But Wildermyth keeps its technical mechanics pretty light, and everything is laid out very intuitively. Part of my beef with tactical RPGs I’ve played in the past is the overload of information as you’re learning the ropes. All classes can use other types of weapons as well, and every character can carry two weapons, so your hunter can have a dagger on them in case they get cornered, or your warrior can carry a crossbow if their health gets a bit too low for close-up fighting. Depending on what you choose, they’re able to trip up enemies with vines, pin them down with roots, or shoot rocks to hit multiple foes. Finally, the mystic can “interfuse” with various set pieces. The hunter hangs back and attacks from a distance, able to hide in the shadows to surprise enemies. The warrior is a powerhouse, marching up to enemies and swiping at them with a greataxe. In my first campaign, I started out with one of each. Immediately, my mind went to my recent foray into the world of Dungeons & Dragons, with its emphasis on character backstory and choices made in the middle of the campaign.Ĭharacters come in one of three classes: warrior, hunter, and mystic. The game creates them itself, rolling their stats and appearances for you, but you’re able to tweak all of them to your heart’s content, going so far as to write your own backstory for them. It’s separated into various campaigns, and you’ll be given a few characters when starting out your first campaign. What’s more, it’s a procedurally generated tactical RPG, with an art style reminiscent of Paper Mario and a story structure and character system lifted straight from tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons. Nate and Anne wrote most of the scenarios you’ll be playing through, and it’s clear from the get-go that Wildermyth is nothing short of a passion project.Īs I said, Wildermyth is in a genre I don’t generally touch, that being a tactical RPG. If you pay attention as you’re playing Wildermyth, you’ll see those first two names come up a lot. Founded by Nate and Anne Austin, the studio now employs six full-time employees with various other part-time staff. Worldwalker Games, as it turns out, is a bit of a family operation. The game encourages appreciation for creation in all its forms. Your characters build friendships that last for decades. Positive elements: Your band of heroes is dedicated to returning land and villages to the common people, as well as empowering those villages to defend themselves against the threats of the world. Several characters in desperate situations turn to terrible solutions such as human sacrifice to solve their problems. Other negative elements: Some of the choices you make can be morally questionable, but you will face the consequences for them. When creating a character, you are able to choose their sexual orientation, including homosexual options. Sexual Content: Characters can fall in love and have children. There is a resource known as “spellthread” which is said to tie all living things together. The story makes frequent mention of spirits and gods, and your characters will come into contact with many of them. Spirituality: The mystic class uses magic to “interfuse” with various objects, allowing them to use set pieces for attacks. You mostly fight evil creatures, but at times you are forced into battle with humans. If a character is maimed in a battle, one of their limbs may be replaced with a prosthetic one. Violence: Your heroes use a variety of weapons, such as bows, arrows, axes, and swords. My adventures are recorded below for future generations. It gripped the author in me, and I decided to venture out of my comfort zone to try the dreaded tactical RPG once more. This is a game that goes beyond mere combat, and strives to let you tell a story the way you want to. But when I saw Wildermyth, by Worldwalker Games, something intrigued me. Some less-than-stellar experience with the genre had darkened my view of them as a whole, and I usually steer clear of anything involving grid-based strategy and permadeath.

The heart wildermyth