The Indie RPG That Took 9 Years, Got Cancelled, And Still Found A Way To Shine

Following numerous years of progress and increasing doubts, Adam Robinson-Yu, who is renowned for designing the widely appreciated adventure game “A Short Hike“, formally scrapped his extended RPG venture.

Since many were curious about it, given the amount of emotion invested in its creation, he chose to refine it further and make it publicly available.

You’ll find a demonstration, approximately lasting two hours and titled “Untitled Paper RPG,” available for free play on Itch.io. Enjoy!

This Wasn’t the Article I Thought I’d Write

I originally planned to write a short piece about adamgryu’s project.

As a fellow enthusiast, let me share a tidbit that crossed my path recently. It’s one of those captivating “check out this cool free trial” pieces I pen down amidst larger compositions.

As I delved deeper into the history of the project, my curiosity grew stronger. The allure wasn’t only from the game’s enchanting setting and captivating appeal, but also due to the fascinating journey of its creation.

Following the demonstration, I stumbled upon a past interview with the developer. It was then that realization struck – just how many undiscovered passion projects does the gaming industry harbor?

To me, there’s always a story worth telling – even if a project remains unfinished.

Over the course of many years spent sketching and being creative, I encountered an unsettling sense of familiarity in the tale.

What Makes This Demo So Wonderful

1) The game has an immediate, captivating appeal. If you’ve ever experienced playing “Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door“, you’ll find it quite familiar.

The game features rhythm-based mini-games and a social system that allows you to build friendships with characters rather than simply battling them.

The principal character you can control, a crocodile, brought to mind figures such as Tabaluga and Schnappi – two well-known German animated reptilian characters. Although they are all crocodiles/dragons, I noticed a common trait: they each possessed unique characteristics in spite of their simplistic design.

(Also in terms of character design: The Amazing World of Gumball came to mind for me!)

You can tell how much love went into the details of the game.

Personally speaking as an art enthusiast, the ambiance of this piece truly captivated me. There’s a radiant quality to the imagery that’s tough to put into words. It evokes a sense of a languid summer afternoon (though it might depict snowfall, but shh, you can feel what I’m saying).

In the game, the shadows exhibit a remarkable sense of movement and change. From an interview with Stugan, a non-profit program for gifted game creators, it was revealed that Adam invested significant effort in adjusting these shadows, striving to achieve a perfect balance between lighting and scene ambiance. And indeed, this attention to detail is evident.

The delicate movements, tiny puffs of dust beneath the characters as they walk, and detailed character designs clearly demonstrate the level of consideration put into every aspect.

About The Developer And Creation Process

Adam Robinson-Yu, who goes by adamgryu online, resides in Toronto. He’s the developer you might recognize from “A Short Hike”, an indie game that received critical acclaim for its deep emotional content and exploration themes.

As stated in the itch.io blog post, the concept for the game titled “Untitled Paper RPG” originated in 2016, following Nintendo’s announcement of “Paper Mario: Color Splash“.

As a fan of the classic Paper Mario series, Adam had a thought familiar to many creatives:

“Well, I make games… why not try making the game I want to see?”

The RPG prototype – born in a game jam with friends – was the project that called to him most.

In 2017, after leaving his job to go full-time indie, he began developing the RPG in earnest.

He handled all aspects of the project single-handedly: creating artwork, coding, designing levels, and even penning the script. The only tasks that weren’t done in-house were composing the music and creating some character designs.

Why The Game Got Cancelled

As a gamer, taking on a massive game development project by myself was an exciting challenge at first. However, as the project grew larger and more complex, I soon realized that the sheer amount of work was becoming overwhelming.

Adam encountered the common hurdles, often experienced by those striving for originality in their creations, when he began hitting a creative wall.

He mostly struggled with finding the right tone for the game.

Although the game appeared charming and tranquil, RPGs typically necessitate a degree of violence, strife, and tension. Adam wasn’t keen on crafting such a narrative. He doubted if it aligned with the universe he had constructed.

“I thought there was some dissonance between the cute and grounded world I was trying to make and the requirement for an RPG story to justify lots of fights and violence”,

he explained.

He also struggled with the combat itself.

“I started having doubts about turn-based combat. I wanted to get it to a point where combat felt strategic and puzzly. But I got the sense that battles just felt like an annoying obstacle to players interested in exploring.”

Speaking in retrospect, Adam notes that A Short Hike wouldn’t have come to life without this particular project. It was a cheerful diversion he worked on when taking a breather from the Untitled Paper RPG.

At one point in the post, he noted about the project:

“The scope felt too big! It felt like I was making two games – the battle system and the overworld each felt like a big undertaking.”

Why The Story Hit Me So Hard (And What It Says About Creative Development)

Feeling a strong resonance since I too balance multiple creative ventures that often exceed expectations, your remark struck a chord within me.

As a gamer, I’ve come across numerous creators – artists, writers, and developers alike – who have unwittingly stumbled into the same pitfall: the elusive ‘dream project’ that swallows years and leaves their creative juices depleted.

The main challenge with these tasks is that there’s no established blueprint to guide us, as similar projects are scarce or nonexistent.

The chance of losing passion over “unsolvable problems” in development is high.

Yet, it’s important to note that these “innovative endeavors” are likewise the breeding grounds for genuine advancement. They propel industries such as video games, films, and others into new territories.

And that’s what makes them both thrilling and terrifying.

I’m thrilled that Adamgryu has made his demo available! It’s not only enjoyable to experience the enthusiasm in it, but also enlightening to follow the creative path he took, demonstrating the effort and sacrifice involved in creating something uniquely one’s own. (And let me emphasize: it truly is a delight!)

And how valuable that still is.

Go Play It. Thanks.

In his post, Adam confesses he’s feeling stuck or stagnant, which he refers to as being “in a rut.” He yearns for the excitement he used to experience when launching games. I completely understand; it’s comforting and therapeutic to share work, even if it’s not yet complete.

And even if this project won’t see a full release, it still adds something meaningful to the world.

I hope more people check out the demo, not just for the gameplay but for the story behind it.

Please go show his games some love 🙂

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2025-07-04 17:10