Roadwarden is a premium adventure game for PC from developer Moral Anxiety Studio. It is an interactive text-based narrative that incorporates RPG mechanics in its gameplay. In it, players take on the role of road wardens who help people from the various dangers on a wild road path.

Similar to 80 Days or Disco Elysium, Roadwarden is a story-driven experience full of color exposition wherein player choices matter and shape how events unfold. There is a demo version available for newcomers to try out to get a sense of what its story is about and what they can expect gameplay-wise.

Through the perilous path

Roadwarden takes place in a dark fantasy world rendered in pixel art, and you play as an unknown brave warrior who was hired by a merchant guild to trek the dangerous and mysterious peninsula. You are tasked with unraveling the secrets of this uncharted territory and making it safe enough for travelers to pass. It's also to enable the guild to expand its business ventures there.

Apart from dealing with the unknown dangers that the peninsula poses, you will also serve as the titular warden that guards the passage and guides travelers to their destinations without injury. This means defending against deadly creatures and bandits, as well as establishing trade routes among villages. Engage in philosophical dialogue with your traveling companions and take on quests from over a dozen NPCs.

Taking cues from RPG mechanics, you can choose to be either a warrior, mage, or scholar. You can also freely define your attributes and create a persona from the ground up, complete with your own back story. If you're new to these types of games, just be aware that they can be slow in pacing and they feature rich, deep lore that can be hard to follow at times.

Keeping the roads safe

If you're into text-based games, there is a lot to like in Roadwarden. From its charming and beautiful pixel art to its engrossing narrative, and its surprisingly robust RPG mechanics, it gets a lot of things right. It might be a daunting and overwhelming experience for newcomers to the genre, but for everyone else, it's going to be a must-play. Highly recommended.