Grauken
@grauken.bsky.social
Metroidvania and dungeon crawler enthusiast (Wizardry, Might and Magic) and like early cRPGs overall (Ultima, Goldbox games), also read tons of scifi, fantasy either books or comics
Reposted by Grauken
Does something being thematically coherent and skillfully done automatically make it good?
I don’t care how skillfully that third act story was told, skillfully telling a miserable story doesn’t make it good
Personally I was not a fan of choosing between two brutal, wretched flavors of nihilism
I don’t care how skillfully that third act story was told, skillfully telling a miserable story doesn’t make it good
Personally I was not a fan of choosing between two brutal, wretched flavors of nihilism
Seeing other narrative design people say that Clair Obscur had a bad 3rd act or bad ending(s)…I just can’t follow you there man. That shit ruled. Sorry. You break the combat wide fucking open and then get your choice of doing genocide or walking toward Omelas and saying “torturing that child rocks”
November 27, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Does something being thematically coherent and skillfully done automatically make it good?
I don’t care how skillfully that third act story was told, skillfully telling a miserable story doesn’t make it good
Personally I was not a fan of choosing between two brutal, wretched flavors of nihilism
I don’t care how skillfully that third act story was told, skillfully telling a miserable story doesn’t make it good
Personally I was not a fan of choosing between two brutal, wretched flavors of nihilism
Nothing better than a princess who makes me feel like a hero
November 27, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Nothing better than a princess who makes me feel like a hero
Reposted by Grauken
As a DRPG fan, I want to have the same level of variety that FPS fans enjoyed in the 90s and early 00s.
I love the classic DRPGs, but there is a ton of unexplored design space in the genre, not to mention many niches that have been underserved for decades.
I love the classic DRPGs, but there is a ton of unexplored design space in the genre, not to mention many niches that have been underserved for decades.
November 27, 2025 at 11:09 AM
As a DRPG fan, I want to have the same level of variety that FPS fans enjoyed in the 90s and early 00s.
I love the classic DRPGs, but there is a ton of unexplored design space in the genre, not to mention many niches that have been underserved for decades.
I love the classic DRPGs, but there is a ton of unexplored design space in the genre, not to mention many niches that have been underserved for decades.
Reposted by Grauken
Happy Snatcher day! Today marks 37 years since Snatcher came out on the NEC PC-8801. Over the last year we've been able to preserve the full manga run of Snatcher within our scanning group. Enjoy the scans and an article by @segasky.bsky.social here - www.gamingalexandria.com/wp/2025/11/s...
November 26, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Happy Snatcher day! Today marks 37 years since Snatcher came out on the NEC PC-8801. Over the last year we've been able to preserve the full manga run of Snatcher within our scanning group. Enjoy the scans and an article by @segasky.bsky.social here - www.gamingalexandria.com/wp/2025/11/s...
Right on.
A full English translation patch for Koei's Progenitor, a 1994 visual novel/RPG/strategy game for the PC98 that plays a little like Uncharted Waters....IN SPAAAAAAAACE.
A full English translation patch for Koei's Progenitor, a 1994 visual novel/RPG/strategy game for the PC98 that plays a little like Uncharted Waters....IN SPAAAAAAAACE.
November 27, 2025 at 3:40 AM
Reposted by Grauken
Santa Ragione are a well-known studio, covered by a great many mainstream outlets. Their latest game will not be releasing on Steam for... reasons? Steam won't tell them why, won't tell them what needs fixing, and won't communicate in general.
Every other store will carry it. Just not Steam.
Every other store will carry it. Just not Steam.
Our upcoming game HORSES was preemptively banned from Steam, with no path to appeal. The game will still launch next week on December 2nd and will be available on EGS, GOG, Humble, and Itch for $4.99. Here is a detailed FAQ covering what happened: horses.wtf/BannedFromSt...
November 25, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Santa Ragione are a well-known studio, covered by a great many mainstream outlets. Their latest game will not be releasing on Steam for... reasons? Steam won't tell them why, won't tell them what needs fixing, and won't communicate in general.
Every other store will carry it. Just not Steam.
Every other store will carry it. Just not Steam.
Reposted by Grauken
Dragon Ruins II is coming to consoles on November 28!
To celebrate the upcoming release, ask me anything about DR2's design or development.
kemco.jp/game/dragonr...
To celebrate the upcoming release, ask me anything about DR2's design or development.
kemco.jp/game/dragonr...
November 24, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Dragon Ruins II is coming to consoles on November 28!
To celebrate the upcoming release, ask me anything about DR2's design or development.
kemco.jp/game/dragonr...
To celebrate the upcoming release, ask me anything about DR2's design or development.
kemco.jp/game/dragonr...
Enjoying the Lone Fungus sequel at the moment, might be in the top 3 metroidvania released this year for me. Funnily, I hated the original, but the demo for the Kickstarter was soo good and the full game is everything I wanted and more
store.steampowered.com/app/2463220/...
store.steampowered.com/app/2463220/...
November 24, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Enjoying the Lone Fungus sequel at the moment, might be in the top 3 metroidvania released this year for me. Funnily, I hated the original, but the demo for the Kickstarter was soo good and the full game is everything I wanted and more
store.steampowered.com/app/2463220/...
store.steampowered.com/app/2463220/...
Reposted by Grauken
Here it is! Castlevania II: Enhanced Edition on the SNES!
Huge shoutouts to Bizqwit for original NES hack, it make this game so much more polished and approachable.
I'll drop some details in replies here; the hack is available here:
mega.nz/folder/g5Jl1...
or
archive.org/details/cast...
Huge shoutouts to Bizqwit for original NES hack, it make this game so much more polished and approachable.
I'll drop some details in replies here; the hack is available here:
mega.nz/folder/g5Jl1...
or
archive.org/details/cast...
November 23, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Here it is! Castlevania II: Enhanced Edition on the SNES!
Huge shoutouts to Bizqwit for original NES hack, it make this game so much more polished and approachable.
I'll drop some details in replies here; the hack is available here:
mega.nz/folder/g5Jl1...
or
archive.org/details/cast...
Huge shoutouts to Bizqwit for original NES hack, it make this game so much more polished and approachable.
I'll drop some details in replies here; the hack is available here:
mega.nz/folder/g5Jl1...
or
archive.org/details/cast...
Reposted by Grauken
There are much more exciting #Zelda 1 maps to come BUT at least these are cleaned & done. If you want the RAWS, or 2400dpi files that were often too large for Flickr to handle, there should be links with each file to the Internet Archive pages with the download zips: www.flickr.com/photos/histo...
November 23, 2025 at 3:02 AM
There are much more exciting #Zelda 1 maps to come BUT at least these are cleaned & done. If you want the RAWS, or 2400dpi files that were often too large for Flickr to handle, there should be links with each file to the Internet Archive pages with the download zips: www.flickr.com/photos/histo...
Reposted by Grauken
I've mentioned Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains before, but its Silk Road setting deserves more praise
It goes from Francia to Venice, Damascus, Baghdad, Tashkent & Chang'An, following historical events of ~750 AD like the Abbasid revolution, the Battle of Talas, and Tang Dynasty crisis.
It goes from Francia to Venice, Damascus, Baghdad, Tashkent & Chang'An, following historical events of ~750 AD like the Abbasid revolution, the Battle of Talas, and Tang Dynasty crisis.
November 22, 2025 at 10:54 AM
I've mentioned Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains before, but its Silk Road setting deserves more praise
It goes from Francia to Venice, Damascus, Baghdad, Tashkent & Chang'An, following historical events of ~750 AD like the Abbasid revolution, the Battle of Talas, and Tang Dynasty crisis.
It goes from Francia to Venice, Damascus, Baghdad, Tashkent & Chang'An, following historical events of ~750 AD like the Abbasid revolution, the Battle of Talas, and Tang Dynasty crisis.
Reposted by Grauken
THEY ADDED NEW GARBAGE reblog to save a life
November 21, 2025 at 7:00 PM
THEY ADDED NEW GARBAGE reblog to save a life
Reposted by Grauken
Great list! How crazy it is that we could still keep going, adding stuff like Citizen Sleeper 2, Sultan's Game, Rift Wizard 2, Tainted Grail, Fantasy Maiden Wars, The Last Sovereign, Inazuma Eleven, Deadeye Deepfake Simulacrum, Approaching Infinity, The Necromancer's Tale...
And 2025 isn't over!
And 2025 isn't over!
here's something neat
the folks at @inverse.com trusted me to whip up a list of the top 25 rpgs of 2025, putting the team's top choices and my own picks together for a big ol' ranking endeavor
including review quotes from @solfleet.bsky.social to distribute blame where appropriate :D
the folks at @inverse.com trusted me to whip up a list of the top 25 rpgs of 2025, putting the team's top choices and my own picks together for a big ol' ranking endeavor
including review quotes from @solfleet.bsky.social to distribute blame where appropriate :D
The 25 Best RPGs of the Year, Ranked
As a team effort here at Inverse, we cooked up a big ol’ list of the 25 best RPGs of 2025, and believe it or not, there were still runners-up that are just as worth checking out.
www.inverse.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Great list! How crazy it is that we could still keep going, adding stuff like Citizen Sleeper 2, Sultan's Game, Rift Wizard 2, Tainted Grail, Fantasy Maiden Wars, The Last Sovereign, Inazuma Eleven, Deadeye Deepfake Simulacrum, Approaching Infinity, The Necromancer's Tale...
And 2025 isn't over!
And 2025 isn't over!
Reposted by Grauken
This Way Madness Lies is a great game and barely anybody bought it. It should be played by more people. If everybody here on @bsky.app banded together and bought a Steam copy and played it, well, that'd be a miracle and I would be forever grateful.
store.steampowered.com/app/1318970/...
store.steampowered.com/app/1318970/...
November 21, 2025 at 2:58 PM
This Way Madness Lies is a great game and barely anybody bought it. It should be played by more people. If everybody here on @bsky.app banded together and bought a Steam copy and played it, well, that'd be a miracle and I would be forever grateful.
store.steampowered.com/app/1318970/...
store.steampowered.com/app/1318970/...
Reposted by Grauken
Day 3:
- Discovered that the citizens of Geraldtown (where you start) have all disappeared. Presumably I spent too much time faffing around and the forces of the evil wizard Mantor slaughtered them. The manual hinted that the state of the world would evolve as time progressed...
- Discovered that the citizens of Geraldtown (where you start) have all disappeared. Presumably I spent too much time faffing around and the forces of the evil wizard Mantor slaughtered them. The manual hinted that the state of the world would evolve as time progressed...
November 20, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Day 3:
- Discovered that the citizens of Geraldtown (where you start) have all disappeared. Presumably I spent too much time faffing around and the forces of the evil wizard Mantor slaughtered them. The manual hinted that the state of the world would evolve as time progressed...
- Discovered that the citizens of Geraldtown (where you start) have all disappeared. Presumably I spent too much time faffing around and the forces of the evil wizard Mantor slaughtered them. The manual hinted that the state of the world would evolve as time progressed...
Reposted by Grauken
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
November 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
Reposted by Grauken
Demonschool: Is OUT. It's out. Finally it is out. We hope you enjoy it.
store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/...
store.playstation.com/en-us/concep...
www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...
store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/...
store.playstation.com/en-us/concep...
www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...
November 19, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Demonschool: Is OUT. It's out. Finally it is out. We hope you enjoy it.
store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/...
store.playstation.com/en-us/concep...
www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...
store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/...
store.playstation.com/en-us/concep...
www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...
Reposted by Grauken
Here it Is!
RUIN Ch.0
A Short Narrative Adventure
Please Enjoy, Free, In Browser on Any Device
officialelectric.itch.io/ruin
RUIN Ch.0
A Short Narrative Adventure
Please Enjoy, Free, In Browser on Any Device
officialelectric.itch.io/ruin
November 19, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Here it Is!
RUIN Ch.0
A Short Narrative Adventure
Please Enjoy, Free, In Browser on Any Device
officialelectric.itch.io/ruin
RUIN Ch.0
A Short Narrative Adventure
Please Enjoy, Free, In Browser on Any Device
officialelectric.itch.io/ruin
played a bit of Kingdoms of the Dump yesterday, for me it really captures that vibe of a long-lost SNES game that many retro-jRPGs go for, but never quite capture
has positioning in combat, though so far I'm not sure it has a big impact, except moving away from tiles that can damage you
has positioning in combat, though so far I'm not sure it has a big impact, except moving away from tiles that can damage you
November 19, 2025 at 8:47 AM
played a bit of Kingdoms of the Dump yesterday, for me it really captures that vibe of a long-lost SNES game that many retro-jRPGs go for, but never quite capture
has positioning in combat, though so far I'm not sure it has a big impact, except moving away from tiles that can damage you
has positioning in combat, though so far I'm not sure it has a big impact, except moving away from tiles that can damage you
Played a bit of Kingdoms of the Dump yesterday. There are lots of games that try to evoke the magic of SNES-era jRPGs, this one utterly succeeds IMHO.
Here are a couple of links to their posts about hand-drawn maps that were posted on their blusky account. Love the drawings
Here are a couple of links to their posts about hand-drawn maps that were posted on their blusky account. Love the drawings
November 19, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Played a bit of Kingdoms of the Dump yesterday. There are lots of games that try to evoke the magic of SNES-era jRPGs, this one utterly succeeds IMHO.
Here are a couple of links to their posts about hand-drawn maps that were posted on their blusky account. Love the drawings
Here are a couple of links to their posts about hand-drawn maps that were posted on their blusky account. Love the drawings
Reposted by Grauken
KINGDOMS OF THE DUMP 170 TRACK OST AVAILABLE NOW
williamkage.bandcamp.com/album/kingdo...
bobbyghostly x @williamkage.bsky.social with a guest track from Hiroki Kikuta.
7 HOURS OF MAGICAL DUMP MUSIC AVAILABLE NOW FOR $7
williamkage.bandcamp.com/album/kingdo...
bobbyghostly x @williamkage.bsky.social with a guest track from Hiroki Kikuta.
7 HOURS OF MAGICAL DUMP MUSIC AVAILABLE NOW FOR $7
November 18, 2025 at 11:47 PM
KINGDOMS OF THE DUMP 170 TRACK OST AVAILABLE NOW
williamkage.bandcamp.com/album/kingdo...
bobbyghostly x @williamkage.bsky.social with a guest track from Hiroki Kikuta.
7 HOURS OF MAGICAL DUMP MUSIC AVAILABLE NOW FOR $7
williamkage.bandcamp.com/album/kingdo...
bobbyghostly x @williamkage.bsky.social with a guest track from Hiroki Kikuta.
7 HOURS OF MAGICAL DUMP MUSIC AVAILABLE NOW FOR $7
Reposted by Grauken
📣KINGDOMS OF THE DUMP AVAILABLE NOW ON STEAM!!!
19.99 + 10% discount
✨17.99✨
Come explore the magical Lands of the Fill!
#indiegame
RTs appreciated 💪🗑️
store.steampowered.com/app/2159270/...
19.99 + 10% discount
✨17.99✨
Come explore the magical Lands of the Fill!
#indiegame
RTs appreciated 💪🗑️
store.steampowered.com/app/2159270/...
Save 10% on Kingdoms of the Dump on Steam
A SNES styled JRPG set in a fantasy world of garbage, created by two janitors. Join Trash Can Knight, Dustin Binsley, as he fights his way through the Five and a Half Kingdoms of the Dump!
store.steampowered.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:36 PM
📣KINGDOMS OF THE DUMP AVAILABLE NOW ON STEAM!!!
19.99 + 10% discount
✨17.99✨
Come explore the magical Lands of the Fill!
#indiegame
RTs appreciated 💪🗑️
store.steampowered.com/app/2159270/...
19.99 + 10% discount
✨17.99✨
Come explore the magical Lands of the Fill!
#indiegame
RTs appreciated 💪🗑️
store.steampowered.com/app/2159270/...
I think my brain just melted
November 18, 2025 at 1:50 PM
I think my brain just melted
Reposted by Grauken
"I wanted to wonder what was happening around me, not actually be told. I wanted to exist in this strange space, not learn my place in it."
Here's a new article on Relics' remake for everyone!
kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com/2025/11/18/r...
Here's a new article on Relics' remake for everyone!
kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com/2025/11/18/r...
November 18, 2025 at 7:18 AM
"I wanted to wonder what was happening around me, not actually be told. I wanted to exist in this strange space, not learn my place in it."
Here's a new article on Relics' remake for everyone!
kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com/2025/11/18/r...
Here's a new article on Relics' remake for everyone!
kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com/2025/11/18/r...
Reposted by Grauken
Ever wanted a free and open source version of RPG Maker, but for Retro CRPGs like Ultima and Wastelands?
If so, check out Eldiron.
gamefromscratch.com/eldiron-free...
#gamedev #indiedev
If so, check out Eldiron.
gamefromscratch.com/eldiron-free...
#gamedev #indiedev
Eldiron - Free and Open Source Retro CRPG Game Engine – GameFromScratch.com
Eldiron, The Retro RPG Creator is an open source Rust powered game engine for creating CRPGs like Ultima and Wastelands
gamefromscratch.com
November 15, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Ever wanted a free and open source version of RPG Maker, but for Retro CRPGs like Ultima and Wastelands?
If so, check out Eldiron.
gamefromscratch.com/eldiron-free...
#gamedev #indiedev
If so, check out Eldiron.
gamefromscratch.com/eldiron-free...
#gamedev #indiedev