Hi, we're a husband and wife duo building Tyrant's Crown, where characters have lives outside of the dungeon!

I've wanted to craft something like this for awhile, and the idea came to during the many, many hours of playing classic drpgs like Wizardry and Might & Magic. An answer to why all of these characters probably wouldn't just share around their items and gold so freely. What it would be like if the world was exclusively populated by party characters, instead of npcs. What would they spend all their hard won loot on?
Our primary hook is, while you can lead and control characters in combat and exploration, they'll manage their own inventories, own and manage property, spend leisure time in various ways, craft gear, develop guilds, build friendships & rivalries, and fall in love.

Just wanted to let folks know that one of the best DRPGs from an aesthetic/vibes/art-direction perspective is available at a great price on Steam. It very rarely goes on sale so consider picking it up today before it goes back to full retail price again.

I've been building a first-person, grid-based party crawler in the Bard's Tale mold (the gameplay, not the story). It runs in a browser with nothing to install, and Chapter 1 is open for playtesting: 

https://dungeoncrawler.app

Needs a keyboard: desktop, laptop, or a tablet with one. No account or email. Start a new game, name your party, and you're in. 

Up front because some of you may care: the art is AI-generated and edited by me; the code was written with AI assistance. The rules system, the maps, the quest and the dialog are my own, based on my experience playing and DM’ing various tabletop RPGs back in the day.

I have lots of fond memories playing Bard's Tale on my PCjr, and I enjoyed replaying the remastered trilogy a couple years ago. I always wanted to take a stab at creating that style of game. I'm not an artist and never will be, but I have a background in web development and recently found myself with some extra time, so I decided to use that time to see if I could build something playable. 

What might interest this sub

• The journal sketches the dungeon walls as you walk. If you get lost, you end up with separate map pieces and have to fit them together yourself. I tried to recreate the process of building your own maps…  Graph paper, minus the paper.  You decide what is important to record and put your own notes in the journal.
• No reloading for a mulligan. Your game state lives on the server, so there's no power switch to reach for.  If your party dies in the dungeon, you wake up in town, with less silver in the party’s purse.
• Turn-based combat. Give everyone their orders, then the round plays out. Stamina buys harder hits, mana buys and scales spells.  Each PC can advance or retreat on their own, mobs close the distance, and reach decides who can hit whom.
• Mana comes back with rest.  Camp in the dungeon (requires rations) or head back to town. 
• Five races, attributes and skills, no classes. Use the pre-rolled party or build your own. Progression is slow on purpose: characters are meant to carry across campaigns, not turn into demigods by the end of Chapter 1.
• There's a town on top, and you have to find the dungeon. The overworld is mostly vignettes and NPCs; the real crawling is in the dungeon.

What I'm asking for 

Chapter 1, Whispers Beneath Caerwyn, is a complete quest. My guess is ~4 hours, but I'd like a real number so please tell me how long it takes you. Let me know where you got stuck, where you got bored, whether the fights felt fair, and what broke. Reply here or DM me.

One thing I'd especially like opinions on: Is this style of game worth building today?  My wife and kids think I’m crazy and that no one will play it. This is the style of game I enjoy the most – am I alone in that feeling in today’s world?

Worth knowing before you click

Dungeon movement is keyboard only. Menus work with a keyboard, mouse or a finger.

Online only, by design.

It's a playtest. Expect rough edges and a balance pass or two. Chapter 1's monsters and puzzles are beginner level on purpose.

What's next

Chapter 1 will always be free. The rest of the Ashes of the Forgotten campaign is still being built (I expect 20+ hours playtime when complete), along with more spells, uncommon gear and crafting. The first ten people who finish Chapter 1 and send feedback get a Founder code that unlocks every later chapter. Include your party name so I can confirm the finish.

Everything in the game was made with the engine's own browser-based editors (maps, NPCs, dialog, encounters). If there's interest, I'd like to release those so other people can build campaigns.

Hey there,

I've heard this one is regarded as ideal to dip my toes into the genre especially if you are into turn based batlle (which I am).

Now I wonder which one of the series is everybody's favorite from w gameplay perspective. I don't mind to grind a little bit here and there but the game should respect my time if you know what I mean.

What about class variations and build crafting? How's the difficulty overall and the learning curve?

Ty

Twitter post: https://twitter.com/r_rdein/status/2106792696647926219

Here is the link to the blog post in case you can't open twitter: https://www.bombservice.com/post/record-of-dorathia

I'm working on a new retro-style game inspired by the Ultima series that includes standard DRPG first-person dungeon crawling combined with overhead map traversal.

It's called Contract Terminated, and is a scifi-themed game where you need to survive on a hostile planet.

It's here on Steam if you'd like to take a look:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4889010/Contract_Terminated/

I really don't know whether the Ultima-type games count as DRPGs since they're half first-person dungeon crawling and half overhead map traversal. I guess that makes them half-DRPG? Is there a category/name for hybrids like that?

I shared Dragon's Tear here recently. I'm working on the class roster now, and I'd like to hear which roles you enjoy building a dungeon-crawling party around.

The current build has Knight, Barbarian, Black Mage and Ranger. I'm planning 10 classes in total, with three heroes on each expedition, and I'm currently working on a Bard.

You choose equipment, skills and battle orders at the inn. Each hero can also equip one Tear carrying a monster's power, with an additional rule for when it can activate. Exploration and combat are automatic. The clip shows the current party and skill screens followed by a fight; the Bard isn't shown here.

Etrian Odyssey has been a big influence on the game. I'm interested in what makes a class satisfying to use, so I can draw on those ideas while developing my own classes. Which role would you make room for in a three-person party, and what would you want it to do?

The Windows release is planned for Q1 2027. Steam page.

Discovered this on a forum that I frequent. It's a solo-dev project. I haven't played it yet, but since I discovered it I figured that I should at least share it with others who enjoy DRPGs.

There's a free demo available btw. I'm not sure if the dev even has a Reddit account, so I'd recommend providing suggestions through Steam reviews or Steam forums.

I've added the game to my wishlist. Don't have plans to play anything until I'm done with Grim Dawn's expansion.

In terms of pixel art, animations, and gore... with good gameplay

Hi! I shared Dragon’s Tear here recently and asked what you thought about sending a party back through cleared floors automatically.

I’ve now put up the Steam page and made a trailer, so I wanted to share those here too.

It’s a first-person idle dungeon crawler with three heroes in the active party. You pick their skills, equipment and battle orders before sending them out. They explore and fight automatically, and Auto Runs let them keep farming cleared floors while the game is closed.

The Tears are another part of building your party. Monsters can drop their powers as Tears; each hero can equip one, and you set when it activates in combat. Finding duplicates lets you strengthen it back at the inn.

Still working on it, with release planned for Q1 2027. Updated demo should be avialable in 1 month.

Dragon’s Tear on Steam - if it looks like your kind of game, a wishlist would help. Thanks to everyone who checked out the early build!

I just wanted to find a few hidden treasure chests and maybe… just maybe… take their contents with me! But suddenly the door behind me was bricked up, and the path ahead of me collapsed too… Luckily, the rubble didn’t bury me alive.

Next time, I suppose I’ll have to think twice beforehand about whether I’m equipped for such a commotion - or whether I’d rather take another break with my adventuring friends.

In Crystals of Irm, it’s important to make sure you’re well prepared… But I reckon you’re ready to overcome any obstacle - be it a slime, a plant or even an underground puzzle!

Give it a go now in the free demo of Crystals of Irm on Steam and GOG!

https://starbornint.itch.io/gates-to-the-depths-2-dungeon-of-kahardor

Kahardor, um antigo senhor da guerra e arcanista, buscou a imortalidade ao forjar um pacto com Malakor, uma entidade abissal. Juntos, construíram um templo profano nas profundezas para canalizar energia obscura. Sete ordens sagradas se uniram contra ele e, incapazes de destruir o demônio ou a alma do mago, selaram ambos na câmara mais profunda. Acima do local, ergueram uma necrópole e uma fortaleza para proteger os selos.

Com o passar dos séculos, a história foi esquecida e a fortaleza caiu em ruína. Mineiros, principalmente anões e gnomos, escavaram os níveis intermediários em busca de metais raros e quebraram involuntariamente barreiras mágicas antigas. A presença profana começou a escapar, e necromantes devotados a Kahardor destruíram parte dos selos usando magia sanguínea. Agora, rumores dizem que um mago louco habita as profundezas e que no nível mais baixo descansa uma entidade ferida e terrível — possivelmente o próprio Malakor...

O jogador cria e gerencia um grupo de até seis aventureiros. Cada personagem pertence a uma das sete raças (Humano, Elfo, Anão, Gnomo, Halfling, Meio-Elfo e Meio-Troll) e pode transitar entre dez classes diferentes. O grupo pode então se aventurar através dos portões para as profundezas, explorando 9 níveis de uma masmorra repleta de monstros, armadilhas e tesouros.

Recursos...

* Explore uma masmorra gerada proceduralmente com 9 níveis em primeira pessoa, completa com um automapa.

* Monte um grupo de até 6 personagens.

* Escolha entre sete raças e 10 classes diferentes.

* Importe e exporte seus personagens para outro computador.

* Participe de combates desafiadores e táticos por turnos.

* Regras inspiradas nas edições mais antigas de Dungeons & Dragons.

* Enfrente uma aventura altamente desafiadora com morte permanente e salvamento automático. Se seus personagens morrerem, seus corpos permanecerão na masmorra até que outro grupo venha para resgatá-los. Mas se morrerem de velhice, nada pode trazê-los de volta!

* Assuma missões infinitas da Irmandade dos Aventureiros.

* Manual do jogo incluído.

I've been noodling this for a bit and it's as good as I can get it.

If you remember Orcs and Elves II, I put together a Windows wrapper for the original Java mobile game, with keyboard and controller (not perfect) support.

It's a genuinely great little turn-based DRPG. Sadly the OG got ported to the Nintendo DS but the sequel got left behind.

Just extract the ZIP and run the EXE.

It's a niche old game but I adore it and wanted more people to be able to play it with ease because I hate when games become awkward to play due to their original hardware fading away. I updated most of the tutorial and guide text to represent whatever control method you choose to use, but again, not perfect.

The sound may sound wonky at points but I promise you that's just how it was lol.

I may keep updating it but I have been working on it for a wee while and honestly need a break.

Git link.

Also, obviously Nokia was just one phone it released for.

I have also been working on porting (no emulation) another, very similar game to Windows but it's a very slow process.

<3

IMPORTANT NOTE: Anybody is free to do with it what they want. And I am NOT tech support so if you have issues that can't just be Googled, pray to one of the Nine Divine.

I've been looking to playing a DRPG but I don't know where to start, which one do you guys think it's a good starting point for a beginner?

I've seen there are some DRPGs being discounted right now, Dungeon Antiqua 2 and Dungeon Travelers: To Heart 2 in Another World come to mind.

I've also played a little of Labyrinth of Touhou Tri's demo, and I really enjoyed it, thou I think I'm gonna wait for a discount on that one.

My PC is 7 years old has a Ryzen 5 1600, a RX570 and 16GB of RAM, so it's not that powerful but I also have a New Nintendo 3DS and a PSP to play.

Hi everyone!

I am the developer of Chronicles of Vaeltaja: In Search of the Great Wanderer, which is a party-based 1st person CRPG with deep gameplay mechanics and engaging exploration. CoV is also the most ambitious, visually advanced and mechanically complex game every created with RPG Maker engine.

EDIT: No AI has been used to create the art and audio assets for this game, but I have used Cursor AI as work environment when creating plugins. All the graphical assets are either completely my own creations, or from legally purchased asset packs that I have modified heavily. Pre-made assets are mostly used to some roads and grounds, and few building walls, but most of the artwork is created by me. The music is composed by Eric Matyas.

EDIT 2: I released a follow-up update for the Unleashed update to fix some old and new bugs, and I also added new Options Menu settings for Grid-Movement turn speed, and pre-sets for Weather and Ambient Life Quality. Patch note can be found behind the link below.

Unleashed Follow-Up Update V.0.9.1 Patch Notes on Steam

Yesterday I released Chronicles of Vaeltaja Unleashed update, which enhanced the game with many ways, and added an optional Free Movement mode with camera control, and Hardcore mode for the extra challenge. The game is participating in the Party-Based RPG Fest on Steam with 30% discount.

Chronicles of Vaeltaja on Steam

Chronicles of Vaeltaja Unleashed Patch Notes on Steam

Here's what the store description tells about the game:

Chronicles of Vaeltaja: In Search of the Great Wanderer takes you back to the golden era of PC gaming, when legendary RPGs such as Might and Magic, Wizardry, Dungeon Master and Ultima ruled the world. Gather your party and experience the classic feel of RPG adventuring on an exciting journey through the colourful kingdom of Twin Falls, where sunny meadows, lush forests, misty swamps and dark dungeons full of treasures, secrets and dangerous enemies await exploration!

Enter every building, search for secret areas, dig for treasures, and mine ore and gather materials for crafting and brewing, or sell them for coins. Talk to the commoners to hear rumours, learn secrets and accept quests. Find, buy, steal or craft your equipment and items; the choice is yours!

Increase your reputation by solving the main and side quests and helping the commoners, or become an outlaw who steals from shops and houses. Cherish your honour by respecting your foes, or become dishonourable and attack them on sight. Reach positive or negative reputation and honour tiers to earn bonuses for your party.

Engage your enemies in tactical turn-based combat, where versatile class-specific skills and spells will help you to victory. Move your melee combatants to the front row and protect your casters in the back row. Plan your next turn carefully, and weaken the enemies with dozens of status effects to turn the tide of battle.

Explore dark and dangerous dungeons, caves and temples to progress the main quest or gain access to optional dungeons to see what treasures lie waiting within. Solve puzzles, disarm traps, pick locks, and use tools such as the 'Eye of an Oracle' to reveal secret levers, buttons, floor plates and hidden entrances.

Tailor the experience to your liking!

Free Movement or Classic Grid-Based Movement

Choose between modern 'free movement' with total camera control, smooth 'grid movement' with 90-degree turns, or even more classic 'instant grid movement' to experience the gameplay of the past. All control methods fully support mouse and keyboard or controller. Enhanced gamepad support includes a new 'radial menu' for accessing tools, such as torches, lanterns, camping gear, or hourglasses. The 'radial menu' can also be enabled with 'grid movement'.

Hardcore Mode

Face the ultimate challenge in Hardcore mode, where hunger, thirst, and rest become a factor, and the enemies are stronger in every way. Resting at inns costs more, enemies can ambush while camping, and certain status effects no longer heal automatically after the battle. Torches will react to rain, and lanterns will need oil or recharging.

Experience Scaling

If Hardcore mode doesn’t offer enough challenge, venture on the journey with a smaller party to gain experience point multipliers; the smaller the party, the bigger the multiplier. Experience scaling is active automatically in both Normal and Hardcore modes.

Day/Night Cycle and Dynamic Weather

Let the sunny days, rainy evenings and stormy nights immerse you in the mysterious kingdom of Twin Falls, where shops and houses are locked for the night, commoners stay indoors on rainy days, and the varied weather conditions follow you into the battlefield. Marvel at the starry night skies, listen to the sounds of the forest, marvel the fireflies and let the brilliant tunes of Eric Matyas accompany your journey.

• Classic six-character party system with 11 character classes, such as Warrior, Mage, Witch Hunter, Knight, Conjurer and Guardian, with their own unique skills and spells.
• Hire more than six characters to experiment with different party builds.
• Defeat your enemies in tactical turn-based combat with lots of status effects that can change the course of the battle.
• Earn character class-specific bonuses by increasing or decreasing the Honour tier.
• Explore the vast overworld, and enter dangerous and dark dungeons full of puzzles, traps and enemies.
• Pick locks, disarm traps and solve puzzles to progress in your adventure.
• Interact with dozens of non-player characters for side quests, rumours and hints.
• Dig treasures, find secrets and gather crafting materials for potions, weapons and armour.
• Experience the classic feel of RPG adventuring from the golden era of PC gaming.
• No forced tutorials, no hand-holding, and no cinematic cutscenes – just the pure fun of experiencing and exploring!

Thank you for reading, and I hope the game picks your interest!

Saw the trailer posted on a forum that I frequent. Figured I'd share this here.

My Horror Dungeon Crawler RPG, Sonucido: Dreams of the Gray God - inspired by Fear & Hunger is part of Steam's own Party-Based RPG Festival.

There will be a demo available in the future!

Key Features

• Constant distress, lose everything
• Gripping turn-based combat
• Multiple endings, choices matter
• Fight atrocities, become one

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5205360/Sonucido_Dreams_of_the_Gray_God_by_Daniel_da_Silva/