Before the delightful world of photo-realistic graphics𒊎 and an all-too-similar art style, there was pixel art. A time when it didn’t matter if a character looked like three pixels of discernible nothing, and shades of green, red, blue, and yellow were the dominant force𓆉.

Games like this still get made today. For some, it’s a stylistic choice; for others, a necessity, usually due to a budget restriction. But whatever the reason, there’s a whole realm of pixel art RPGs that deliver on this beautiful style while also delving into stor🐻ies crafted for those who value narrative.

Updated May 27, 2025 by Jacob Whaling: We've added even more great RPGs with pixel graphics to this list, including an indie you may not have heard of.

Sea Of Stars

If there's one word to describe Sea of Stars, it's magical. This is by no means an overstatement; Sea of Stars has beautiful, rich pixel art, a modernized turn-based combat system, and a compelling story with detailed lore and interಌesting character arcs.

Sea o🌃f Stars is best experienced with as little prior knowledge as possible, allowing you to completely immerse yourself in the experience. However, it would🔴n't be a stretch to say that if you are a long-time JRPG fan, Sea of Stars is the perfect homage to the series, paying tribute to its roots while offering an expanded and modernized adventure.

Streets Of Rogue

If Streets of Rogue dodged your indie game radar, it'll hopefully become a bright, beeping blip after you've learned more about it. While the core gameplay loop is focused on a roguelite experience, it's packed with clever rꦇoleplaying mechanics.

You boot up the game, pick from a list of classes, most of which will be unlocked over time, and you get to work clearing levels and main objectives in whatever fashion you see fit. You can blow up walls, sabotage aspects of the environment, set traps, bribe people, level up, and even get sneaky with cardboard boxes like Snake from 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Metal Gear Solid.

Death Trash

Death Trash is somewhat like a gritty and raw pixel art version of the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Fallout series; that is, if Todd Howard was enamored ﷽with the Horror and Cyberpunk genres. Once you've allocated your stats and customized your character, you'll be thrown into an open world with plenty of dialogꦕue choices and roleplaying mechanics.

Both in visuals and the world around you, Death Trash offers a blunt, humorous, and dynamic experience that is sometimes a bit grimꦬ and morbid. You should definitely take a chance on this incredibly unique pixel art RPG.

Starbound

Think of Starbound as Terra🍎ria or Stardew Valley in space where you can play with up to three friends. There’s a campaign๊ to follow but no right way to play, as it’s down to you to create your own path and choose your impact on the universe.

You can explore mines for their valuable resources, build structures on the planets, and capture rare monsters who can fight beside you in combat — all of this is available solo or multiplayer. Starbound also has 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a large modding community, with the developers꧅ s🍸upporting the use of these mods.

Hyper Light Drifter

1♛68澳洲幸运5开奖网:Hyper Light Drifter is a gem of a game, but what makes it even more unique is its direct influence from developer Alx Preston who was born with congenital heart disease. The continuous hospitalization stemming from Alx's condition inspiredꦏ piec💜es of the protagonist.

The protagonist, referred to as The Drifter, has an unspecified terminal illness and travels the Continent 𝓡hoping to find a cure. As with other RPGs, there’s a whole other combat aspect, but the importance here is the story and how music and colors are used to elevate this.

Crosscode

Very rarely are mute (rather than just silent) characters seen in anything ever. However, as representation continues to propel forward, developers are starting to branch out, and moreไ people are starting to see themselves in various mediums.

In Crosscode, you play as Lea, a girl who ꦇhas lo𒀰st the ability to speak. Trying to solve the mystery of why this is, she logs into a game called Crossworlds, an in-universe MMO filled with challenging enemies, engaging puzzles, extremely smooth combat, and gripping SNES-style pixel art graphics.

Eastward

Eastward focuses on the deuteragonists John and Sam, who first meet inside an alie👍n facility. From here, the two stay by each other’s side until the very෴ end of the game, traveling from town to town by use of rails. The connection between these two characters drives the action forward in the most memorable way possible.

Combat is simple, following a real-time approach instead of the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:turn-based combat frequently seen in RPGs. Bosses are entertaining to defeat, and the r𓆉elationship that forms between the leads is a standout of the pixel art genre.

Moonlighter

If you’re a fan of soothing games like Starde🐎w Valley, you’re certain to adore Moonlighter. Many of its concepts can be likened to Stardew, although Moonlighter focuses ღmore on dungeon play than its farming equivalent.

You’ll spend your time fighting through endless dungeons while balancing your day job 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:as a shopkeeper, which is more challenging than it seems, as items found in dungeons will then be sold in your store. The balance 🅺between the two lives is perfectly executed, offering a little s𝔉omething for everyone.

Octopath Traveler

Octopath Traveler is big on its characters, a fact present from the beginni⭕ng as you🔥’re thrust into the world of eight travelers, each with a tale to tell. You get to decide which hero to begin the adventure as, so it’s very much leaning into letting you choose how everything plays out.

As a Square Enix project, there’s heavy influence from Final Fantasy and a boatload of enjoyment to be squeezed from the game. The usage of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:HD-2D graphics is some of the best to come🔯 out of modern-day gaming.

Unsighted

Fantasy RPGs are created much more than sci-fi ones, so 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:when a great sci-fi RPG comes along with exciting combat and an🔴 enthralling 🌸story, you have to savor the moment.

Unsighted begins with the protagonist, Alma, waking up in a facility amidst a world ruined by war. The thi𝓀ng is, you and many others don’t have much time left before your life force disappears and offsets the wheel of time.

You’ll have to bring together⭕ allies and fight through waves of enemies as you progress through war-torn Arcadia to find a cure for yourself and your loved ones. Time is of the essence.