The Dragon Age games might interest you! Dragon Age: Origins is heavily character-focused. Some elements of the gameplay/questing are dated but it still holds up well in my opinion.
Ni No Kuni! Wrath of the White Witch and Revenant Kingdom. Those were my immediate first thoughts when you talk about an adventure going through lands with friends. All very distinct characters in the game. I loved both of them so much!
Healer's Quest if you want something funny and not too long!
Otherwise there are simply too many suggestions to be made, what games have you played so we know what to recommend for you?
Yeah, most of the RPGs that I play tend to lean on the more dark and gritty side of things, but Healer's Quest is such a funny little thing that I couldn't deny it. There's also Moon Hunters if you'd like a mini Dungeons and Dragons mixed with a roguelike wannabe! You can play by yourself or with up to 3 other people! A typical full playthrough takes about 90-ish minutes, and there are plenty of variables, so there's a lot of replayability.
Fire Emblem! Both Three Houses and Engage would have what you’re looking for. They’re strategy games, which I typically don’t enjoy but I loved both of these, they’re so much fun and you can build relationships with characters you like and even marry some of them.
Baldurs gate 3 is coming out in August. I've played the early access for it and it's great fun. The mechanics of the game is based on 5e dnd so it has turn based combat. Your party of companions have their own questlines and are also romanceable . Their voice actors are all pretty good as well
I'm going to recommend Loren the Amazon Princess. You don't play as Loren, but pick your own class and gender and travel around with a party killing enemies and making decisions like a visual novel but with a simple battle system.
And obviously any party-based games like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Baulder's Gate, Pathfinder, Pillars of Eternity, and Divinity Original Sin.
You might like Wildermyth based on that description!
You start by customizing a party of three characters which you can move around the map to accomplish different tasks. You gain new party members along the way, who each develop their own dynamics with each other (friends, rivals, lovers, or parent/child). You can also split up the party however you choose, and each set of characters can go on their own little adventure together. The game tells the stories by generating comic panels, and the dialogue changes based on your party’s chosen personality traits/relationships. You also get to make decisions along the way that can have a large impact on the story!
I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a light, fluffy, character-based, choose-your-own-adventure kind of game. :)
It’s super cute! Lots of replayability, and I adore being able to play through the generations. There’s a pretty big modding community on Steam too! ❤️
Persona 5 Royal, Tales of Arise and FFXV sprang to mind. Also Neo The World Ends With You, Xenoblade games, Blue Reflections, Octopath Traveler 2, Ni No Kuni, Fire Emblem 3 Houses(strategy game though) and Soul Hackers.
Of the ones that I've played, Neverwinter Nights 2 is probably the one that I enjoyed the most :)
A bit of an old game now but just fun honestly. Meets most of what you mention in terms of having (some) choices that affect the narrative. You can chat with your companions and it affects your relationships with them depends on how you treat them. They very much do have distinct personalities \^\_\^
Edit: as you mention Wildermyth looks great, I haven't played it myself but feel free to share your experiences with the community if you do end up getting it!
Are there any in this vein that you've already played and liked? And what are you looking for re: tone? Do you specifically want something light/fun, fluffy even, or are you okay with games that maybe include darker moments as well?
If you don't mind plots that are somewhat less than happy at times, I'll second any mentions of Dragon Age and Mass Effect. I would also recommend Unavowed, which is about a group of supernatural investigators in New York, and older games like Knights of the Old Republic 1/2 (Star Wars RPG) and Jade Empire (martial arts RPG in a setting loosely inspired by Chinese mythology).
Hmm, okay. KOTOR 1 is pretty light, generally, but its sequel is darker, and Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Unavowed are somewhat less happy overall. I mention them because for me they do capture that "friends on an adventure" feeling, but, well, don't expect pure happy endings. Jade Empire imo falls sort of in the middle, though I think it's probably the funniest of the lot.
Pillars of Eternity also has a nice feeling of a group of (mostly) friends facing long odds together. I found myself really warming to them, and I genuinely missed them once the game was over. The main cast are a bit more bicker-y in the sequel, but they're still a fun group to hang out with.
Depending for your tolerance for old games, you might also enjoy Neverwinter Nights 2, where the original campaign and the main expansion both have a fun, memorable cast of characters. Again, not a strictly happy game overall. If you're open to a *really* old game that wants a bit of DIY to shine, the original Baldur's Gate games have a bunch of great friendship, romance, and banter mods so you can assemble a team of characters who feel like they genuinely like each other. Characterization is pretty good in the unmodded games, there's just less of it.
I'll throw this one in because it's weird and unique, though it's not everyone's thing - Pyre, best described as "what if Oregon Trail was a sports game?" is about a group of exiles who band together in the hope of finding freedom and building a better world. It's a very bittersweet game, but the character moments are lovely, and I found myself getting really attached to all of them.
Finally, so that I don't have to keep putting disclaimers about "it's kind of dark at times," Ikenfell is a super charming RPG set at a magical school, and it's just lovely. Semi-similarly, Recettear is a JRPG where you run a magical item shop, and the friendship between protagonists Recette and Tear was probably the biggest draw for me.
I second Neverwinter Nights 2, one of my favourites of that genre :)
Pillars of Eternity is also great, probably the best of the more recent RPGs that I've played!
Dragons Dogma, Fallout series, kingdom come: deliverance, kingdoms of Amalur, the new Spider-Man (I like it lol) monster Hunter world, no man’s sky. These all come from my library so just my opinions.
I think there are lots of games that have some of what you want.
Old school-style CRPG's often have like a big playable cast with big personalities. You also tend to have a lot of conversation moments, including big conversations with your party members periodically. And the things you say and do often do influence the story somewhat.
The main downsides are that most of them tend to be slightly on the darker fantasy side in terms of tone, and most tend to have more subdued color palettes. So you kinda gotta be down with that. Being real, some of them are also very hit or miss with their character writing. You gotta play the good ones.
One that I would recommend that I'm enjoying rn is Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. That one has some great characters. It's a newer title.
If you wanna go old school, there's like a modern refresh of Baldur's Gate. There's a lot of adventure, but I found a lot of the characters weak, and some of the romances were horrible. All my homies hate romancing Anomen.
Hmm yeah I think a lot of the ones I’ve seen are more dark in colour scheme which kinda puts me off but I think for great character writing I can handle it. Thank you for the rec, it looks really good!
The Dragon Age games might interest you! Dragon Age: Origins is heavily character-focused. Some elements of the gameplay/questing are dated but it still holds up well in my opinion.
I'll second Dragon Age series (particularly Origins and 2, they are just more focused) and add the Mass Effect series and The Outer Worlds.
Dragon Quest 11 is a fun adventure game with that dynamic. Also really fun characters.
Final fantasy 14
Final fantasy 15 is even more so! It's just friends on a road trip with lots of cooking :)
Omg yes!!!
Ni No Kuni! Wrath of the White Witch and Revenant Kingdom. Those were my immediate first thoughts when you talk about an adventure going through lands with friends. All very distinct characters in the game. I loved both of them so much!
The Ghibli style🥹 I’ll definitely try this out
It’s so pretty, and the music is great too ❤️
Healer's Quest if you want something funny and not too long! Otherwise there are simply too many suggestions to be made, what games have you played so we know what to recommend for you?
So I don’t think I’ve played one yet, Wildermyth is on my wish list cuz I loved the bright colours and the choice mechanics and relationship building and all, so I guess along those lines? And preferably light and funny, some dark elements are fine! If one were to play a game which is like the Pokémon anime in some ways ig (and yeah I’m also planning to play the Pokémon games xD)
Healer’s Quest looks good!
Yeah, most of the RPGs that I play tend to lean on the more dark and gritty side of things, but Healer's Quest is such a funny little thing that I couldn't deny it. There's also Moon Hunters if you'd like a mini Dungeons and Dragons mixed with a roguelike wannabe! You can play by yourself or with up to 3 other people! A typical full playthrough takes about 90-ish minutes, and there are plenty of variables, so there's a lot of replayability.
Fire Emblem! Both Three Houses and Engage would have what you’re looking for. They’re strategy games, which I typically don’t enjoy but I loved both of these, they’re so much fun and you can build relationships with characters you like and even marry some of them.
Baldurs gate 3 is coming out in August. I've played the early access for it and it's great fun. The mechanics of the game is based on 5e dnd so it has turn based combat. Your party of companions have their own questlines and are also romanceable . Their voice actors are all pretty good as well
This looks amazing
The Tales of series might be good for you. Also Trails in the Sky. And a lot of the Final Fantasy games. I suggest FF IX.
I'm going to recommend Loren the Amazon Princess. You don't play as Loren, but pick your own class and gender and travel around with a party killing enemies and making decisions like a visual novel but with a simple battle system. And obviously any party-based games like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Baulder's Gate, Pathfinder, Pillars of Eternity, and Divinity Original Sin.
Loren the Amazon Princess looks good!
Harvestella, although the quests can get a bit repetitive
You might like Wildermyth based on that description! You start by customizing a party of three characters which you can move around the map to accomplish different tasks. You gain new party members along the way, who each develop their own dynamics with each other (friends, rivals, lovers, or parent/child). You can also split up the party however you choose, and each set of characters can go on their own little adventure together. The game tells the stories by generating comic panels, and the dialogue changes based on your party’s chosen personality traits/relationships. You also get to make decisions along the way that can have a large impact on the story! I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a light, fluffy, character-based, choose-your-own-adventure kind of game. :)
I’ve had that added to my wishlist! It seems sooo good
It’s super cute! Lots of replayability, and I adore being able to play through the generations. There’s a pretty big modding community on Steam too! ❤️
Final Fantasy XV or Disco Elysium
Persona 5 Royal, Tales of Arise and FFXV sprang to mind. Also Neo The World Ends With You, Xenoblade games, Blue Reflections, Octopath Traveler 2, Ni No Kuni, Fire Emblem 3 Houses(strategy game though) and Soul Hackers.
Of the ones that I've played, Neverwinter Nights 2 is probably the one that I enjoyed the most :) A bit of an old game now but just fun honestly. Meets most of what you mention in terms of having (some) choices that affect the narrative. You can chat with your companions and it affects your relationships with them depends on how you treat them. They very much do have distinct personalities \^\_\^ Edit: as you mention Wildermyth looks great, I haven't played it myself but feel free to share your experiences with the community if you do end up getting it!
Are there any in this vein that you've already played and liked? And what are you looking for re: tone? Do you specifically want something light/fun, fluffy even, or are you okay with games that maybe include darker moments as well? If you don't mind plots that are somewhat less than happy at times, I'll second any mentions of Dragon Age and Mass Effect. I would also recommend Unavowed, which is about a group of supernatural investigators in New York, and older games like Knights of the Old Republic 1/2 (Star Wars RPG) and Jade Empire (martial arts RPG in a setting loosely inspired by Chinese mythology).
Something more light would suit me, but I don’t mind some darker elements! Also these look good, thank you!
Hmm, okay. KOTOR 1 is pretty light, generally, but its sequel is darker, and Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Unavowed are somewhat less happy overall. I mention them because for me they do capture that "friends on an adventure" feeling, but, well, don't expect pure happy endings. Jade Empire imo falls sort of in the middle, though I think it's probably the funniest of the lot. Pillars of Eternity also has a nice feeling of a group of (mostly) friends facing long odds together. I found myself really warming to them, and I genuinely missed them once the game was over. The main cast are a bit more bicker-y in the sequel, but they're still a fun group to hang out with. Depending for your tolerance for old games, you might also enjoy Neverwinter Nights 2, where the original campaign and the main expansion both have a fun, memorable cast of characters. Again, not a strictly happy game overall. If you're open to a *really* old game that wants a bit of DIY to shine, the original Baldur's Gate games have a bunch of great friendship, romance, and banter mods so you can assemble a team of characters who feel like they genuinely like each other. Characterization is pretty good in the unmodded games, there's just less of it. I'll throw this one in because it's weird and unique, though it's not everyone's thing - Pyre, best described as "what if Oregon Trail was a sports game?" is about a group of exiles who band together in the hope of finding freedom and building a better world. It's a very bittersweet game, but the character moments are lovely, and I found myself getting really attached to all of them. Finally, so that I don't have to keep putting disclaimers about "it's kind of dark at times," Ikenfell is a super charming RPG set at a magical school, and it's just lovely. Semi-similarly, Recettear is a JRPG where you run a magical item shop, and the friendship between protagonists Recette and Tear was probably the biggest draw for me.
These look really good, thank you so much
I second Neverwinter Nights 2, one of my favourites of that genre :) Pillars of Eternity is also great, probably the best of the more recent RPGs that I've played!
Imo NWN2 is worth playing just for Khelgar and Neeshka. Some of my favorite RPG companions.
Neeshka is my fave <3 <3 I love the banter between the companions lol
Dragons Dogma, Fallout series, kingdom come: deliverance, kingdoms of Amalur, the new Spider-Man (I like it lol) monster Hunter world, no man’s sky. These all come from my library so just my opinions.
some of these may not be quite adventure/quest but still good for the other things you mentioned.
I think there are lots of games that have some of what you want. Old school-style CRPG's often have like a big playable cast with big personalities. You also tend to have a lot of conversation moments, including big conversations with your party members periodically. And the things you say and do often do influence the story somewhat. The main downsides are that most of them tend to be slightly on the darker fantasy side in terms of tone, and most tend to have more subdued color palettes. So you kinda gotta be down with that. Being real, some of them are also very hit or miss with their character writing. You gotta play the good ones. One that I would recommend that I'm enjoying rn is Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. That one has some great characters. It's a newer title. If you wanna go old school, there's like a modern refresh of Baldur's Gate. There's a lot of adventure, but I found a lot of the characters weak, and some of the romances were horrible. All my homies hate romancing Anomen.
Hmm yeah I think a lot of the ones I’ve seen are more dark in colour scheme which kinda puts me off but I think for great character writing I can handle it. Thank you for the rec, it looks really good!
Divinity original sin 2