Factsheet

Developer/Publisher

Michael Wörner
based in Germany

Platform

Steam (Windows)

Release Date

10th October 2024

Languages

English
German

Pitch

A classic, story-driven JRPG with a modern dice-building combat system.

Description

When a hero guild saves the village of Torden from a kobold threat, tavern keeper Herb is inspired to pursue his own heroic journey.

A classic JRPG...

PixelQuest – Herb's Adventure offers a nostalgic experience in the vein of classic 16-bit RPGs. Immerse yourself in a richly crafted world, interact with a wide range of NPCs, engage in tactical battles, and discover powerful new equipment. Whether you follow the main storyline or explore side quests, you'll encounter a host of intriguing characters and stories.

Level up, enhance your attributes, and customize your combat dice with new faces. Develop your skills and spells through an extensive skill tree spanning four key attributes: Strength, Agility, Skill, and Talent. Choose your path to become a melee powerhouse or a versatile battle mage.

... with dice-building combat

• Tactical Dice Combat System: Engage in strategic battles using combat dice. Equip a variety of weapons, armor, and shields to gain additional dice, and use experience points to unlock and improve die faces.
• Deep Skill Tree: Tailor your character's growth with a comprehensive skill tree. Focus on Strength for powerful melee attacks, Agility for defense, Skill for special abilities, or Talent for potent spells.
• Many Abilities and Items: Use rerolls, techs, and spells to maximize your potential in every encounter. Utilize items like healing potions, throwing darts, and smoke bombs to turn the tide in tough battles.
• Engaging Exploration: Traverse a vibrant world filled with secrets and side quests. Meet unique characters, uncover hidden lore, and experience a story rich with humor and heart.

History

PixelQuest – Herb's Adventure began as a passion project and fan game inspired by the German YouTube D&D campaign DEMID – Das erste Mal im Dungeon (“First Time in a Dungeon”) by B4Pixel. Originally conceived as a homage to the world of DEMID, the game centers around Herb, a minor but beloved NPC from the series, and tells a story of how he embarks on his own adventure after parting ways with the on-screen heroes.

Influenced by the tabletop RPG mechanics, the combat system was based on dice rolling, and as development progressed and scope creep set in, the project evolved into a fully-fledged JRPG with a unqiue twist: dice-building combat. When leveling up, players can customize their die faces, adding an extra layer of strategy and replayability to the traditional RPG mechanics.

A Patreon incentive for the fifth season of DEMID led to a very special full-circle moment: Amira, Herb's quirky sidekick from the game, is now an actual on-screen NPC in the YouTube series, first appearing in episode 84.

At that time and after two years of development, PixelQuest was revealed during a surprise fan-art segment in a B4Pixel Twitch stream (archived on YouTube). Shortly after, members of the YouTube cast completed a full playthrough over a series of streams. Now, Herb's journey continues with the game's public release on Steam.