LORDBLUEROUGE'S PROFILE

...I'm just gonna quickly post this before I forget - I don't know if anything is going to come of it. But I thought I'd post it here anyways just to get the ball rolling on it and see what comes out.

Rurouni Kenshin is an "old" anime (1994/1996-1998). The really cool thing about animes from the 1996, is that they'd often have really cool fansites or shrines that'd highlight the best episodes, stories, scenes, animations, movies of these particular shows etc - when they were finally translated and brought over to the states during the 2000s

Now, the problem is that most of these sites are gone now. Either they've kind of amalgamated into a fandom.wikia, with interesting facts and anecdotes or youtube vids arguing the best episodes are often DMCA taken down.

I'd like to do a new promo for the Misaos. But the problem is that Rurouni Kenshin is about 95 episodes long (I haven't seen the movies or anything). and I don't really have the time to watch TV much as much as I'd like to. Would you guys know of like any good Rurouni Kenshin anime fansites that are still around that'd have like the best episodes listed or like, animated clips from these episodes - so I can very quickly see what I could use for a new promo?

I remember Samurai Pizza Cats had a bunch of great animated gifs. same with Ranma 1/2's The Curse of the Contrary Jewel, (those had some great animated clips too) but old anime fansites seem to be a lot harder to find through google these days.

So yeah, any help is appreciated here.
the more hardcore of a Kenshin fan you are. the better.

Hi, I'm hoping Cherry or someone might be able to shed some light on this/fix this issue.

I recently had to reinstall steam rpgmaker2003 on windows 7. Before, steam rpgmaker2003 use to have this really cool feature where it would create .r3proj files that allowed you to quickly open multiple rm2k3 games in multiple rpgmaker2003 editors, whenever a new rpgmaker2003 project was created.

Problem is, with a recent update (I think?) the game file was renamed from .r3proj to .r3project making the old r3proj files unrecognizable.

I tried using the r3proj files to "Open with" rpg2003(the editor located the in steam folder) but then it asks for ultimate_eb.dll (the file associated with rpg2003 located within the steam folder, instead of the project folder)

This feature, when it worked saved a lot of time, but now it doesn't seem to be working anymore? Does anyone know how to fix this? I tried to remove rpgmaker2003 and reinstall, but r3proj files still fail to load.

UPDATE: I got it to work after renaming ".r3proj" to ".r3project". Is this a bug or something?

I found a strangebug this evening.

Trying to link something from HBGAMES.

In link form it doesn't work:
http://www.hbgames.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=62914

But if you wrap it in a url it does?

Just relaying this issue from brizzy000420 on the discord RMN channel:
"Miss" Message seems to be missing from Database>String>Page1 in Advocate Rpgmaker2003

Has anyone run into this issue before?(I think I have years ago but can't remember how I fixed it.) Here is what it should look like:



And here is what we got:



The miss message is missing and appears as a blackbar in the strings/glossary database. So "Miss" no longer shows up in rpgmaker2003's DBS. I've run into this issue before, but it'd be cool to figure out how we solved it.

Any help here is appreciated.

Update: Updating to Rpgmaker2003 1.08 fixed this issue.
This is why I couldn't remember how to fix this - I first saw this issue back in 2007.

How to Vote on the Misaos
1.Login to RMN
2.Go to the gamepage of the game you wish to vote on.
3.Click "Nominate"
4.Select the categories you wish for the game to win in.
5.Hit "Save".

Nominations Begin: NOW till Dec 31st
Voting Starts: On Jan 1st - 31st. (UPDATE: VOTE HERE!!!)

(Previous thread: mid-year misao discussion by Darken)



...Wow, what a year it`s been. A lot of people are saying 2019 was a great year for the misaos. I genuinely agree. Since Darken is busy working on the excellent, the machine that BREATHES, I thought I'd continue the cool thread he originally started back in June, with an end-year misao discussion thread and just talk about the games we`ve played this year. To get things started, I thought I'd mention some of the possible highlights, as well as games I`ve played, but also focus on other games you guys have mentioned, that others may not have gotten around to yet. But yeah, just talk about games you`ve played this year and I'll try to compile them into a near list for 2019 etc.

So in no particular order:




Grimm`s Hollow by Ghost Hunter

Don't let the cute and colorful screenshots fool you. Underneath the bright and colorful exterior of Grimm's Hollow is a dark and powerful game. You play as Lavender. A recently deceased, spirit reaper, who struggles to save her little brother's soul from the machinations of the after life. The game plays like a mix between Paper Mario and Fatal Frame/DemonSouls: Your main attack in the game is a QTE called "Swing", a deadly scythe attack, that is able to deal critical damage to any foe by pressing down on your keyboard, at the right time - Without giving too much away, I really enjoyed this game. I love the the story, the battle system, the animations and how GH was able to use the new picture-in-battles feature in order to craft the game they wanted to create in RM2003. While the game is short, at only 3 levels long and the QTEs can get complicated during the later levels, minor bugs aside, I really love how well rounded and complete this game feels. Grimm`s Hollow makes me look forward to the future games made in rpgmaker2003 now that the engine has finally been released in English. Great Stuff! -- LordBlueRouge

Possible Nominations
(Star Stealing Prince - Best Original Graphics)
(Excellence in Narrative - Best Story)
(Summoner of Sounds - Best Sound Track)
(Best First Game - Awarded to Developers First Game)
(Game of the Year - Game of 2019)




Theia: The Crimson Eclipse by LolloRocketDiver

Given that it's been featured, this game needs little introduction. It's an epic Italian RPG Maker game recently translated and fully playable in English! I've been playing it off and on and it's really a treat, feels like a super pretty RM game you'd see posted in screenshot topics never to be released because of how polished it is. Only now it exists! I enjoy a lot of the visual details and how the animations all come together, there's some pretty cool stuff. I'll probably post more opinions when I get farther into the game, I've also been meaning to set this up to be played on my TV with a SNES controller because I'm one of those people -- Darken

Possible Nominations
(Game of the Year - Game of 2019)
("Eye Candy" Award - Best Graphics)
(Excellence in Narrative - Best Story)
(The "How the Hell Did They Do That?" - Most Technical Prowess)
(Best Non-English Game - Game translated into English*)




Villnoire by LittleWingGuy

"Wait people still make games like this?" Yeah man, yeah man, they do. Rocking the FSM chipsets and settling for nothing less than ambition. The game quietly made itself to 80% completion and while that might be some bs a teenager would put in their gamingW sig years ago... I choose to believe. Your so called rational mind will lack the glory of being right on the money when you see that bright green Completed status one day -- EDIT: the prophecy came true -- Darken

Probably the only game that stands a chance against Theia this year. Either way, it looks amazing and I'm sure it's gonna win a good bunch of misaos too. -- Frogge

Haven't gotten too far in this, but the first dungeon has an interesting twist: you come across a wounded soldier, that you need to revive, long enough, in order for them to help you take down the first boss. Very cool!! -- LordBlueRouge

Possible Nominations
(Not Dead Yet Award - Best Old Game That Was Finished This Year)
("Everlasting Journey" Award - Game With The Most Content)
(Dark Souls Award - Best Challenge/Puzzles)
(Game of the Year - Game of 2019)




Slimes by scitydreamer

(Under Construction)
This is another game I haven't gotten around to finishing yet, but have already mentioned at least 3 times on discord and the forums. It's hard to put into words why I like this game so much, but I'm going to try: Upon starting Slimes, the story immediately grabs you, and throws you into a stand off with a disembodied villain, who endless taunts you. The villain even teaches you how to reload your gun with an in game tutorial, before telling you that "it's not gonna matter, because you can't win" - This is actually a reoccurring nightmare of Julius Anderson's, a member of the Church of the Holy Heart, who is now being sent to eradicate this evil that has descended upon the earth. Julius Anderson is also kind of an asshole. He even lashes out at the Healer who just joined your party. Who is Julius Anderson? What's his problem? Why is he so on edge? Why is this guy such an asshole? Until I find out more, be sure to check out this really cool demo. Don't let the minimalist graphics fool you. This should be your first pick for Excellent in Narrative for 2019. A very compelling read. -- LordBlueRouge

A GAME where you fight SLIMES and... that's it, there's no literal title joke that's actually all you do. I think the low download count is a bit sad considering there's some really cool stuff worth appreciating here. It's set in a fictional country with a heavy religion thematic backstory involving a slime epidemic. The slimes start to develop a very continuous personality throughout the demo and I like a lot of the world building documents you get for clearing every floor. It's got a bleak outlook on JRPG tropes but I think it has its own voice regarding the dynamics of how society chooses to deal with an impending threat. I highly recommend it -- Darken

Possible Nominations
(Excellence in Narrative - Best Story)
(Most Promising Demo)
(The Kentona Award - An Overlooked Game That Needs More Recognition)




DEAD AGAIN by Smokingspoonr

Originally finished in 2013 - made in 1 month, working 12 hours a day, everyday, non-stop - DEAD AGAIN, is a short survival horror game that utilizes an incredibly unique turn based battle system made in rpgmaker2003, where zombies approach you, every 2 turns, and you can either pick them off with your firearm, or take them all out with your bat, if they're close enough.-- I love this game. Even after finding every single ending, I still find myself going to play DEAD AGAIN for a few minutes a day, just to see if I can uncover something new to explore and attempt to obtain that perfect "zombie outbreak run". A lot of attention to detail here, very well done! There's just something exhilarating about seeing all those zombies moving all at once in rpgmaker2003. Be sure to check Smokingspoonr's other game Dandelion as well. -- LordBlueRouge.

Possible Nominations
(Game of the Year - Game of 2019)
(The "How the Hell Did They Do That?" - Most Technical Prowess)
(Punniest Game Alive - Funniest Game)
(Star Stealing Prince - Best Original Graphics)
(The Kentona Award - An Overlooked Game That Needs More Recognition)




Turovero: The Celestial Tower by QZProductions

Our four protagonists live in a pretty typical seeming fantasy world - The warrior can shatter stone statues to clear the way forward or reveal hidden things. The Druid can make plants grow, which can lead to free healing items. The Mage can light things on fire, which is useful in a surprising variety of ways. And the Thief can fire long range arrow shots to hit predetermined targets - With a mythos involving four creator gods that made their world and ruled it from the titular Celestial Tower, Turovero, only to one day be usurped by an entity known as "The Dark One"...But unlike so many uses of these tropes, amnesia is used to absolutely STUNNING effect here. See, in Turovero: The Celestial Tower, each of our protagonists is also haunted by some past trauma buried in those memories that they've forgotten, and the Dark One's minions will absolutely delight in rubbing salt in those wounds in absolutely vicious ways. And that ends up being the true heart of the story, weaving a narrative that's equal parts horrifying, tragic, and cathartic. The way the story slooowly peels back these layers is nothing short of masterful. The sprites and character portraits and enemies are absolutely lovely to look at, and the portraits especially have an excellent variety of expressions. The soundtrack is loaded with emotional highs and mournful lows. Just about every track feels perfectly on point, or at least really enjoyable to listen to. Turovero is an absolutely incredible narrative trip that knows how to use pain and sorrow to weave a deeply compelling story, led by endearing characters. While it has a few mild gameplay shortcomings, this is absolutely a game worth sinking your teeth into. If you've got the fortitude to handle a dark, often painful story, to receive that catharsis that comes with confronting it...I welcome you to climb Turovero. It's an amazing ride -- Aegix_Drakan

Possible Nominations
(Game of the Year - Game of 2019)
(Summoner of Sounds - Best Sound Track)
(Excellence in Narrative - Best Story)
(The Kentona Award - An Overlooked Game That Needs More Recognition)




Cresecent Prism: Chapter 1 by Sgt M

In Crescent Prism, the game follows Lunita, a silent protagonist and also a young child. On the day before the Crescent Festival, the Summoner's Rod goes missing and Lunita is tasked with travelling into the local shopkeeper's basement to recover it from a putty pup named Maru. This game, to put it simply, is beautiful, from the graphics, to the music, to the map design, and right back around again. It's got that Torch60 flare we've all come to love with Soma Spirits and Brave Hero Yuusha EX, especially in the graphics department. In combat, Lunita is a mage with white and black magic. Maru, a dog, is a brawler who can beg or “steal” to give party buffs. Amos is a gunslinger who can use AOE attacks with a chance of inflicting status ailments and Rain, can scan and debuff enemies, while also creating bots that can attack or heal during battle. But what's unique about Crescent Prism, are the moon phases: Throughout the game, the moon changes into 4 distinct phases, drastically altering enemy behavior or granting special stat boosts to the party at the start of battle, through special zodiac items that Lunita & co. have obtained: Like, the bulbs you fight in the second dungeon, will turn into flowers during a full moon, or during this cave section, the moon alters how effective your regular attacks are, so it's better to just use magic, once the moon shifts to a new moon. However, it's the boss battles, where this moon mechanic in Crescent Prism truly shines. The first boss teaches you how to use the moon to your advantage, whereas the second boss will have you prioritizing who to attack and when, while solely relying on the phases of the moon -- todpole & Starspire

Possible Nominations
(Game of the Year - Game of 2019)
(The Kentona Award - An Overlooked Game That Needs More Recognition)
(Summoner of Sounds - Best Sound Track)
(Star Stealing Prince - Best Original Graphics)
(Dark Souls Award - Best Challenge/Puzzles)




No Delivery by horror_n_oates

No Delivery is by far the weirdest, but surprisingly addicting, most trippiest game I've played of 2019. The game kind of plays like, if Silent Hill, met the Mach Pizza Guy from Earthbound, who then decided to play Blizzard's Diablo together. You play as a manager, of a fast food pizza restaurant, who hires various characters of different strengths and abilities to handle the night shift. It's like a Survival Horror game, but with an economy, where you can actually trade the items you hoard. And this is what makes the game so incredibly addicting: You'll find yourself going back to earlier levels to gather food, items from monsters, pieces of trash and earning money from your day shift, all so you can run into that one guy in the alley way, whose willing to trade you 9mm ammo or more dishes for your Ninja-Throwing-Dish-Waitress, so you can take down the more difficult monsters that are waiting for you at the end of each venue. The coolest moment for me was, The 2nd Stage, where you have to go through an arcade themed dungeon, but each monster you run into, is an arcade machine based on a universal movie monster. So like, if you run into the Dracula Arcade Cabinet, the game gives you a brief excerpt from the film, Dracula, before you have to fight off it's Possessed Pixelated Polybius Poltergeist - The game is filled with haunted amusement park attractions like this. Very cool, really well done! -- LordBlueRouge

Possible Nominations
(Trippiest Game - Weirdest Game of 2019)
(Dark Souls Award - Best Challenge/Puzzles)
(Most Promising Demo)




Where The Moon Goes At Night by 16bitking

Shiba the salaryman falls asleep one morning while taking the train to work, and ends up stuck on the mysterious Tatentai Island. Like a sort of Alice in Wonderland (or Dorothy in Oz, if you prefer), he meets strange creatures, some hostile monsters and later, different factions. There are other humans too, but like Shiba, they are strangers in a strange land, and as you can guess, the final objective is just trying to return home! Graphics are pretty, full of colours, incredibly detailed, and they are also, all custom! Clearly a lot of effort has been put into this, and the results are impressive: the different locations are diverse and filled with little touches, yet bizarre and familiar all at the same time. There's also a clever use of sound here: whenever you arrive at a new destination, the sound of train brakes can be heard and later on, a T-minus count down initial sequence begins the moment you arrive on the moon. Three difficulty levels, two different endings, one weird adventure: this is Where The Moon Goes At Night, a nice little game with a lot of style. A short, easy and enjoyable experience that left me wishing for more adventures on Tatentai Island... and No, that isn't a giant mobile phone on the battlefield, this is a special move, Shiba's strongest attack! -- The RpgMakerAddict

Possible Nominations
(Trippiest Game - Weirdest Game of 2019)
(Star Stealing Prince - Best Original Graphics)
(Best First Game - Awarded to Developers First Game)
(The Kentona Award - An Overlooked Game That Needs More Recognition)
(Summoner of Sounds - Interesting Use Of Sound)




Deadly Woods by richterw

Now for something completely different. Inspired by Twin Peaks, the 2007 movie Deadly Woods and the 2010 video game Deadly Premonition, DeadlyWoods is an odd-ball open world rpgmaker2003 sandbox game. You play as FBI agent Desmond, tasked with solving the grisly murder of a Sarah Anderson, a young woman who resided in the odd and mysterious town of Dream Vale. But you can go almost anywhere, visit almost any place and enter almost every building while solving this case. You also get a police car later that makes travelling around Dream Vale faster. You have a whole town to explore with tons of things to do. There are quests and secrets hidden everywhere around DreamVale. You can enter a boxing tournament, play arcade games, go fishing or even join a group hosting a tabletop D&D session. This particular mini game, plays like a choose-your-adventure game with some traditional rpgmaker combat, but losing here won't take away from your progress. Combat in DeadlyWoods is done in real time, be it hand-to-hand or ranged combat. There's also a place where you can train. But it's best to avoid combat in general except in quest situations, where you're forced to fight. The side-quests here, have the purpose unlocking rooms in the Dream World, an area in the game that can be accessed whenever you go to sleep, to learn about the personalities of the townsfolk, but also help to open up the full story. However, side quests aren't mandatory to finish the game. But the word here is variety! You play a console? BAM, minigame! You do an autopsy? BAM (sort of) minigame! And even if not every activity is perfectly realized, I think that rpgmaker2003 was used here in a clever and excellent way. Despite these flaws, DeadlyWoods is a game that is definitely worth checking out. So play it but... remember to save often! -- TheRpgmakerAddict

Possible Misao Nominations
(Trippiest Game - Weirdest Game of 2019)
(Everlasting Journey Award - Game with the Most Extra Content)
(The "How the Hell Did They Do That?" - Best Technical Award)
(Star Stealing Prince - Best Original Graphics)




Dandelion by Smokingspoon

Dandelion is a charming little visual novel, that is hard to talk about without spoiling it. All you really need to know is that the less you know going in, the better. Based on the screenshots supplied with the project I knew it was going to look nice in action but the quality of the cutscenes really caught me off guard. While there is only a handful of them throughout this short experience, each one uses some really fun visual tricks to pull of things like the illusion of depth. They also blend seemlessly with the in-game visuals which isn't something I always see handled well withing the RM2K3 engine. Dandelion also features a soundtrack by Isao Tomita, an artist I wasn't familiar with up until this point, but will now have to investigate because his work is apparently very much my jam and I need to hear more of it. It fits the tone and the visual aesthetic of Dandelion surprisingly well, to the point where much like Space Funeral its hard to imagine the game with a different audioscape. I dont know what else there is to say about Dandelion, it feels like some long lost European animated short turned into a cute little 10 minute games and really you have every reason to check it out, then again I might be a little biased since its the hope of stumbling onto little gems like Dandelion that bring me to RPGMAKER.net in the first place -- visitorsfromdreams

The best 10min animated short, you'll see, made in RPGMAKER2003, for 2019. Like Smokingspoon's other game DEAD AGAIN, this is another must play. -- LordBlueRouge

Possible Nominations
(Trippiest Game - Weirdest Game of 2019)
(Summoner of Sounds - Best Sound Track)
(Punniest Game Alive - Funniest Game of 2019)
(Star Stealing Prince - Best Original Graphics)
("Eye Candy" Award - Best Graphics)




Final Fantasy:Sky Warriors by Illy

Final Fantasy: Sky Warriors manages to both feel and play like the original title it's based on. The game will make you feel like you're playing a NES title, with enough improvements to the pacing and engine, newcomers should feel right at home. The three party members you control all emulate a 'class' from the original game, each with their own distinct purpose and usefulness, and every single one of them feels important and integral to your strategy. The battles are engaging enough, and reward proper tactical thinking and strategy, while never feeling too drawn out or dull. The game offers a good amount of sidequests and things to distract from the main quest, and the world, despite being familiar, felt very fun to explore, and discovering new things was always rewarding. Likewise, most of the new maps included felt like they fit right in, and I was a big fan of actually using the canoe in dungeons, something about that just felt 'right'. Final Fantasy: Sky Warriors is obviously meant to be enjoyed as a prequel to the original, and will be best appreciated by those who grew up playing the NES title, or have at least experienced it. If you're a fan of the original, you NEED to play this one if you haven't already. So stop wasting time here and get to it! -- SadrackVonArten


Possible Nominations
(Lawsuit Waiting To Happen - Best Fan Game)
(Everlasting Journey Award - Game with the Most Extra Content)
(The Kentona Award - An Overlooked Game That Needs More Recognition)




Baclyae Revolution by Marrend

(Special Mention: for your consideration)
Marrend is a long time member of RMN's staff whose usually managing the game description thread on RPGMAKER.NET, helping out users revise their gamepage descriptions before resubmitting them for approval to RMN - (Marrend is not being paid to do this, this is something they're doing for free! Marrend is a cool guy!). This year, Marrend has also released Baclyae Revolution. A severely overlooked spiritual love letter to the Suikoden series, made in Rpgmaker VX Ace, which is currently sitting at 194 downloads - I wanted to mention this game in particular, because Marrend is sort of an unsung hero here, on the RMN, who works tirelessly in little ways to make RMN at better place for everyone. Marrend's continued contribution and work towards the site, may not be immediately noticeable, but it is no less important and should be recognized more.

Please check out Baclyae Revolution -- LordBlueRouge

Possible Nominations
(The "How the Hell Did They Do That?" - Most Technical Prowess)
(The Kentona Award - An Overlooked Game That Needs More Recognition)
(Lawsuit Waiting To Happen - Best Fan Game)




Final Fantasy VII:Regenesis by bussoli

FFVII:Regenesis is a fan made sequel to FFVII Dirge of Cerberus and Advent Children, set about ten years after the first game. It mimics the gameplay of the original Final Fantasy VII: you wander the world of Gaia, fighting monsters and bad guys while visiting old and new locations and some dungeons that aren't very long or complex. The Turks make a return, as well as Shinra soldiers. Some old creatures like the giant serpent that lives in the area near Kalm, also make an appearance. Battles make use of sprite rips from the games Final Fantasy Brave Exvius and Final Fantasy Record Keeper which look nice, detailed and are well animated. Music for the most part consists of music from the original Final Fantasy VII, but there are some new themes that I did not recognize. Besides combat there are also other activities, exploration, optional tasks like small puzzles to unlock safes for extra loot and a motorbike minigame - These are minor diversions that were present also in the original game, but I like seeing the attempt to integrate also these less important features as well. I feel FFVII:Regenesis is how we would have played Final Fantasy 7 if it were a 2D remake made for 16-bit systems. I like how it creates a new adventure, retaining the feeling and style of the original game, while also introducing new locations and characters side by side with the old, familiar ones - I liked it so much that besides the translation errors and the mismatched graphics I had nothing else to really complain about. It's true, there are some minor flaws, and this feels like "more of the same", but I appreciate how faithful it remains to source material, while offering something new at the same time -- TheRpgmakerAddict

Possible Misao Nominations
(Lawsuit Waiting To Happen - Best Fan Game)
(Everlasting Journey Award - Game with the Most Extra Content)
(Best Non-English Game - Game translated into English*)




Country of Snow by MacBob

A spiritual sequel to last year's cult classic "I Want to Bring Her Back to Life but I Don't Know Where to Start" If you like 2000-ish experimental SquareSoft games like Parasite Eve or Vargrant Story or even Kingdom Hearts:Chain of Memories, Country of Snow is definitely worth a look. It has this really interesting turn based mechanic in the game, that I haven't really seen in a whole lot of rpgs since, but it only becomes apparent, when you're playing on Hard Mode: When you press SHIFT during battle, the game allows you to look the enemy's stats, as well as view the enemy's turn gauge located at the top right corner -- Like, if the enemy's turn number is 27, and you have a weaker, quicker attack that uses 13 points. You can use that weak attack twice, and follow it up with a strong attack or guard, before the enemy's turn. I found myself actually having to write down, what the enemy's turn sequence was, before hand, so I could study it, Guard at the right time to reset the turn counter, and then plan my attacks accordingly, in order to take down the tougher bosses -- I did not expect to like this demo as much as I did. Like a lot of games this year for 2019, Country of Snow really surprised me with it's intricate but very unique custom battle system. Definitely check this one out! Really good contender for Most Promising Demo for the Misaos. -- LordBlueRouge

Possible Nominations
(Most Promising Demo)
(The "How the Hell Did They Do That?" - Most Technical Prowess)
(The Kentona Award - An Overlooked Game That Needs More Recognition)




SIAM by Sooya

SIAM is an interactive story about the future of AI at work. You've been working as a programmer for many years and you sent a request for rest at the company management. Your request got declined and the management sent SIAM to help you. Your work consists of reading numbers from envelopes and typing them in: exactly the type of boring task a programmer would automate. But here you're forced to perform it manually and enter the number without any convenient numeric pad but using arrow keys. Sooya carefully chooses 6 digits numbers so that by the time you're about done entering the number, you start to doubt the last digits. You also have access to a permanent mini-game where you must put your cursor above empty circles and avoid filled circles to earn Bitz. The circles move in random directions at just the right speed to present a fair challenge using the arrow keys. You can spend the Bitz you earned from work or play to buy gifts for SIAM and download files that move the story forward. You can also buy access to the news for a very reasonable price. Most of the clues about what's going on in this game come from you interactions with SIAM. Her dialog is very well written and she features a lot of eyes and mouth expressions in rpgmaker2003. Overall SIAM was a very interesting experience that raise questions about working conditions of AI and what would happen if they develop self-awareness. However if you want the best experience out of SIAM, you should stop reading this review and play the game -- Irog

SIAM can be completed in around 15 mins. One of the more interesting experiences to come out of 2019 -- LordBlueRouge

I loved the ending cinematics! -- JapoZero

Possible Nominations
(Best First Game - Awarded to Developers First Game)
(Excellence in Narrative - Best Story)
(The Kentona Award - An Overlooked Game That Needs More Recognition)




Pilgrim's Road by SideWinder

(Under Construction)
Pilgrim's Road was created for the Abrupt Ending Party Event. It's fairly short and simple, though it does have a few custom systems, and offers (relatively) in-depth character creation. If you like classic Fallout, this game might tickle a few nostalgia bones -- Gamepage

...I haven't gotten around to finishing Pilgrim's Road yet. But like Grimm's Hollow, I love how it uses the new picture-in-battle feature in rpgmaker2003 steam vrpgmaker2003 to create stunning 3D rendered portraits and it's interactive user interface whenever you enter a battle. Be sure to check this one out, while I try to figure the proper words to summarize this really cool entry for the misaos -- LordBlueRouge

Possible Nominations
(Best Event Game - Best Event Game of 2019)
(The "How the Hell Did They Do That?" - Most Technical Prowess)
("Eye Candy" Award - Best Graphics)
(The Kentona Award - An Overlooked Game That Needs More Recognition)




A Maned Lioness by AtiyaTheSeeker - made for The Rainbow of Positivity Event


I liked the story and I liked Raziya very much, because of her personal situation, her fears and her story merges perfectly with a little fantasy adventure that open and closes in a complete and satysfing way, creating a short entertaining tale with a meaningful message. While most characters are just outlined, I like how the lioness is characterized: she's shy but sometimes brash, she can be kind and merciful, but also strong and brave. She is a complex character that the author in my opinion represented very well, giving life to an original character -- TheRpgmakerAddict

This is a story that's very personal for the creator, and it definitely shows. There's a lot of heart put into this game, and I teared up at both of the emotionally-charged scenes. The game’s description says it aims to be "queer positive," and I think it excels at that. Many people have expressed distaste in media with LBGT characters that frequently suffer or have unhappy endings. The positive attitudes of the characters in this game was a breath of fresh air from that: A scene after a particular battle in the game is very heartfelt. While it could be seen as “sappy” or “cheesy” because of how emotionally raw it was, the scene works brilliantly as the climax of the game by portraying the theme of feeling socially ostracized and serving as a catalyst for another character's coming out. I highly recommend this game to anyone looking for a nice LGBT/specifically trans-focused story. If you’re looking for a short, story-oriented game, I recommend this too. It’s full of heart and wonderfully touching. I’m certainly looking forward to more of AtiyaTheSeeker’s works!! -- sqwumboly

Possible Nominations
(Best Event Game - Best Event Game of 2019)
(Excellence in Narrative - Best Story)
(Star Stealing Prince - Best Original Graphics)
("Eye Candy" Award - Best Graphics)




Unfinished Stories by lavendersiren - Made for the TimTamSlamJam Event

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom ruled by a king and queen. They had two children: one destined to inherit the throne, and the other destined to become a hero. This three part story chronicles the story of that hero. By chapter 2, the kingdom has torn itself into two. Can you prove yourself as a hero and bring it back together? Are you even the hero you thought you were? Unfinished Stories was made for the 2019 Timtam Slamjam by Team Oreo. This game has two main avenues of gameplay: the overworld platforming sections and the battle sections. The battle sections are all unique encounters with immediate relevance to the story at hand. -- Gamepage

Another event game that I think looks surprisingly good. This one's also gotten more popular like El Arte and I'm 99% sure it will win at least one Misao, and I think it's going to be worth it --Frogge

Freaking damn this is artsy as all heck! I knew my expectations would be met in the visual department, I really love the style, good job you guys! --OzzyTheOne

Nominated for soundtrack misao. So good! --ZDS

Possible Nominations
(Summoner of Sounds - Best Sound Track)
(Best Event Game - Best Event Game of 2019)
(Star Stealing Prince - Best Original Graphics)




Two Strangers Sat in a Garden by Frogge for the Theme Roulette 2 Event

Two strangers sat in a garden is a short crazy game, made by Frogge for the Theme Roulette 2 event, with the word prompt being "Sherbet" and the image prompt being a botanical garden. The final result is a weird mess, and I think it's quite difficult to review it... but I will try: He, a man, has a simple quest: his mother asked him to find a wife, so he's looking for a partner! He will soon meet She, but don't be mistaken: this is just the beginning of an epic story, because our two protagonists will be involved in several misadventures on different planets, they will be separated and then brought together over the years, they will face adversities, meet some helpful characters, but they will also face off against their sworn enemy and nemesis... Jeffrey Dahmer. No, really! Despite the weirdness of the setting as the author stated, the game is simply a satire on Hollywood' s idea of relationships and romance. You can clearly realize this fact playing the game: the lovers meet and then they break their relationship for futile/dumb reasons, only to return together. They face opponents that are totally evil and have no good qualities at all, but in the end the Power of Love wins and saves the day. Of course! What I liked most of the game is the abrupt and disturbing ending, really brutal, that closed the game sending me to the desktop immediately after a terribly dark final sequence. If it was intentional, and I am pretty sure it was, it's quite brilliant, as it ends the game with a surprise that hits you like a sudden slap in the face. -- TheRpgmakerAddict

Possible Nominations
(Best Event Game - Best Event Game of 2019)
(Trippiest Game - Weirdest Game of 2019)
(Punniest Game Alive - Funniest Game of 2019)




El Arte by Mirak for the TimTamSlamJam Event

Oh boy, how do you review a game like El Arte? The very notion of reviewing it seems to go against the fabric of its very creation... but here we go! Narratively you take on the role of what I can only assume is a bright orange penis (with a face so its okay) that wants to understand art. The gameplay itself consists almost entirely of moving slowly to the right (except for that one time when you walk left AND THEN right... and then up) and selecting dialogue options to see what chaos unfolds. Some of the results of these choices are funnier than others but with comedy being subjective thats always going to be the case. El Arte is a top tier mid 2000s Newgrounds shitpost, it just so happens to be made in RPG Maker instead of in Flash MX. Its not a game for everyone, its not a game for most people really, but for those of you out there that are just looking for something stupid to kill 30 minutes with, well, you could do a hell of a lot worse than El Arte -- visitorsfromdreams

Possible Nominations
(Best Event Game - Best Event Game of 2019)
(Trippiest Game - Weirdest Game of 2019)
(Punniest Game Alive - Funniest Game of 2019)




Steamed Hams, but it's RPGMAKER2003! by LordBlueRouge

The meme game to cap off the decade of what we thought was a good idea to make youtube edits of. It's actually quite enjoyable playing this and being amazed that this is happening inside of an RPG_RT and almost checking to see that this isn't some elaborate mole box prank. As someone who's seen all that RM2K3 has to offer, it's cool to see the amount of detail that went into condensing all of this inside of rm2k3's rather limited (and "beloved") default battle system. -- Darken

Possible Nominations
(Punniest Game Alive - Funniest Game of 2019)
(Best Game Title - Best Game Title of 2019)
(The "How the Hell Did They Do That?" - Best Technical Award)
(Trippiest Game - Weirdest Game of 2019)
(Lawsuit Waiting To Happen - Best Fan Game)





Honorable Mentions of 2019
Crypt of the Fungal Lord by Momeka

Originally released in late 2018, the latest Momeka's project is a game created for the Charas Project Micro-game event, that takes place all on the same screen, creating a sense of progression, as well as anxiety, as we uncover new rooms and new mechanics, in this short 5 minute experience. -- Cap_H

If you really want to see the game that arguably started off this incredibly year of 2019, check this out! -- LordBlueRouge.


-Figments of Discord
-Escape from Greyrock
-Kingdom of the Dump

Fried Ham's Vignette Games - this yearFantasticgamer2000HD released, 3 really short 1 minute games.
They're really neat though and I wanted to highlight them.

Year of the owl games (from the 48-owl Thread)
-Silver Owl Platoon: Apocalypse Owl by Delsin
-owl game by lavendersiren
-Owlstanding delivery by JustAShyDoge
-The Feeding of the Owlets by grindalf
-Hu'mons by Fomar0153
-"a familiar problem" by coelocanth
-Owl Quest by pianotm
-Owl The Prologue by OzzyTheOne
-Strigidae by El_Waka
-Owlpocalypse by Craze
Owl of Time by tale



-Shooty & the Catfish Reloaded(rereleased in 2020)