8 JRPGs Successfully Funded in Kickstarter Campaigns

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One of the best inventions in the gaming community in recent years has been crowdfunding campaigns. Not every developer can secure the financial support of a publisher, which would often mean a premature end to a game’s development. That is, if crowdfunding didn’t exist.

Crowdfunding has already blessed us with many spectacular JRPGs and still promises to bring more. But to me, one of the most important aspects of this approach is that it gives us hope that a dying series may see the light of day again because its creator can develop a spiritual successor.

I’m using Kickstarter as a reference because it is the most well-known platform, but any other crowdfunding platform applies. Because odds are that many of the games here that were fully funded exist only because the community came together, which makes the whole experience of playing them even more heartwarming.

8 Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

One of the Pioneers

In the past, I did not pay much attention to Kickstarter. I already knew a few games that were born there — cof, Mighty No.9 — , but it never sounded all that legitimate to me. But everything changed when I saw the announcement of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. That was when I saw crowdfunding’s real potential.

Eiyuden Chronicle was announced on 27 July 2020 as a spiritual successor to Suikoden. As a fan of one of the best PS1 JRPGs, I was thrilled. I wanted to see what a modern take on Suikoden would look like, and that was exactly what Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes promised, so much so that the campaign quickly broke records, raising tenfold the initial $350,000 goal.

That amount allowed not only the scope of Eiyuden to expand, but also for a spinoff to be released in Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, an action RPG set in the same world as Hundred Heroes. And no wonder. Eiyuden Chronicle was helmed by the late creator of Suikoden, Yoshitaka Murayama, together with Junko Kawano, the franchise’s designer and writer.

Oh, and not coincidentally, after Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes shattered Kickstarter records, Konami announced a remaster collection for Suikoden I and II. Sneaky.

7 Armed Fantasia

I Still Have Hope

Do you know what happens when you mix a wild west theme with the creativity of Japanese developers? You get Wild Arms, a PS1 and PS2 RPG with one of the most delightful soundtracks out there. But for those who know it, Wild Arms faded after the fifth title and the strategic spinoff XF, released in 2008. That is why, many years later, it was a pleasant surprise to see that the series’ leading producer, Akifumi Kaneko, wants to bring a spiritual successor to Wild Arms in Armed Fantasia.

Armed Fantasia is a modern Wild Arms, plain and simple. The game has the same wild-west, desert-themed theme, with characters wielding guns, hunting for treasures in the most challenging dungeons, while using tools to solve its many puzzles. And according to the developers, there will also be plenty of whistling.

Armed Fantasia had a trailer at its Kickstarter announcement, showcasing the game’s stunning visuals. The turn-based combat system, called Cross Order Tactics, transforms successful actions from party members into a chain that can interrupt enemy turns. However, not everything is sunshine.

Armed Fantasia was born as a double Kickstarter alongside Penny Blood, the spiritual successor to Shadow Hearts. The funding goal was $650,000, but they broke the bank and raised $2 million. Everything seemed to be on track for a 2025 release, but the dream went sideways. Besides financial issues with Penny Blood, which likely killed the game (which is why I did not include it here), Armed Fantasia is struggling to find a publisher.

The impression is that the funding was supposed to serve as a thermometer to gauge public interest and leverage that to convince a publisher, but this isn’t what happened. Armed Fantasia still receives constant updates on its Kickstarter page, so there is hope we will revisit a new Filgaia in the future.

6 Sea of Stars

Indie Of The Year

Sabotage Studio surprised the industry with their unique take on platforming and metroidvania in The Messenger. But as the director Thierry Boulanger said, they were only preparing to release an RPG, which was the studio’s dream.

For that to come true, Sabotage needed the public’s help. Sea of Stars launched its Kickstarter campaign on 19 March 2020, with a relatively modest goal of $100,000. And well, after nearly 26 thousand people backed it, it is no surprise they raised 1.2 million dollars to create Sea of Stars.

With the promise of music by Yasunori Mitsuda, the composer of Chrono Trigger, and inspiration from 16-bit games like Super Mario RPG and Illusion of Gaia, every RPG fan who already feels back pain got extremely excited for Sea of Stars. As history shows, the final product left nothing to be desired.

Beautiful visuals, turn-based combat with timing and a lock system, town building, iconic party members, and fun post-game content. Oh, and an overworld, because every retro RPG needs a wonderful overworld map. All these features came together to create one of the best indie JRPGs of 2023.

5 Chained Echoes

One-Man Army Developer

Still on the topic of JRPGs that are a love letter to the classics, we have Chained Echoes, practically created by a single person: the German developer Matthias Linda. After seven years of solo development, Matthias turned to Kickstarter on 5 February 2019 to raise funds and hire a crew to handle parts of the game he lacked expertise in, such as composing the soundtrack.

Chained Echoes was more «modest,» asking for only $65,000. In the end, it raised $140,000, enough to launch the game. Thanks to Kickstarter, Chained Echoes also caught the attention of Deck13, an indie publisher that helped release the game and bring it to a larger audience.

Like every good JRPG inspired by retro JRPGs, you know exactly what awaits you. Cozy pixel art, a turn-based system with gimmicks, in this case the Overdrive, unusual party members, engaging post-game content, and a fantastic overworld map. Wait, am I having déjà vu?

Anyway, Chained Echoes deserves your attention for being a great JRPG. Besides, we have mechas, and we can board them to fly around the map, uncovering new secrets and even fighting small critters. What else does one need, right? Matthias Linda, you rock!

4 Kingdoms of the Dump

Don't Mind The Name

I imagine someone suggesting a game called Kingdoms of the Dump does not sound promising, but believe me, it is, and it fits the game’s premise incredibly well, especially since it was created by two real-life janitors. As with most games here, Kingdoms of the Dump draws inspiration from SNES-styled RPGs and does not hide its influences. Luckily for us, SNES JRPGs were among the best I ever saw.

After hitting $76,000 from its $60,000 initial goal, we can now follow Dustin Bisnley, a squire who was wrongly accused of kidnapping the King of Garbagia and now needs to clear his name by taking down the evil organization threatening the Kingdoms of the Dump. In the field, each character has an action that influences traversal and exploration, whether to collect items or discover new areas.

The turn-based combat uses a tileboard system reminiscent of Live A Live. Character positioning influences abilities, placement, and movement, which are also enhanced by timed hits. It is all the best battle features in one game. Plus, we have an overworld with land, sea, and air traversal. Kingdoms of the Dump may tackle a world of trash, but the game itself is anything but garbage.

3 Runa

The Power of Runes

Runa is one of the exceptions on this list because it is technically fully funded and has release potential, though we have no date whatsoever. As with many others here, Runa claims to be an RPG inspired by both modern and classic JRPGs. The game has a stunning art style and other RPG elements rooted in Japan-made games, such as town-building, fishing, and cooking minigames, turn-based combat with SMT-esque features, and social simulation elements.

According to its description, the game will be set in a blend of fantasy and sci-fi, though there are few details about the story. The premise is that the world of Runa, called Akasha, experienced exponential technological growth by channeling runes. However, some individuals, called adepts, have complete control over runes and can unleash their true powers.

In the trailer, Runa showcases an exploration system based on elements that will also contribute to puzzle-solving. You will be able to recruit new members for your base and expand its facilities, creating buildings such as a dojo, a cantina, a laboratory, a farm, and more. Runa is promising a lot, so I hope it delivers everything.

The Kickstarter asked for around $52,000 and raised more than $420,000, showing the community’s excitement. Runa still has no release date, but its Steam page is already open for anyone who wants to wishlist it and follow updates ly.

2 Quartet

Glorious Oldschool Vibes

I do not know if Quartet was inspired by Octopath Traveler, but it certainly looks like it. At the start, we can choose the order of the first four chapters, each with its own protagonist, before gathering all eight party members. Each character has their own reason to embark on an adventure, but they soon unite to confront the central conflict and end the war.

Quartet uses a classic turn-based system, shown by the timeline on the side. You can switch party members seamlessly, taking advantage of their unique abilities to gain the upper hand in combat and add a strategic layer. No pick-attack-only approach to win battles here; you must think before acting.

And although the story takes its time to pick up, as we noted in our Quartet review, once it gains momentum, expect a mature, nuanced plot. It is the type of indie JRPG that evokes old-school feelings, modernizes the systems that inspired it, and still manages to create its own identity. Also, Quartet proves that a smaller Kickstarter can also result in a high-quality game.

1 SacriFire

A Vagrant Story-esque Gameplay

Pixelated Milk is no stranger to Kickstarter. The developer launched a successful campaign for Regalia: Of Men And Monarchs in the past. The game was a blast (I have the platinum), and using the experience gained, they launched a new campaign for a more ambitious project. I am talking about SacriFire, a Vagrant Story and Xenogears-inspired JRPG. What more do we need?

SacriFire is estimated to release in the first quarter of 2026 and has already been featured in numerous indie showcases, so it is not long now until players experience Ezekiel’s story in the underground city of Antioch. The Vagrant Story inspiration is visible in the combat, where we control only Ezekiel and can string together chain attacks. But don’t fret, the developer promised we will have party members.

The 2.5D visuals of SacriFire bring that nostalgic charm of JRPGs of yesteryear, a graphical style that never ages. Pair this visual presentation with soundtracks from Motoi Sakuraba, and we already have a modern classic on our hands. SacriFire is one of the upcoming JRPGs I am most looking forward to, and its release will only be possible thanks to Kickstarter. Thank you, backers.