Harlancore

Hi there! I am an artist who loves gaming, specifically RPGs. I used to make little paper models called Boxpunx (maybe you've heard of 'em?) but I thought I would try something completely new. I have been playing RPGs for decades now, and have always wanted to make my own. My first project, "Dakota the RPG" is available here and now, and it is truly a project of passion.

You might think "Dakota the RPG? That's a weird name." And sure, you would be right. I intend on making a weird game, but not so weird as to be incomprehensible. Just something with unexpected twists and turns, and a narrative that allows for creative experimentation. I am not trying to reinvent the wheel here, but I do intend to dress it up a bit and pay homage to the brillance of its design.

I am aware of the modern notion that turn-based RPGs are dead or not worth playing for whatever reason. I would argue that the evolution of "quality of life" aspects has kind of ruined what made RPGs so great back in the day. I have always thought of these games as puzzles, with the goal being to find the ending credits scroll. Once you add things like map markers, quest icons above NPCs heads, life bars above eveyone's heads, "who goes next in battle" timelines, so on and so forth, this puzzle becomes entirely too easy to solve in my opinion. But I do get it. Sometimes a game lacking in all these "improvements" can become tedious and frustrating. The best games in the genre usually find a balance between the two.

What's the point? I don't know really, but I do hope that if you are still reading this, you take a moment to download and play "Dakota the RPG". Especially if you share my sentiments. I am searching for that happy medium of old-school/new-school.

Did I achieve it? You tell me.