RPG Maker VX

About

RPG Maker VX is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Yoji Ojima and was released on October 20, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

RPG Maker VX is a tool for Windows which allows you to design and play your own RPG. It requires no programming knowledge and allows the designer to create their own tilesets, character sprites, and scripts.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 118 reviews

gameplay3 negative mentions

Beginner-friendly with an intuitive event system allowing creation of RPGs without coding knowledge.
Inclusion of RGSS2 scripting offers advanced customization for users willing to learn Ruby.
Stable, responsive software with a clean interface and useful premade assets facilitating quick RPG prototyping.

Limited to one tileset per project leading to restricted environmental diversity and a uniform visual style.
Outdated compared to successors, lacking many features and improvements present in VX Ace and later versions.
Difficult or scarce tutorials, occasional crashes, and no support for platforms other than Windows reduce usability.

story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The story aspect is praised for enabling creators to easily craft complex narratives and branching arcs without heavy programming, fostering rich storytelling and world-building. However, some users note issues with quest design and map limitations that can hinder the narrative experience. Overall, the platform supports story-driven, fantasy-themed games but occasionally struggles with quest execution.
- “Compared to full-scale game engines, VX dramatically lowers the barrier to entry, enabling aspiring developers to focus on storytelling, pacing, and world-building rather than wrestling with low-level programming.”
- “Even complex mechanics—such as reputation systems, branching story arcs, timed sequences, or puzzle-based dungeons—can be built entirely through event commands.”
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Try making a story-heavy JRPG or adventure game with fantasy setting, blocky maps, and chibi characters!”
- “The quests are broken, the maps are tight.”
- “But the quest log’s empty, I’m losing my head.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
43%
43%
The gameplay is highly customizable through structured menus and scripting, allowing advanced users to modify core systems and add new features. While the default mechanics may feel minimalistic, it supports complex elements like reputation systems and branching narratives via event commands. This makes it a solid platform for traditional, narrative-driven RPG design and an instructive introduction to game development.
- “Advanced users could modify core systems, redesign battle mechanics, alter the user interface, and introduce entirely new gameplay features through ruby scripts.”
- “Out of the box, VX can feel somewhat minimalistic in its mechanical options.”
- “Nearly every mechanical aspect of a game—characters, classes, enemies, skills, items, states, animations, and system settings—is configured through structured menus rather than code.”
- “Even complex mechanics—such as reputation systems, branching story arcs, timed sequences, or puzzle-based dungeons—can be built entirely through event commands.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The music assets, primarily MIDI files from the default RTP, provide a cohesive and relaxing soundtrack that enhances the game experience, though they loop endlessly. However, Linux users may face issues with MIDI playback via Steam Play and should use their own OGG format music to avoid compatibility problems.
- “The default RTP (run-time package) assets provide cohesive sprites, facesets, tiles, music, and sound effects, allowing complete projects to be built without external resources.”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “You can, however, supply your own music in the OGG format, which has no problems with Steam Play.”
- “If you're using Linux, note that Steam Play doesn't emulate the MIDI music from standard RPG Maker VX's resources.”
- “The standard music can't be heard when developing on Linux.”
- “Bridge: oh, the music loops endlessly.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics of VX are polished and visually appealing with a distinctive, uniform style that emphasizes thoughtful design over cutting-edge visuals. While some appreciate its art style as more appealing and user-friendly than MV, others criticize the lack of support for custom graphics. Overall, VX's graphics continue to be effective for creating compelling game worlds despite their limitations.
- “Visually and structurally, VX leans into a polished but somewhat uniform aesthetic.”
- “Even years after its original release, it continues to serve as a reminder that compelling game worlds do not require massive budgets or cutting-edge graphics, only thoughtful design and a willingness to experiment within a carefully defined framework.”
- “I love VX; I've had it for about a week now and compared to MV, I find the art style more appealing and all around easier to use.”
- “I hate this because you can't add custom graphics.”
- “Even though the graphics look like… night.”
- “Since a lot of the graphics from this were transferred over to VX Ace, there really wasn't any reason to get this, unless you want to make a game without the extra stuff VX Ace has.”