Charts Genres Community
Charts Genres Community Settings
Login

Franken

Developer / Publisher:
01 May 2022
Franken - cover art
Glitchwave rating
3.31 / 5.0
0.5
5.0
 
 
63 Ratings / 1 Reviews
#2,166 All-time
#82 for 2022
A hero is tasked by King Cleabe to stop the villainous HELL'S KNIGHT and their army of monsters.
There was an error saving your submission.
Rate / catalog Rate / catalog another release
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Write review
Title
Graphics and music are both really excellent, and the game moves quickly enough between new instances of each that it never feels tedious.

However it's never a great feeling finishing a work and saying "I... think that it was trying to be about [thing]?" In this case I... think that it was trying to be about the fact that violence is outdated as a gameplay system in modern rpgs but there's so much extraneous and unfunny attempts at milquetoast parody that I'm not convinced it was trying to say anything at all.

I did smile at two things though! I liked the joke about a potential partner having the same sprite as the would-be-suitor's mother, and something about the cerberus pondering his true vocation tickled my fancy.

All in all, maybe worth playing if the promo art catches your eye, but don't expect anything more than some light aesthetic pleasure for an hour.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
accolade 2023-04-02T11:51:15Z
2023-04-02T11:51:15Z
2.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
finished
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
draft
en
Expand review Hide
Title
Games like this are always a bit of an odd one for me because oh how irritating I find them if they’re done even slightly wrong. Self-aware games that basically serve to parody existing titles and genres always run the risk of coming off as insanely annoying due to feeling totally misguided in how they approach the comedic aspects of the games. Thankfully Franken is a game that avoids a lot of this with the way it’s another of those games that feels as if any fun its poking is entirely in good spirits and from a position of pure admiration from the art. It also helps that the game is only an hour long to make sure it never really outstays its welcome, keeping the jokes about silly aspects of JRPGs present in a way that consistently still feels fun to play through and having some jokes that honestly feel pretty funny and original. The 4th wall breaks are also kept to a minimum, thank god. Just a really fun time that ends on a high note with some of the dumbest and greatest “plot twists” possible, would recommend it especially if you’re into old school JRPGs like the original Dragon Quest and this style of quirkier game.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Kempokid 2022-08-29T09:53:40Z
2022-08-29T09:53:40Z
4.0
1
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
review
en
Expand review Hide
Title
wait, wait, wait.... hold your horses... uhm... YOU'RE A PIXEL ART POSTMODERN INDIE GAME?!!?! O_O Not to be a freak, but.. just when I thought you couldn't get more attractive.. you started subverting expectations and popular RPG tropes. Nicely done, m'lady. You've just become every man's dream circlejerk. If you had missed a couple before, now you can be sure you've got us ALL "drooling", lol.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
MtBedhead 2022-07-01T03:27:46Z
2022-07-01T03:27:46Z
4.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
draft
en
Expand review Hide
Title
Cute game with great writing!
I agree with the notion that a lot of games like this basically owe their existence to EarthBound [Mother 2 ギーグの逆襲] and Undertale (especially considering the developer herself is working on Deltarune), but I like how the game knows exactly what it is. Franken is a cute, free, short, and sweet RPG with extremely simplistic combat and great writing.

The focus is on the characters and, according to the dev on twitter, whatever she thought was funny to write. Although there are items to help your (not-so-silent) protagonist in the adventure, they only serve to deal more damage or get past an obstacle, and nothing can be swapped out. Even though Franken is a gag-fest, it never tries to convince you that it's more than what it is. The game doesn't try to go above and beyond, but it never misses.

Speaking of never missing, the writing is hilarious, and I appreciate that the gags aren't all "VIDEO GAMES AM I RIGHT?" that these Earthtales (quirky RPGS) often fall back on. The art is also stellar: the designs follow the standard tropes of a JRPG, but are visually distinct and extremely pleasant to look at (the final bosses, in particular, kick ass).

I'm trying to find more words to say about this game, but talking any more would be spoiling this one-hour experience. If you have not checked it out yet and have an hour to spare, I highly recommend doing so. I look forward to seeing a more fleshed-out experienced from Splendidland, especially if the writing is this good already.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
cptnqusr 2022-06-03T19:44:25Z
2022-06-03T19:44:25Z
4.0
1
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
draft
en
Expand review Hide
Title
Friends and I played through this in a Discord call together where we all voiced different characters and it was such a blast. The twist is so simple but so cute and the character design is as fantastic as I’ve come to expect from Splendidland. I’m very excited by the prospect of a larger game by her, cuz this is so cute and fun!
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Cynthwave 2022-05-11T17:27:03Z
2022-05-11T17:27:03Z
4.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
draft
en
Expand review Hide
Title
I played Undertale: the game.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
commentary
en
Expand review Hide

Catalog

Helyion Franken 2024-02-24T19:12:59Z
2024-02-24T19:12:59Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
ticketstoxboxlive Franken 2024-02-16T04:07:20Z
2024-02-16T04:07:20Z
4.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Dragonhawk Franken 2024-01-21T16:03:39Z
2024-01-21T16:03:39Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
mykeedee Franken 2023-12-30T01:33:48Z
2023-12-30T01:33:48Z
3.5
1
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Green_h Franken 2023-11-16T04:41:51Z
Windows / Mac / Linux/Unix
2023-11-16T04:41:51Z
1.0
1
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
099097115 Franken 2023-11-09T14:01:50Z
2023-11-09T14:01:50Z
4.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Goge Franken 2023-10-22T15:21:36Z
2023-10-22T15:21:36Z
4.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
pinkpi Franken 2023-10-09T17:03:45Z
2023-10-09T17:03:45Z
3.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Kowareta99 Franken 2023-09-25T15:39:49Z
Windows / Mac / Linux/Unix
2023-09-25T15:39:49Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
TheRealDealTeal Franken 2023-09-20T20:52:45Z
2023-09-20T20:52:45Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
lankaraniamir Franken 2023-07-29T15:15:28Z
2023-07-29T15:15:28Z
1.5
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
SynnGD Franken 2023-07-24T23:19:27Z
2023-07-24T23:19:27Z
3.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Player modes
Single-player
Media
Download

Comments

Rules for comments
  • Be respectful! All the community rules apply here.
  • Keep your comments focused on the game. Don't post randomness/off-topic comments. Jokes are fine, but don't post tactless/inappropriate ones.
  • Don't get in arguments with people here, or start long discussions. Use the boards for extended discussion.
  • Don't use this space to complain about the average rating, chart position, genre voting, others' reviews or ratings, or errors on the page.
  • Don't comment just to troll/provoke. Likewise, don't respond to trollish comments; just report them and ignore them.
  • Any spoilers should be placed in spoiler tags as such: [spoiler](spoiler goes here)[/spoiler]
Note: Unlike reviews, comments are considered temporary and may be deleted/purged without notice.
  • aidan_sun 2022-05-11 07:27:38.019088+00
    fun and cute
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • im_singing 2022-05-12 15:02:34.727215+00
    :D
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • slib 2022-05-17 23:43:55.588091+00
    Exactly what you would expect.

    I'm sure for most that's a much better thing but I am so tired of indie pixelshit anti-games
    reply
    • suddenlywolf 2023-10-30 04:19:09.310508+00
      i mean it's a cute little one developer free game. i think it's allowed to be "indie pixelshit"
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • Green_h 2023-11-16 04:53:15.189281+00
    from the same person who made mega man sprite game but more "wholesome" than funny. everything else is nearly the same including the most boring battle system possible for the sake of 'parody.' as someone who tends to like the pixelshit anti indie retro blah blah blah whatever, this just isnt anything to me
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • More comments New comments (0) Loading...
Please login or sign up to comment.

Suggestions

ADVERTISEMENT

Contribute to this page

Contributors to this page: Cynthwave im_singing NickShutter
Examples
1980s-1996
23 mar 2015
8 apr - 12 may 2015
1998-05
Report
Download
Image 1 of 2