The Tenth Line

Really fun turn-based RPG that I think deserves more attention than it appears it may have gotten! Highlight is definitely in the story and some of the combat systems and leveling, with shoutouts to the wonderful pixel art and background work. Be sure to talk to NPCs with each of the controllable characters to get different conversations, world building, and character development! Bonus points for the optional card mini-game; it reminds me of FF9 a bit, and I adore that one, so I really liked a similar game here. :) Game runs wonderfully, encountered no bugs. Controls work on both a keyboard or a controller (played on controller personally); you may want to look into rebinding no matter which you choose, because some assignments seem strange, like buttons to defend in combat versus the line-up they are on screen. You may need to be prepared to return to title screen to reload a screen every so often if you accidentally knock an item out of the map (swamp area) or want to grind a little bit. On that note, played on the intended difficulty because I saw post-game and NG+ are not available to lower difficulties!! So be aware of that. Having played on it though, I found I didn't not need to grind at all -- doing even average star ranking in your battles will lead to you reaching very close to, if not capped out, by the end of the game. I love the leveling grid, the "Power Flow" as it were, and slotting items to gain power. Same with the training, having items have qualities that impact their strengths and how their unique mechanics work. (Leveling the strength is mandatory! While I found I didn't need to interact with the unique mechanics until near end of game.) Speaking of end of game, I think my only complaint is that I feel it ends too abruptly! I really liked where things were going, the twists and character building that was happening, but it just feels like it needed that little bit _more_. Threads get set up that don't always feel like they pay off fully. Post-game has some challenge fights you can do, but I found they might be a little -too- sponge-y to be worth exploring, but your mileage may vary, as I wasn't the best at the juggling and guard breaking mechanics of the game's combat system...! Which, in itself, is a really cool idea, trying to weave your attacks in ways to try to max out your big hits versus spending or saving your attacks. Defense is tough, requiring you to be very quick on deciding when to press the button, and I found sometimes I could get by just going "Press all three the moment you see someone start to move on screen," hah. The super defenses are also VERY helpful, but I found they didn't always activate reliably; this may be a user error, as I'm using the new Steam Controller, so I may not have set it up properly. Again, your mileage may vary! All in all, this took about 15-ish hours to go from start to finish without post-game, and goes on pretty large sales (I think I got it for, like, a buck because it was recommended in the checkout window??, which is *insane* for the quality here). I really think this is worth your time!! It's got some big hits, and some misses, but the pros vastly outweigh the cons, and I think you'll find a really good time here. Great work here from Sungazer Software. i love rik and tox and want to draw fanart of them, especially rik, oh my gosh i love their designs so much. need to make time to paint them if i cannn

Having to go through a puzzle/platformer screen 3 times using each character is such a slog gameplay itself is full of information and micromanagement. not fun. good thing I bought this on 90% discount.

A estória é boa, não recomendo jogar na dificuldade máxima da primeira vez, eu fiz isso e fiquei encrencado em algumas partes, no geral ele te prende, é preciso pensar para resolver algumas lutas.

Nice little game with plenty of charm, the gameplay reminds me of older Valkyrie Profile entries which is worth experiencing, along side the great art and soundtrack.

tl;dr This JRPG-inspired game has an unique, in-depth combat and leveling system that rewards experiments and min-maxing, all programmed by a single person. It also features well crafted characters and very charming soundtrack. But it suffers from the initial information overload, tedious inventory management and clunky 2D platforming mechanics. I'd only recommend this game if you are prepared for steep learning curve and can put up with the QOL downsides. [b] Characters and story [/b] All 3 main characters are well put together, and they all have distinct personalities and motives. I thoroughly enjoyed banter between them, as well as them talking with side characters and NPCs. While it didn't serve any practical purpose, all 3 of them also had different comments for every single item (100+) and for dozens of enemies, and it really helped give them personalities. Imagine having to come up with all of those, it really shows how much the devs cared. The story starts off with very little information on party members, which was a very clear sign that there would be twists in the later part of the game, as their past and identity were slowly revealed. This might be because of pixel art, but some of the story cutscenes felt lifeless and didn't convey emotions very well. There was this one scene that I feel was particularly half-done, where this side character, who has been very helpful and cheerful during the journey, suddenly gets killed. It went exactly like this: this character turns his back on someone, gets attacked, then his sprite flies out of focus in an almost comical fashion. Not even any last words. At first I didn't think he was dead because there was no confirmation, and thought he'd just casually show up later in the story and startles everyone. It was later confirmed by [spoiler] browsing the shop and seeing this character available for purchase, to be summoned as combat support. I do get some people (including me) want to see him back in some way. [/spoiler] What a way to know someone whom I started to like was truly dead. [b] Combat [/b] A turn-based/timing sensitive combat, apparently inspired by the game called Valkyrie Profile. The game gives you a few tutorial battles followed by a bunch of menu tutorials, but a lot of crucial mechanics won't be explained. Thankfully those are all written down in game manual and steam guides, and you can do battle practice at any save point. And if the normal battles are too hard, there is an option at the start of the game to remove certain mechanics. There is also an option for reduced boss difficulty after losing the battle, and it is much needed for difficulty spikes on some of them. Eventually I got the hang of it, and it can be incredibly satisfying to see all enemies on screen being wiped out in a single turn. Some of the combat UI are very rough though. I sometimes had a hard time making out what's happening in combat, especially when there are dozens of enemies on screen. Damage number and the little particle effect (that are supposed to show when enemies are ready to use special attacks) can overlap each other, making it a complete mess. Also, I have no idea why there are no healthbars for enemies, even though I can check their max health. It's nearly impossible to keep track of who I attacked and how much damage I did, and incredibly hard to make calculated decision on next attacks. Either add instant replay function, or simply add healthbars and most of the UI issue will be solved. [b] Leveling [/b] Leveling comes in the form of placing consumable items on a skill tree/board thingy to give stat increases. Again there are a lot of information at first, but the game manual answers most of the questions. Certain items can only be placed at certain tiles on the board, but the inventory UI is poorly done here and introduced a lot of tedium. I had to first click on certain tile, then I chose which item to place. Since all 3 party members have different shaped boards and I wanted to plan ahead which item to place and on whose board, there were a lot of going back and forth between different menus. There should be a manual filter for inventory instead of auto filter. That way, I could search for items that have T-shaped runes, or items that give health stat bonus. [b] Exploration [/b] Every chapter has 1 or 2 exploration sections that includes platforming, enemies, treasure hunting and simple side quests. The environments were beautifully drawn, but I feel I wasn't made for 2D platforming. Stuff can blend in with the background, and sometime it became hard to tell if what I'm seeing was a part of a wall or just background. There were also foreground elements that blocked the view, and I always missed if there were any item or holes behind them. I think the stuff I can walk on and interact with could be drawn differently, or be given different. distinct outlines. Overall the game is well put together considering it's made by a single person. Combat has a lot of in-depth mechanics. A lot of thought were put into world building, and I found characters (including side/support ones) very lovable and memorable. It could've used more polish and adjustments on some of the tedious mechanics and clunkiness.

4/5 star

👍

This was some kind of a ride. Why? The game story of course. It's pretty rich in content. Other than that, the gameplay is pretty weird. The mechanics are pretty original, like, who would have thought of a sidescrolling platformer RPG anyway or the turn based real time attack and dodging. By the way, the game is not grindy at all. I never even once grinding exp or gildred/money in the game. So, I just fought anything in the way because I realized the gained exp are carefully organized for each area. Probably to make you level up easily and to make the game less grindy.

The Tenth Line from Sungazer Software LLC is an ambitious indie RPG that blends classic turn-based combat, side-scrolling exploration, light platforming, and character-driven storytelling into a surprisingly cohesive and memorable adventure. At first glance it evokes the era of 16-bit role-playing games with its colorful pixel art and fantasy setting, but it quickly becomes clear that it is not content to simply imitate its inspirations. Instead, it builds upon them, layering mechanical experimentation and narrative personality on top of a familiar foundation to create something that feels nostalgic yet distinctly its own. The story follows Princess Aria of the small nation of Easania, whose life is upended by a sudden attack tied to a larger conspiracy and an ominous prophecy. Forced to flee her home, she soon forms an unlikely party with Rik, a quick-witted kobold, and Tox, a powerful and sardonic black dragon. This trio immediately gives the game a unique tonal balance. Rather than leaning solely into high fantasy melodrama, The Tenth Line thrives on the interplay between its characters. Aria’s determination, Rik’s grounded pragmatism, and Tox’s dry humor create conversations that feel lively and human, even amid world-ending stakes. The broader narrative weaves themes of prejudice, political tension, destiny, and survival into a plot that gradually expands beyond a simple escape story into something much larger in scale. Exploration sets the game apart from many traditional RPGs. Instead of navigating static overhead maps, players traverse environments in a 2D side-scrolling perspective. This structure introduces light platforming elements, environmental puzzles, and secret hunting that reward curiosity. Each character contributes distinct abilities to exploration, encouraging players to switch between them and use their strengths strategically. Obstacles may require precise jumps, projectile throws, or brute force, and optional hidden areas often contain valuable items that enhance progression. This design gives the world a sense of physicality that many menu-driven RPGs lack, making traversal feel active rather than passive. Combat blends turn-based planning with real-time execution in a way that keeps battles engaging throughout the adventure. Players queue up actions for each party member, but timing-based inputs during execution can strengthen attacks or mitigate incoming damage. Encounters can feature multiple enemies attacking in waves, creating moments of tension that demand careful management of health, positioning, and resources. The absence of a traditional equipment system is another distinctive choice. Instead of constantly swapping armor and weapons, character growth revolves around items that unlock skills on a board-like progression grid. This system encourages thoughtful customization, allowing players to shape each party member’s role rather than simply equipping the next statistically superior upgrade. The visual presentation reinforces the game’s hybrid identity. Pixel art sprites are expressive and detailed without feeling cluttered, and environments range from lush forests to imposing castles and cavernous ruins. The art direction channels classic console RPG aesthetics but incorporates modern fluidity in animation and color design. Character portraits during dialogue add personality and nuance to conversations, strengthening emotional beats. Complementing the visuals is a varied soundtrack that shifts naturally between adventurous exploration themes and more dramatic combat tracks, enhancing immersion without overwhelming the player. Beyond the main quest, The Tenth Line includes optional content that adds flavor and replay value. One notable addition is an in-world collectible card game that players can engage with for rewards and completionist satisfaction. These diversions help flesh out the world and provide breathing room between story-heavy segments. Side paths and hidden treasures further reward thorough exploration, giving players a reason to revisit earlier areas once new abilities are unlocked. While the game’s ambition is admirable, it can occasionally feel dense due to its blending of genres. Players unfamiliar with platforming elements in RPGs may need time to adjust to the controls, and some combat encounters require careful preparation rather than brute-force approaches. However, these challenges stem from its layered design rather than imbalance. Once the systems click into place, the combination of exploration, strategic combat, and narrative progression becomes highly satisfying. Ultimately, The Tenth Line succeeds because of its cohesion. What could have been a disjointed mix of mechanics instead forms a unified experience driven by strong character chemistry and thoughtful system design. It respects the traditions of classic RPGs while experimenting just enough to stand out in a crowded indie landscape. For players who appreciate story-rich adventures with a blend of action and strategy, it offers a journey that feels both comfortingly familiar and refreshingly inventive. Rating: 7/10