itch.io

NOT dead!  Just...  time consuming!  

Just last month, I decided to reformat the game into the standard 16:9 aspect ratio.  For that to work, I had to go through EVERY ONE OF MY MAPS individually (187 of them so far, and that's only up to the town of Hambry) and adjust for the different aspect ratio.  As of a few days ago, I completed the playtest of the first two books to make sure it is correct.  

Oh yeah, I'm also completely recreating the profile pics of the main characters, and putting them dialog boxes.  Ooof! 

So hopefully,I mean to drop 4.0 in 2026.  

I don't know who is following this, but I am currently in the midst of working on v4, which would be the UPDATED version of the first three books with the addition of the fourth book, Wizard and Glass.  If you are wondering: yes, it becomes a game-within-a-game as you get to play a party as young Roland, Cuthbert and Alain in Mejis.  

Why is this taking so long?  I have made SO MANY changes to the first three parts, I am almost embarrassed to continue making 3.1 available!  Some of the additions include:

• added nameboxes to ALL the dialog in the entire game (very time consuming!).  This can be seen in the above video.  
• a sort of mini-game in which Eddie actually carves the stick into the key in order to pull Jake into Mid-World.  
• tons of tile and sprite upgrades
• added bonuses and Easter eggs.  I will not elaborate. I love the idea that a player needs to search for something, rather than it be spoonfed.
• changes to all of the boss battle mechanics, for a much more interesting play (think Final Fantasy V)

Another reason this is taking so long, is I had invested a lot of time with QoL improvements (such as a Questlog), only for me to eventually decide I did not like it at all.  I kept some elements (such as random battles only occur in the overworld maps, and enemy sprites initiate battles in area maps) but ultimately it was a waste of time.

My goal is for this v4 to be released this year.  This Fall might be realistic.  At this very moment I am designing the town Hambry.  

If there's anyone out there who is interested, I can certainly post some clips of my progress.  

Th-thanks? 

I'm working on adding one book at a time.  Currently adapting "Wizard and Glass" right now.  Hopefully by the end of the year, Demo 4.0 will be ready (which will include the update of this game + Wizard and Glass).  

Yeah, this was a bug that was reported, I'm trying to figure out the fix.  Someone else solved it by renaming a file...

"Changed file Tull.rgpmvp to Tull Outside.rgpmvp . Did a similar thing for one of the animations, StateDown1 to StateUp1. Also one of the se files. Minor bugs. Really enjoying to game though!"

Hey there!  Just dropped the third demo version of my on-going project, The Dark Tower: A Fan-Made Retro RPG.

What is this?  It's an adaptation of Stephen King's legendary fantasy book series "The Dark Tower", presented as a 16-bit SNES RPG, (very) much like the classic Final Fantasy 4, 5 or 6.   This is the first three books (The Gunslinger, The Drawing of The Three and The Wastelands) together; the plan is progressively add each book to the game one at a time, while refining the previous books' gameplay.  The end result would hopefully be one massive Dark Tower game.  I plan to have Demo 4 (which would include the fourth book Wizard and Glass) out in nine months or so.  

Download link: https://soniclovenoize.itch.io/the-dark-tower-fan-made-retro-rpg

Some things about the game...

• This game is rated T FOR TEEN, due to adult language, adult content, violence and drug use. I mean, it's based on a Stephen King book! So, not really for kids.
• This is a FREE/NON-COMMERCIAL GAME.  
• My intent was for it to look and function like the classic SNES-era Final Fantasy games (4-6).
• It is not necessary to have read "The Dark Tower" to play/enjoy the game (although it's probably makes the game much easier). But since I'm trying to follow as close to the books as possible, spoilers for the books themselves are contained within the game (duh!). Play at your own risk!
• Oh yeah... The soundtrack is entirely music by Tom Waits. This creates a real specific tone for the game-- some sort of Abstract Western.

SYNOPSIS: The main character Roland is the last Gunslinger-- a type of knight-- in a sort of post-apocalyptic mirror-image version of our world (think Tolkien mixed with Spaghetti Westerns, topped with a dose of Mad Max). His quest is to find The Dark Tower, which is like a central hub that joins multiple dimensions and parallel universes. The game begins as The Gunslinger is chasing his nemesis The Man in Black across a desert, a villain who The Gunslinger believes has the answers to where The Dark Tower is. Over the course of the game, The Gunslinger draws three people from our world to join him on the quest. This ka-tet (a group joined by fate) journeys through Mid-World to reach the Tower, and learn the real reason Roland's world (and others in the multiverse) are rotting from the inside out.

GAME PLAY: As aforementioned, the mechanics and game play is meant to be reminiscent of Final Fantasy 4, 5 or 6.  Much like FF4, you primarily are Roland the Gunslinger, and party members join and leave, as dictated in the Stephen King novels. Because of the nature of the story, ammunition is required for weapons, and the scarcity of bullets is meant to be woven into the gameplay and strategy (as it is a major concern in the novels themselves). Roland does not start out as a magic user, but various party members could. There are no specific class distinctions (aside from a Gunslinger, of course), but the recruited party members are unique and have their own backstories, which lends them to possess the special skills the characters can use in battle. One way it differs from the classic FF (and most other RPGs for that matter), is the game play is less focused on weapon and armor upgrades purchased in towns (or won in battle or found in chests), and more concerned with a wide variety of items found throughout the game used as power ups and effect-producers in battle. Don't expect the need to upgrade your sword at every town; instead, manage ammunition and collect items to be used in battle. On the other hand, experience levels are a key component and a little grinding is beneficial (although not necessary).

GAME GENRE: RPG

GAME FLAVORS: Modern, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Western, Post-Apocalyptic, with a dash of Comedy and Horror.

GAME PLAYTIME: between 3-4 hours.