If you like pixel art style games as much as I do, chances are you'll adore the look of Forge of the Fae – an upcoming Steampunk-inspired retro-modern RPG that's currently demolishing all of its Kickstarter goals, and for good reason.
Developed by indie studio Datadyne, Forge of the Fae takes place in a "story-rich, mysterious world inspired by Celtic folklore" where choices matter. It follows the tale of Fiora, an inventor trying to "uncover the truth behind a series of mysterious disappearances" while taking on turn-based battles and uncovering secrets lurking in the world.
It looks absolutely stunning – with its retro art style, you can see exactly why the devs say it's "a love letter to the classics of the 16-bit era," but the Kickstarter page adds that Forge of the Fae's "storytelling, environmental exploration, combat, and world lore offer a fresh and modern experience," so we can expect a delightful mix of old and new. It's giving me the same sort of vibe as mechs-and-airships JRPG Chained Echoes, which similarly blends retro and modern RPG elements together spectacularly.
For all these reasons, it's no wonder that Forge of the Fae is doing so well on Kickstarter. To be exact, it started off with a goal of $15,000, but it's smashed through that target, and is currently sitting with $111,174 and counting with 14 days left to go. There are still some stretch goals to hit, including "Toad Quests" at $135k, which I'm intrigued about based on the name alone.
There's no release date for Forge of the Fae at the time of writing, but it's set to come to PC, as well as Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles. If you're hungry to give it a go right now, there's even a free demo to try on Steam to give "a small taste of everything intended for the full game," which is also a great way to see if you want to contribute to the Kickstarter yourself.
You can also check out our roundups of the best RPGs and best JRPGs for even more fantastic worlds to get lost in.
