Sometimes, all you need is a game that doesn’t waste your time. The RPG strips out the bloat and delivers a short, sharp and surprisingly dungeon-crawling experience. With its oddball charm, cheeky nods to classic RPGs like Skyrim and Oblivion, and a focus on simple mechanics over stat-heavy systems, this indie gem caught me off guard, in the best way.
Let’s talk about how The RPG turned my scepticism into loot-hoarding joy.
No Bloat and Better for it
There’s something oddly satisfying about The RPG. It’s made up of lots of small design choices that, on their own, won’t sound like much but once you bring them together. They make the whole thing feel engaging.
After a brief introduction to the game, you jump straight into character creation. You can change the colour of your character and choose from several different expressions. It’s basic, but charming. You wake up, you meet the in-game developer (really) and are sent out on your quest.
The early game is somewhat guided, an NPC gets your attention and then points you into the direction of the town’s main attraction, the dungeon. On the way, you go through the town square, you find vending machines with weapons and armour in, and some NPCs.
Before you can enter the dungeon, you need a dagger. I already knew where I needed to buy it from, I didn’t know how to get money. That’s when the chaos kicked in, where my little collectathon goblin was getting me to pick up anything and everything. There’s no inventory screen, or comparing loot by value here. I was just running around, picking up every interactable object: mushrooms, plates, gold bars and diamonds.
Near the vending machines in the square, there was an NPC that would trade loot for gold at a conversion rate of 20 loot for 1 gold piece – it sounds like a grind, but you’re showered with loot. Later on, you’ll find an NPC who gives a better deal 15 loot for 1 gold.
No Convoluted Crafting
Progression is simple and streamlined. If you want to get stronger, you need better gear. While it’s linear, it’s a part of its appeal and it kept me focused on moving forward and enjoying the game instead of getting lost in menus and crafting systems.
There were a few times where I just had to go on a bit of a wonder, slaying enemies and hoovering up loot while pilfering anything that wasn’t bolted down.
The Main Attraction: The Dungeon
As with everything else in The RPG, combat keeps things simple, you’ll click to swing your weapon, press Q to shoot your gun and as you progress you’ll unlock shouts which deal damage as well as other effects – no spoilers! Early on you’ll have a little helper with you, The Fan (Hello, Oblivion reference!), what’s funny is if you hit him he’ll take damage, or if you use ice breath on everyone, he’ll get frozen.
I found a decent variety of enemies. While there are some recolour varieties of monsters that you’ll fight, they’re spread out really well and don’t outstay their welcome.
The dungeon has 12 floors which you’ll make your way through, slaying enemies, avoiding traps and looting treasure. Everything is presented with an old school rougelike flair and even going through floors multiple times, It didn’t lose my interest.
When I first saw The RPG’s announcement trailer, I wasn’t sold. The gummy-looking characters looked a bit low-effort, and I didn’t think much of it. But after jumping in and seeing everything in motion, I’ve had a complete u-turn – the art style gives the game so much personality.
What really brings it to life are the not-so-subtle nods to other games. There’s a clear Skyrim influence, especially with what looks like Nord guards wandering around, everyone who has an arrow sticking through their knees. These little touches give the world a weird, self-aware charm that’s difficult not to enjoy.
The environments are surprisingly well done. Dungeons are dark, gloomy, and often need a torch to navigate properly, which adds to the atmosphere. In contrast, the overworld is bright and colourful, with plenty of little nooks and secrets waiting to be found.
The sound design is a bit of a mixed bag. Sound effects do the job and match the action well, but the music feels a little undercooked. There’s a lovely, carefree theme while exploring the town, but outside of that, I often found myself adventuring in near-silence, broken only by the distant shuffle of monsters.
Final Thoughts
There’s something fantastic about The RPG, the way that it strips down a lot of bloat and systems which come from the genre, but it remains interesting to play. When I say interesting, I was hooked from start to finish. It took me around 4-5 hours to complete the main story and reach one of the endings and I’m currently on my second playthrough to get the other ending and some missing achievements.
The RPG doesn’t try to be the biggest, deepest or most epic game out there, and that’s exactly why it works. It strips away the bloat that bogs down so many RPGs and focuses on what actually matters: exploring, collecting, looting and having a laugh while doing it.
Everything feels streamlined. There’s no endless menus or stat comparisons, no complex crafting system, and no unnecessary padding. Just you, a dungeon full of enemies and a backpack full of plates and gold bars. The combat is simple but satisfying, the dungeons are well-designed.
If you’re after a straightforward, funny and oddly endearing dungeon crawler. The RPG is well worth a look, and worth the asking price of £12.79. Check out The RPG on Steam!
8/10
The RPG keeps it simple, skips the bloat, and delivers a charming, loot-filled adventure that’s way more fun than it has any right to be.