Exiled Kingdoms – Full

In an era where most RPGs hold your hand like an overprotective parent, Exiled Kingdoms quietly dumps you into its savage world, gives you a rusty sword, and tells you to figure it out. Developed by one person at 4 Dimension Games, this old-school isometric action-RPG wears its inspirations proudly: think Baldur’s Gate meets early Diablo meets a particularly unforgiving tabletop campaign.

You play as a broke adventurer who lucks into an inheritance letter from the kingdom of Varsilia. Naturally, this turns out to be less of a golden ticket and more of a one-way invitation to a world that absolutely does not care if you live or die. The Andorian Empire collapsed a century ago, unleashing eldritch Horrors upon the land, and the resulting four Exiled Kingdoms now wage their petty wars while you scrape together enough coins to buy another health potion.

What makes Exiled Kingdoms stand out is its brutal refusal to babysit you. There are no quest markers, no blinking arrows, no “go here next” prompts. NPCs drop vague hints, rumors float around inns, and actual detective work is required to piece together questlines. Some will find that thrilling; others will wonder why they’ve spent 45 minutes lost in a forest full of spiders. Either way, it’s a refreshing departure from modern RPGs that practically play themselves.

Combat is real-time and deceptively simple, but tactical nuance hides under the surface. Fights can be quick and dirty affairs, especially when enemies swarm you like mosquitoes at a swampy summer BBQ. Positioning matters. Flanking enemies nets bonus damage, while improper timing can leave you stunned and shredded. Your AI companion helps, sometimes. Other times, they face-tank mobs like they’re reenacting a cautionary tale.

But Exiled Kingdoms isn’t without flaws. Trash mobs respawn at an exhausting rate. Dungeon design occasionally leans too heavily on lever puzzles and arbitrary switches scattered across sprawling maps. And while the game offers dozens of quests, a few are clumsily telegraphed, sometimes the quest title itself spoils the plot twist before you even get started.

Still, for a game made by a single developer, Exiled Kingdoms delivers an impressive 100+ hour experience filled with tough choices, brutal fights, and satisfying progression. It won’t appeal to everyone, but for those craving a throwback RPG that actually respects (and punishes) your time, this might just be your next obsession.