Toymaker Demo

When it comes to a good story, the setting is very important, since there’s nothing more engaging than a well-crafted world that draws you in. Obviously, the plot and the characters matter as well, so it’s definitely not easy to create a video game that encompasses all of these elements. To make things worse, everything is for nothing if the gameplay is not up to standards.

Toymaker is a retro RPG that puts you in the role of a goat herder who must go on a quest and deal with a variety of evil creatures in order to save his people. Even if the gameplay is about as straightforward as it gets for a game designed with RPG Maker, the atmosphere is special, and so is the world that you get to explore over the course of the story.

Hence, the Toymaker is some sort of evil mythical creature that casts its ugly shadow over the main character’s village. The main character’s name is Pale, and he was visited by the Toymaker back when he was a kid, but somehow escaped unscathed. Now, it would appear that the world outside the village is getting darker and more dangerous, not to mention the fact that the long winter night is approaching.

Your choices affect the story, especially since you are free to roam around the world as you see fit. Granted, there are not many ways to approach the quests, but at least the dialog provides you with a few choices every now and again. On top of that, you can also customize your character and choose a class for your companions, so it truly feels like a proper adventure.

Speaking of which, the combat takes place in turns like in a classic JRPG, and it doesn’t feature too many original elements, unfortunately. You can either attack, use a special ability or put your items to good use, but nothing out of the ordinary. However, the artwork and the level design are truly inspiring, especially since they are original and hand-crafted for the most part.

When it’s all said and done, Toymaker might just have what it takes to keep you engaged, even if the gameplay is far from original. The atmosphere is very catchy and immersive, which is good news in a story-driven RPG.