Roadwarden is the biggest sleeper hit of 2022. For a game with relatively spartan graphics and no animation to speak of, it does a fantastic job of pulling you into the world. It’s like a Choose Your Own Adventure book on steroids. It’s what I wish every RPG could be – a game in which your choices aren’t just window dressing but actually matter.
Indie team Moral Anxiety Studio have crafted a world that should put bigger studios on notice. What really impresses me is that the factions don’t lean on stereotypes. You know what I’m talking about – most games with factions have the obligatory imperialist city dwellers, the struggling country yokels, the machismo warlords, and so on. The different settlements in Roadwarden, in contrast, all feel authentic. Every village has a history and a reason for being, and the NPCs, far from feeling generic, instead feel natural in their roles and help deepen the player’s connection to the world.
Roadwarden also deftly solves the “chosen one” story trope that’s so common in RPGs. At the outset, you’re sent by a corporation to explore a reclusive peninsula and report back about how it can be exploited for profit. How you go about that is up to you, and the choices you make not only define you character but also affect how your relationships with the locals develop. You can play as a heavy-handed mercenary who simply wants to squeeze the land for profit, or you can take on the role of a rational intermediary who tries to balance the needs of the locals with the wants of the corporation. If that sounds too black and white, however, fear not: there’s plenty of grey – probably more grey than you’ll find in any other game.
Be warned that there is a lot of reading, and if you’re looking for a game that’s heavy on combat this definitely isn’t it. But if you’re itching for a cozy adventure that lets you explore your own way, Roadwarden is absolutely the scratch.
Indie team Moral Anxiety Studio have crafted a world that should put bigger studios on notice. What really impresses me is that the factions don’t lean on stereotypes. You know what I’m talking about – most games with factions have the obligatory imperialist city dwellers, the struggling country yokels, the machismo warlords, and so on. The different settlements in Roadwarden, in contrast, all feel authentic. Every village has a history and a reason for being, and the NPCs, far from feeling generic, instead feel natural in their roles and help deepen the player’s connection to the world.
Roadwarden also deftly solves the “chosen one” story trope that’s so common in RPGs. At the outset, you’re sent by a corporation to explore a reclusive peninsula and report back about how it can be exploited for profit. How you go about that is up to you, and the choices you make not only define you character but also affect how your relationships with the locals develop. You can play as a heavy-handed mercenary who simply wants to squeeze the land for profit, or you can take on the role of a rational intermediary who tries to balance the needs of the locals with the wants of the corporation. If that sounds too black and white, however, fear not: there’s plenty of grey – probably more grey than you’ll find in any other game.
Be warned that there is a lot of reading, and if you’re looking for a game that’s heavy on combat this definitely isn’t it. But if you’re itching for a cozy adventure that lets you explore your own way, Roadwarden is absolutely the scratch.