Baladins

Baladins is an RPG inspired not only by classic narrative RPGs, but also games such as For the King, Monster Prom and Paper Mario: the Origami King. It was developed by an independent studio Seed by Seed, which was made possible thanks to a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.

Plot

Baladins is set in the fantasy world of Gatherac. We play as the titular baladins - a group of wandering artists, warriors and... entertainers, who make a living by entertaining others or solving their problems. One day, however, they encounter a dragon demanding their services; when they fail to entertain it, the beast transports them back in time to make them try again. The group is thus forced to successfully grant the reptile's request to break the time loop they're now stuck in.

Mechanics

Baladins features four playable characters of different classes with different skills; the Cook, the Luxomancer (Luxomancy being the in-universe art of repairing broken lamps), the Dancer and the Pyro (specializing in fireworks). After selecting our character we can start the game proper.

The gameplay is shown from the top-down perspective. It's also entirely turn-based, both during combat and exploration. The game was designed in such a way to make a single session last about an hour. While exploring Gatherac you'll encounter thriving settlements and (seemingly) empty forests, meet its inhabitants and complete quests that progress the story. Occasionally you'll also face enemies (though you can run from them if you want, or bribe them). Oftentimes you'll need to make choices that affect the further course of the story; there are no moral dilemmas, however, as each decision is rather creative and leads to different events.

Progressing through the game lets us develop our heroes and acquire new equipment we can use to face greater challenges.

Game modes

Baladins is playable in singleplayer, though it's the best in co-op for up to four players. Co-op is available locally and online.

Technical aspects

The cartoonish visuals of Baladins are very colorful and pleasing to the eye. The locations are designed as picturesque dioramas, while the characters look like two-dimensional stickers. The game's audio layer was overseen by Anize Amestoy (known for games such as Watch Dogs: Legion and Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle) and Jose Pavli (composer of Project Wingman and Morphies Law).