that host games have plenty of RPG Maker titles, but itch.io hosts more than 2,000 of them, and the amount only continues to grow. Although some of those games can be found on other sites, there're also some incredible examples that are unique to itch.io.
Created by quiesphere, who is also known as illydna on Tumblr, Omen of Rain is a short, atmospheric horror adventure game about a young man named Hans who visits an abandoned shed in the woods. Fifteen years ago, Hans made a promise with his childhood friends that they would meet up again at the shed, which was their hideout.
As Hans waits for his friends to arrive, he reminisces about the past, and it slowly becomes apparent that there may have been a reason the whole town was forced to leave suddenly all those years ago. The developer of this game also worked on an Alice in Wonderland-esque game called The Stairway and a Yume Nikki fan-game called cirrus.
Inspired by the beloved indie RPG Maker game Space Funeral, Seek Magician by Moss Salamander is a hilarious adventure game filled with unique characters, great dialogue, multiple activities, and an amazing soundtrack with old electronica vibes. The player controls Pax as he goes on a journey to become the greatest magician.
As Pax "seeks magicians" and learns their skills, he will encounter various creatures, such as mystic squids, that he may have to fight. But, the player won't just be doing typical RPG tasks because there're are plenty of things to do in this colorful world. Recently, the developer also released another humorous short experience titled Party Cemetery.
Based on the classic fairy tale Rapunzel, Lavender is a short puzzle game with hidden horror elements. After receiving a hair comb from her mother on her birthday, the main character, Lavender, accidentally drops it out the window of her room at the top of the tower. To get it back, Lavender will have to descend the tower.
In each floor of the tower, she will have to solve various puzzles that correspond with each room's theme. If Lavender simply makes it to the bottom and grabs her comb, she will have a happy ending. But, if the player collects all the hidden pink hairs, Lavender can access a room that she may regret. Clockwork Prince, who is the developer, also made a Yume Nikki fan-game called re:fleXion.
Created for the Spooktober 3rd Annual Visual Novel Jam, Silver Thread is a short horror mystery game where the player takes on the role of an exorcist in order to solve supernatural cases. Unlike most exorcist stories, however, the exorcist is a woman named Alicia Wikershire who doesn't even believe in ghosts and other supernatural phenomena. Instead, she takes on supernatural cases so that she can uncover the real truths behind the mysterious occurrences.
When she enters the house of her recent client, Harry Lysenworth, she expects to see the same nonsense as always. But, after meeting one of his children, Beaford, she may encounter more than she expects. The developer, Puchi, is currently working on a sequel.
Released by Hatoge, also known as K, who also made Misfiction and Ouija Sleepover, Sofia? is an LGBTQ+ mystery horror game that doesn't seem like a horror game at first. The main character, Crow, is invited by his nonbinary boyfriend, Fio, to stay at his house for their one month anniversary.
After eating ramen and playing some video games, the two characters decide to go to bed after their wholesome afternoon. In the middle of the night, however, Crow wakes up to a strange sound and discovers that Fio has disappeared, and things only continue to get stranger from there when Crow finally encounters the titular Sofia.
Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, The Huntress of the Hollow is a horror adventure game about a little girl named Lenora Calamint who lives with her mother in a small town on the edge of the forest. Shortly after a mysterious huntsman arrived in the village, wolves have started attacking the village constantly, and Lenora constantly has to be more careful every time she travels to her grandmother's cabin in the woods.
When the wolves start overwhelming the village, Lenora must go on a journey to find the huntsman again to help save the village. But, Lenora may discover that there's more going on behind the scenes, and that she might be a capable huntress herself.
Developed by io, or onisarashi on Twitter, Flesh, Blood, & Concrete is a surreal exploration horror game where that player takes control of a struggling adult named Lera who decides to go on a road trip to get away from all the problems in their life. After serving off the road to find some gas, Lera enters a strange apartment building that's inhabited by a young girl named Nika.
While exploring the building, Lera slowly notices that everything in the building reflects moments from their own life. As the journey progresses, Lera realizes they may never be able to return home, even if they do want to now.
Created by horror-n-oates, No Delivery is a roguelike horror CRPG about employees who take the nightshift at a local pizzeria. During each procedurally generated run, the player takes control of a random employee in order to try to escape from the various creatures in the establishment that try to kill them.
Despite the surface-level similarities with the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise, No Delivery takes the ideas in a different direction that focuses on the struggles of late-stage capitalism, the soul-sucking labor of minimum wage work, and the overwhelming debt that keeps people trapped. Plus, because of the procedurally generated dungeons, there's plenty of replay value.
Developed by Caramel, also known as Steven, who created You and I and the Long, Long Drive and Dr. Signal's Strange Machine, Red Trees is a cute adventure game with some extremely light horror elements. The game follows a young girl named Artemis who lives in a small town in the middle of a forest. After some rabbits disappear and rumors spread across the town about something in the woods, Artemis decides to investigate.
But, Artemis won't be able to get into the woods without receiving permission first, so she will have to talk to the various townspeople and solve some problems first. Years after its original release in 2016, the game received an update that included new music, dialogue, and gameplay improvements.
Created by Lydia, known as LydiaBluebell on Twitter, who also developed the well-received RPG Maker game Aria's Story, Midnight Train is a mystery horror adventure game about a mute girl named Luna Wyndell who is traveling on the Midnight Express. When everyone around her suddenly disappears and the train stops at a strange building within a void, she discovers that she needs to find the next train before time runs out or she will be trapped forever.
She is joined by a young aspiring detective, Neil Lawton, who teams up with her in order to solve the world's puzzles. As they explore this mysterious realm and meet other characters who are also trapped, it's slowly revealed that there may be more to Luna's past and what's going on.
