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The term hidden gem in gaming is very worn out, with any meaning behind the phrase being lost due to overexposure. That’s why I’m in a position where I would call Video Game Fables a hidden gem. Instead, to avoid using that terminology, I’ll just state that “Videogame fables is an undiscovered classic waiting to be found.”

Video Game Fables, developed and published by one person under the name Momiji Studios, is a satirical take on turn-based JRPGs. While it’s nearly impossible to sum up this crazy title, it essentially tries to do to games what Shrek did to fairy tales. Amazingly, it even succeeded to some degree.

A story as old as time, except with a twist.

After being captured by the evil villain Gator, Princess Aru, an interpretation of Princess Peach, decides to go off script and save herself. Unfortunately, going against the game’s intended narrative has disastrous consequences for the world. This all comes to a head when the hero, now unsure of his goals, accidentally saves a twisted version of the princess.

The self-titled Corrupted Princess kidnaps the castle of the king, Gator and Aru, intent on creating a new script in her likeness. Hoping to prevent this meta-breaking plan, Aru teams up with Nate, an inspiring hero, and Tator, the son of Gators, to get back what they’ve lost.

The way Video Game Fables focuses on this concept is nothing short of brilliant. It underscores the tropes specifically from a video game point of view and makes fun of everything from characters to world building and even entire storylines. The dialogues, while ironic, are extremely witty and well-written. Best of all, though, the script isn’t just parody-based, meaning everyone can enjoy it.

Comedy meets introspection.

There are also plenty of introspective moments on deeper topics. My favorite example of this is the character Tator, who is basically this game version of Bowser Jr. is. It was revealed early on that he suffers from anxiety at the prospect of filling his father’s shoes. Although Aru and Nate pay little attention to this at first, they open up to him during their journey and let him discuss his woes.

The game usually deals with these topics comically. But to emphasize the seriousness of these issues, as well as the importance of discussing them, they are given the respect they deserve. Overall, Video Game Fables is incredibly agile and cultured when it comes to this department.

Everything you would expect and more!

When it comes to gameplay, video game fables can be divided into exploration and combat series. The first is what you would expect in a traditional RPG. Walk around different locations, discover hidden loot and interact with NPCs along the way.

There are other opportunities to participate in side activities such as mining, fishing, races and puzzle solving. Collectively, they’re fun, but ultimately rudimentary minigames, often acting as an alternate way to get upgrade currency.

The real bread and butter of the gameplay can be found in the combat mechanics. At first glance it may seem quite simple, but in reality it is quite complicated. It works according to the turn-based timeline style, recently seen in Ruined King. Video Game Fables tweaks this slightly by allowing multiple actions on the same branch of the timeline.

This adds an extra layer of complexity to each turn, as you have to worry about the order of the initiative, as well as the compound actions. Then I found that these mechanics made the game a more challenging experience. It wasn’t too hard though, just strong enough to keep you from steaming through everything.

You’ll also find unique iterations of the timeline manipulating the way it behaves. Momiji Studios has cleverly decided to limit these instances to boss battle scenarios. This allows each boss to have their own identity and each encounter becomes more and more special.

Customize to your heart’s content.

No RPG is truly complete without options to upgrade your character. Thankfully, Video Game Fables has us covered in spades here. For starters, XP in this game acts both as an upgrade currency and as a way to level up. As with Runes in Elden Ring, you’ll have to make a decision to boost your characters’ base stats through leveling up, or open up more customization options for your party.

The options in question can include anything from extra spell slots to better quality equipment or spells. The weapons and skills themselves are available through crafting. The necessary materials to participate in this can be found on samples, through farming, or in the mining and fishing industries mentioned above. You can only craft gear with your current checkpoint status, which is updated at significant intervals throughout the game.

While relatively primitive, skills can also be modified to suit your play style. Disappointingly, you can’t assign the skills or spells to the group members yourself. Granted, this doesn’t affect the game at all, but I would have liked the option anyway.

Art design on a budget.

Video Game Fables has a rather peculiar art style. The environments are bizarrely cartoonish and, I suppose, purposely designed to resemble a child’s drawing. In addition, there are the character models, which are, for all intense and intent, flat 3D objects with NES sprite texture. It all comes across as a wild and weird fever dream, and while it sure is bizarre, I absolutely love it.

If you’ve ever played Paper Mario, the direction will make you think somewhat. For those who haven’t already, it may feel like an odd juxtaposition at first, and it may take some time to adapt to this graphical approach. The animation of the characters and NPCs is also worth mentioning, as their subtle eye and mouth movements are perfect for taking advantage of comedic moments.

Unfortunately, the low-resolution art style may put some people off altogether. I say unfortunately because the game underneath is definitely worth playing through. If you’re in that camp, remember that you might have felt the same way about games like Minecraft or F-Zero X. And you probably don’t need to tell me how much fun those games were.

Audible feedbacks.

Video Game Fables features an all-original soundtrack by composer Levc EGM. It emulates ideas from all kinds of retro games, mainly RPGs from the 8- and 16-bit era. Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest are apparently the biggest influences, although I wouldn’t place the music here at the level of those classic OSTs.

That does not mean that the agreements are not good. The chiptune style beats have some notable highlights, especially when it comes to the melodic exploration tracks. In contrast, the faster-paced themes were a bit hit and miss, with the main combat theme being particularly disdainful. That said, Levc EGM certainly shows promise, and I’d say it’s one worth keeping an eye on.

The SFX in Video Game Fables are pretty standard. Again, they borrow elements from the SNES and Mega Drive time period, giving a level of authenticity to the old school aesthetic. I do believe voice acting for some cutscenes would have greatly enhanced the narrative experience, but since this is a budget indie project I can see why it was left out.

Conclusion

I’m not going to lie and say that Video Game Fables is groundbreaking, or worthy of the game of the year. But what I’ll say is it’s an entertaining, light-hearted and satirical take on JRPGs. The turn-based gameplay is complex and offers a large number of customization options. The art style, while certainly an acquired taste, fits perfectly with the surrounding story. Musically it’s a bit of a mixed bag, but composer Levc EGM certainly shows some promise as an up and coming artist. If you are a fan of RPGs and manage to buy this on sale then I suggest you give it a try.