Elven Curse

Embark on a solitary adventure in a cursed forest with this simple, non-field RPG. Your goal: escape.

-Prologue-

You are the village's best hunter, drawn to a national hunting tournament near the royal capital. Arriving for the opening ceremony, you eagerly enter the forest the following day. Upon waking after your first night, you discover something unsettling: the camp, teeming with hunters from across the land, is deserted. National guards, responsible for overseeing the tournament, are nowhere to be found. Cautiously exploring, you realize you're hopelessly lost. Familiar landmarks seem to shift, leaving you disoriented despite your exceptional sense of direction. This isn't just getting lost; something is profoundly wrong. Your journey to escape begins.

-What is the "Elven Curse"?-

Aided by a peculiar quarter-elf, you play as a hunter striving to escape a cursed forest in this minimalist RPG. Gameplay is intuitive, using a maximum of three buttons outside the main menu.

-Character Creation-

While manual customization isn't available, you can freely reroll your stats as often as needed. Check your stat increase rate upon leveling up—this information is only visible on this screen and cannot be confirmed in-game.

-Peddler: Quarter-Elf "Foria"-

Foria, a young (or perhaps not so young) quarter-elf, becomes an unexpected ally. Despite his childlike appearance, he claims to be older than you and offers cryptic assistance, drawing upon the ancient forest spirits to aid your escape.

-Scenario/Scene-

The prologue unfolds like a captivating picture story, with Foria's dialogue adding a cheerful counterpoint to the unsettling atmosphere. The game's world is subtly revealed through concise, evocative language.

-Exploration Mode-

Explore the interconnected areas of the Moriuchi forest. Fully exploring each section unlocks the path forward. The success of each exploration attempt depends on the "fog depth" of the area, influenced by your character's stats. If your life force is depleted, use poison or rare "talismans" to recover, or consider returning to Foria.

-Beast Encounters/Hunter Battles-

Fierce creatures roam the forest, from wolves to surprisingly aggressive frogs and rabbits. Defeating them yields hides, tradable with Foria. Unlike typical RPGs, combat is not integral to progression. Battles are entirely avoidable, though this requires luck or skillful play. As a hunter, you use a bow and arrow, maintaining distance to attack safely. If the distance is closed, you face a one-sided attack. Choose between a risky "withdrawal" attempt or a guaranteed escape using a "flash" ball provided by Foria.

-Cloak/Layering System-

Craft a mysterious cloak using collected branches, resin, and leather. Layering up to three cloaks enhances your abilities. Each layer adds to the ability boost, and in rare cases, provides vitality restoration. Note that the topmost cloak layer can be damaged and eventually become unusable. This is the only equipment modification in the game.

-Game Features-

This is a game about the *experience* of playing: a game of chance, skill, and strategy; a game of collecting materials and engaging in synthesis and alchemy; a game where preparation is key; a relaxing game that rewards persistent effort; a game with an autosave system (though not during battles, so saving in the base menu is recommended).

-What's New in the Latest Version 1.2-

Last updated Dec 18, 2024:
v1.2: Fixed a bug causing unexpected transitions to the character creation mode.
v1.1: Corrected typos in scenario text.
v1.0: Minor bug fixes, some message changes, and added credits.
v0.1: Test release