RPG Maker, known in JapanasRPG Tsukūru (RPGツクール, sometimes romanized as RPG Tkool), is a series of programs for the developmentofrole-playing video games (RPGs) with story-driven elements, created by the Japanese group ASCII, succeeded by Enterbrain, and then by Gotcha Gotcha Games. The Japanese name, Tsukūru, is a pun mixing the Japanese word tsukuru (作る), which means "make" or "create", with tsūru (ツール), the Japanese transliteration of the English word "tool".[1]
RPG Maker
Enterbrain, Gotcha Gotcha Games
Initial release
17 December 1992; 31 years ago (1992-12-17)asRPG Tsukūru Dante 98
RPG Maker MZ / August 27, 2020; 3 years ago (2020-08-27)
Written in
Available in
Japanese, English, Korean, Chinese
Website
The RPG Maker series was originally released primarily in Japan, but it was translated by fans[2] in Taiwan, South Korea, China, Russia, and North America with RPG Maker 2000 and RPG Maker 2003.[3] Most of the later engines have been officially translated.
RPG Maker is a program that allows users to create their own role-playing video games. Most versions include a tile set based map editor (tilesets are called chipsets in pre-XP versions), a simple scripting language for scripting events, and a battle editor. All versions include initial premade tilesets, characters, and events which can be used in creating new games. One feature of the PC versions of RPG Maker programs is that a user can create new tilesets and characters, and add any new graphics the user wants.
Despite being geared towards creating role-playing video games, the engine also has the capability to create games of other genres, such as adventure games (like Yume Nikki), story-driven games or visual novels with minimal tweaking. Some video games made in RPG Maker engine (such as Super Columbine Massacre RPG! and Heartbeat) garnered controversy by many audiences.
According to Enterbrain, RPG Tsukūru Dante 98, released on December 17, 1992, was the first software of the RPG Maker series,[4][5] although there were a few versions of RPG making software by ASCII preceding it, dating back to 1988.[6] This, along with its follow-up RPG Tsukūru Dante 98 II, was made for NEC PC-9801, and games created with these programs can be played on a Windows computer with emulators called Dante for Windows and D2win, respectively.[7] RPG Maker was a product that came from various programs that ASCII Corporation had included in ASCII along with other users' code submitted to it, which the company decided to expand and publish into the standalone game-making toolkit.[8]
RPG Maker 95 was the first Microsoft Windows-based RPG Maker software. Despite being an early version, RPG Maker 95 has both a higher screen resolution, and higher sprite and tile resolution than the several following versions.
RPG Maker 2000, also referred to as RM2k, was the second release of RPG Maker for Microsoft Windows and is the most popular and used RPG Maker so far.[citation needed] While it is possible to do more with RM2k, it uses lower resolution sprites and tiles than RPG Maker 95, but it does not have a noticeable limit of 'sprites'. Unlike RM95, which can only use one 'set', RM2k can use an unlimited number of sprite sheets with specific sizes for each type. The tilesets also have a similar non-limitation, but because tiles must be entered into a database, there is a limit on tiles. This limit however is rarely a problem (normally 5000), and even when it is, an unofficial patch exists which can bump most limits much higher at the risk of potential game corruption. It does not support text output and can program only two buttons, Z and X. There is text in dialog boxes, by manner of overlaying sprites, or maps lain with text, but not plainly on the screen.
RPG Maker 2003, also referred to as RM2k3, is largely an improvement of RM2k. RM2k games can be ported to RM2k3 (but not back to RM2k, the conversion is permanent), and most resources are interchangeable. The main difference is the introduction of a side-view battle system similar to that found in the Final Fantasy games on the Super NES and the Sony PlayStation. This was the first version made by Enterbrain, which had previously been a part of ASCII.
RPG Maker XP (also referred to as RMXP) was released on 16 September 2005.[9] It is the first RPG Maker which can use Ruby, making it far more powerful than previous versions programming-wise. However, many normal, simplified features present in RM2k(3) have been removed. Most of these features have been programmed with Ruby, and distributed online. RMXP runs at 1024x768 resolution (though games made in it run at 640x480), while offering four times the playable area of its predecessors. By default, games ran at 40 frames per second, though the game's scripts can be modified to set the framerate to any value. Additionally, it allows greater user control over sprite size (there is no specific image size regulation for sprite sheets) and other aspects of game design. This more open-ended arrangement, coupled with the inclusion of the Ruby Game Scripting System (RGSS [ja]), makes RPG Maker XP more versatile than older versions in the series, at the cost of a steeper learning curve. This was named after Windows XP which was active from 2001-2014.
The Pokémon Essentials pack, one of the main methods of making Pokémon fan games, was exclusive to RPG Maker XP and never ported to any later engine, causing XP to be widely used for such games more than a decade later, such as in making Pokémon Uranium. It was taken down in 2018 due to a cease and desistbyNintendo, though it continues to circulate the Internet.[10]
RPG Maker VX (RPGツクールVX, RPG Tsukūru VX) was released in Japan on December 27, 2007, and in the West on February 29, 2008. The frame rate was increased to 60 frames per second, providing smoother animation. The engine still used the Ruby programming language, but the game's default programming was overhauled to allow more freedom for scripting in new features. A new editor and RTP were included, this time in a much simpler "blocky" style. The default battle system is comparable to that of the Dragon Quest series or its predecessor RM2k, with a head-on view of the battlefield and detailed text descriptions of each action taken.
However, the lack of support for multiple tilesets when mapping represented a notable downgrade from the engine's predecessor, leaving the player with only a finite number of unique tiles with which to depict all the game's environments. Multiple player-made workarounds were created.
RPG Maker VX Ace was released in Japan on December 15, 2011,[11] and the West on March 15, 2012. It was later made available through Steam, and is also available physically.[12] VX Ace, an upgraded version of VX, addressed the tileset issue. Battle backgrounds were re-introduced, and are separated into top and bottom halves. Spells, skills, and items can all now have their own damage and recovery formulas, although a quick calculation method reminiscent of the older RPG Makers is available. The VX RTP was redesigned for VX Ace, and a new soundtrack featuring higher quality techno-pop tracks was included. With VX Ace came a large quantity of DLC Resource Packages offered by Enterbrain, also available through Steam.
Released by Degica on October 23, 2015, RPG Maker MV includes a large number of changes over previous versions, with multiplatform support, side-view battles, and high-resolution features.[13] It is the first engine in the series to use JavaScript instead of Ruby, with the addition of plugins. Completed games can be played on PC and mobile devices. RPG Maker MV also goes back to layered tilesets, a feature that was removed in RPG Maker VX and VX Ace. Unlike RPG Maker XP, which allowed users to manually choose which layers to build on, MV automatically stacks tiles on top of other tiles.[14] It also came out on consoles under the name RPG Tsukūru MV Trinity. It was originally announced to only be on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch but was later announced to also be on Xbox One. This release was later cancelled.[15] It was released on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in Japan on November 15, 2018, and was released in North America and Europe in September 2020.[16][17]
RPG Maker MZ, a minor upgrade to the engine of MV, was released worldwide on August 20, 2020.[18] MZ's new features include the Effekseer particle system, an autosave function, and often-requested XP-style autolayer mechanics. Like MV, it allows users to develop plugins using JavaScript. RPG Maker MZ received mostly positive feedback from users, who praised its additional features and the return of the XP layer mechanics, though its similarity to RPG Maker MV drew a mixed response.
RPG Maker Unite is an asset for the Unity game engine based on RPG Maker.[19] It was released on the Unity store in May 2023.
Victor Reetz created the first console RPG Maker, RPG Tsukūru Super Dante, which debuted in 1995 for the Super Famicom, as a port of RPG Tsukūru Dante 98.[5] RPG Tsukūru Super Dante was later broadcast via the Super Famicom's Satellaview accessory.
RPG Maker GB is the first console[20] portable version of RPG Maker.
In 2000, RPG Maker was released for the Sony PlayStation, but only a limited number of copies were made for releases outside of Japan. The software allowed user-made characters, and monsters through Anime Maker which was separate from the RPG Maker, which required saving to an external memory card. However, there was a limit to how many user-made sprites and monsters could be used in RPG Maker. Also, in Anime Maker, the user could create larger sprites for a theater-type visual novel in which the player could animate and control characters, but these sprites were much larger and unusable in RPG Maker.
The RPG Maker interface was somewhat user-friendly, and battles were front-view style only. Item, Monster, Skill/Magic, and Dungeons had a small limit cap, as did the effects of any given Item, Magic or Skill (9,999). Items were all inclusive; Weapons and Armors were created in the Items interface. The types of items were as follows: None (mainly used for Key Items), Weapon, Armor, Key (up to eight sub types), Magic (for binding Magic created in the Magic interface to an item), Healing, and Food (which raises stats and EXP, or experience points in which this particular software is the only one of the series to do so natively).
Events were a separate save file from the System file, and are referred to as Scenario files. This is how the user could make multiple parts to one game, provided the user had enough memory cards and card space to create the files.
A version for the Nintendo 3DS was released by NIS America on June 27, 2017. While it remains portable on a small screen, users can create games on-the-go and also download games to play as well. The game received some criticism, with NintendoWorldReport saying that the title would be more suitable to hardcore RPG fans, who want to create their own game, rather than for every type of player.[21] Games completed can be uploaded to the RPG Maker Fes Player app for those to download and play on their own systems. It is the second RPG Maker to receive a limited edition (the previous one being RPG Tsukūru DS) which includes a CD soundtrack in a jewel case containing all the soundtracks in the game, and a full-color paperback artbook. It is the first RPG Maker on consoles/handhelds to receive a digital release.
Historically, few early RPG Maker versions had official English releases. Each Windows version has, however, been subject to unlicensed distribution through the internet in some form or other.[22] RPG Maker 95, as well as translation patches for the Super Famicom titles RPG Maker Super Dante and RPG Maker 2, were translated and distributed by a group called KanjiHack. In 1999, KanjiHack closed upon receiving a cease-and-desist e-mail from ASCII's lawyers. RPG Maker 95 was re-released with a more complete translation under the name RPG Maker 95+ by a Russian programmer, under the alias of Don Miguel,[23] who later translated and released RPG Maker 2000. Later versions, RPG Maker 2003, and RPG Maker XP, were similarly translated and distributed by a programmer under the alias of RPG Advocate.
The first official English release of the PC series was of RPG Maker XP on September 16, 2005. The next two versions of the software, RPG Maker VX and RPG Maker VX Ace both received official English releases. Since 2010 English versions of RPG Maker have been published by Degica, who have also officially released English versions of the older titles RPG Maker 2000 and RPG Maker 2003.
The first official English language of a console version was the PlayStation version in 2000, simply called RPG Maker, by Agetec. Agetec also localized RPG Maker 2 and 3.
By August 2005, the series had sold more than two million copies worldwide.[4] Later Steam releases are estimated to have sold nearly 1 million units by April 2018, according to Steam Spy.[24] Since its first release, the series has been used to create numerous titles, both free and commercial. According to PC Gamer, it has become "the go-to tool for aspiring developers who want to make a game and sell it", due to being "the most accessible game engine around".[25] In addition to games, the series has been used for other purposes, such as studies involving students learning mathematics through the creation of role-playing games,[26] and programming.[27]
With the release of 2012 video game Ib, it has been credited with helping popularize its engine's use in developing more story-driven and horror games than role-playing games.
Some RPG Maker video games received critical acclaim, and later adapted into multimedia franchises only produced in Japan including Angels of Death, Ao Oni and Corpse Party.
RPG Maker variants are re-implemented by the open-source Open RPG Maker, MKXP and EasyRPG editors and interpreters.[28][29]
The RPG Maker engine is sometimes used for machinima, rather than making video games. Short films and series made in RPG Maker engine include Decisive Destiny (2018), Yanzilla (2019), and Alley (2023).
Japanese title
English title
Developer
Platform(s)
Japanese release date
English release date
Publisher(s)
Mamirin
1988
ASCII
Dungeon Manjirou[30]
1988
ASCII
RPG Construction Tool: Dante[31]
February 8, 1990
ASCII
Dante 2[32]
February 8, 1992
ASCII
Chimes Quest[33]
1992
ASCII
RPG Tsukūru Dante 98[5]
December 19, 1992
ASCII
Dungeon RPG Tsukūru Dan-Dan Dungeon[34]
April 28, 1994
ASCII
RPG Tsukūru: Super Dante
Kuusou Kagaku
March 31, 1995 (Super Famicom)
April 4, 1996 (Satellaview)
ASCII
RPG Tsukūru Dante 98 II[5]
July 14, 1996
ASCII
RPG Tsukūru 2
Kuusou Kagaku
January 31, 1996 (Super Famicom)
April 22, 1996 (Satellaview)
ASCII
March 28, 1997
ASCII
RPG Tsukūru 95 Value!
November 21, 2001
Enterbrain
Pegasus Japan
September 17, 1998
ASCII
Pegasus Japan
November 29, 2001
Enterbrain
May 29, 1998
ASCII
Simulation RPG Tsukūru 95 Value!
November 21, 2001
Enterbrain
RPG Maker
Kuusou Kagaku
November 27, 1997
October 2, 2000
ASCII (Japan)
Agetec (North America)
PlayStation the Best: RPG Tsukūru 3
Kuusou Kagaku
November 19, 1998
ASCII
RPG Tsukūru GB
Kuusou Kagaku
March 17, 2000
ASCII
RPG Maker 2000
April 5, 2000
ASCII
RPG Tsukūru 2000 Value!
May 14, 2003
July 7, 2015
Enterbrain (Japan)
Degica (Worldwide)
RPG Tsukūru 4
Agenda[35]
December 7, 2000
Enterbrain
Uchūjin Tanaka Tarou de RPG Tsukūru GB 2
July 20, 2001
Enterbrain
RPG Maker 2
Kuusou Kagaku
August 8, 2002
October 28, 2003
Enterbrain (Japan)
Agetec (North America)
RPG Maker 2003
December 18, 2002
April 24, 2015
Enterbrain (Japan)
Degica (Worldwide)
RPG Tsukūru α[36]
Microsoft Windows, Mobile phone
December 18, 2002
Enterbrain
RPG Tsukūru Advance
April 25, 2003
Enterbrain
RPG Maker XP
July 22, 2004
September 16, 2005
Enterbrain (Worldwide)
Degica (Worldwide)
RPG Maker 3
Run Time
December 16, 2004
September 20, 2005
Enterbrain (Japan)
Agetec (North America)
RPG Tsukūru for Mobile
April 17, 2006
Enterbrain
RPG Maker VX
December 27, 2007
February 29, 2008
Enterbrain (Worldwide)
Degica (Worldwide)
RPG Tsukūru DS[37]
March 11, 2010
Enterbrain
RPG Maker VX Ace
December 15, 2011
March 15, 2012
Enterbrain (Worldwide)
Degica (Worldwide)
RPG Tsukūru DS Plus
December 15, 2011
Enterbrain
RPG Tsukūru MV
RPG Maker MV
Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, HTML5, Android, iOS[38]
December 17, 2015
October 23, 2015
Kadokawa Games
Degica (Worldwide)
RPG Tsukūru Fes
RPG Maker Fes
November 24, 2016
June 23, 2017
Kadokawa Games
NIS America (Worldwide)
RPG Tsukūru MV Trinity
RPG Maker MV
PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
November 15, 2018
September 8, 2020
Kadokawa Games
NIS America (Worldwide)
RPG Tsukūru MZ
RPG Maker MZ
Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, HTML5, Android, iOS[38]
August 20, 2020
August 20, 2020
Kadokawa Games
Degica (Worldwide)
RPG Maker With
RPG Maker With
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
April 11, 2024
October 11, 2024
Gatcha Gotcha Games
NIS America (Worldwide)
A number of developers who have created notable games via RPG Maker include:
Developer
Game(s)
RPG Maker
Genre
773
XP
2000
Role-playing
Dark Gaia Studios
VX
XP
Adventure, psychological drama
Fummy
VX, MV
Horror, puzzle
Ghosthunter
2003
Adventure role-playing
Hoshikuzu KRNKRN
VXA
Kikiyama
2003
Psychological horror-adventure
Kouri
2000
Psychological horror
XP
Adventure
FutureCat Games
2003, XP
Adventure
Mason Lindroth
VXA
Surreal role-playing
Mortis Ghost
2003
Surreal role-playing
Noprops
XP
Horror
Nishida Yoshitaka "Yubiningyō"
95
Psychological horror
OMOCAT
MV
Psychological horror
VX
Role-playing
Stephen "thecatamites" Gillmurphy
2003
Surreal role-paying
Temmie Chang
MV
Adventure
98
Adventure
Dancing Dragon Games
Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga
customized[39]
Tactical role-playing
Miro Haverinen
MV
Nemlei
MV
Psychological horror
One of the versions was developed using RPG Maker XP and provides students with a more exploratory gaming experience than the other, which was created using the BioWare Aurora Neverwinter Nights Toolset and has the user follow linear stages of game play.