Splintered

About

Splintered is a single player role playing game. It was developed by dotMake Studios and was released on October 23, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

A unique RPG where the villain randomizes the world with each defeat. Start with a classic RPG experience! The enemy has attacked, your king is dead, and the sacred artifact of your kingdom has been stolen. It's up to you, the descendant of a legendary knight, to avenge your king and restore your kingdom's artifact to its rightful place. But victory is only the beginning! Upon completin…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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97%

Audience ScoreBased on 159 reviews

story14 positive mentions

grinding13 negative mentions

Splintered is a fantastic homage to Dragon Quest 1, capturing its nostalgic charm while introducing modern gameplay mechanics like equipment leveling and a built-in randomizer.
The game offers a unique blend of classic turn-based RPG elements with innovative features, such as a talent system that unlocks abilities as you defeat different monsters, enhancing replayability.
With its smooth gameplay, engaging mechanics, and a variety of builds to experiment with, Splintered provides a satisfying experience for fans of retro JRPGs.

The game can feel repetitive after a few runs, as the core content remains largely the same, with limited enemy types and spells, which may lead to a lack of long-term engagement.
Some players may find the music monotonous and the overall design a bit simplistic, lacking the depth and complexity found in more modern RPGs.
While the randomizer adds an interesting twist, the game currently lacks sufficient variety in dungeons and enemy placements, which can diminish the excitement of exploration.

story
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
81%
4%
The game's story is a nostalgic homage to the original Dragon Quest, featuring a straightforward quest where players battle to defeat an evil lord while exploring towns and dungeons. While the narrative is light and primarily serves to introduce gameplay mechanics, the integration of a randomizer adds replayability and a unique twist to the classic formula. Fans of old-school JRPGs, particularly those who appreciate Dragon Quest 1, will likely find enjoyment in this blend of familiar elements and modern enhancements.
- “The way its main story chapters progress introduces you to the game's core mechanics and then its randomizer mechanics well.”
- “Overall a really great callback to the original Dragon Quest games while giving its own spin on the story with its own setting, characters, and monster designs.”
- “This is a love letter to Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest 1 visually and mechanically.”
- “The game has a story of sorts, but at its core, this is essentially a 'non-union Dragon Quest randomizer equivalent.'”
- “The story only really exists long enough to introduce the concept of the world randomizing before unlocking the randomizer as an option.”
- “Don't expect any cutscenes, any character growth or story arcs; the setting is window dressing to facilitate the gameplay.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
68%
11%
The gameplay of "Splintered" offers around 40 hours of engaging content, effectively introducing players to its core mechanics and randomizer features through well-structured story chapters. Players appreciate the depth added by character builds, gear attributes, and modern quality-of-life improvements, while the nostalgic 8-bit graphics and smooth mechanics enhance the overall experience. Although the game lacks cutscenes and character development, it successfully combines classic elements with innovative gameplay twists, making it accessible and enjoyable for both new and returning players.
- “The way its main story chapters progress introduces you to the game's core mechanics and then its randomizer mechanics well.”
- “There are a ton of interesting gameplay elements that take the single character RPG and remix it to add incredible depth.”
- “The additions this game gives to the gameplay style of DQI, such as character builds, charms, the randomizer elements, and the simple modern quality of life features make this game super fun to play.”
- “The trials, of which there are four, each serve as a challenge of sorts, drastically altering core gameplay.”
- “Each chapter is more or less the same, albeit with adjusted mechanics and additional story beats.”
- “The compass was hands-down the most confusing mechanic at first.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its nostalgic NES-style while others find it monotonous and lacking in variety. Comparisons to classic titles like Dragon Quest highlight a perceived deficiency in the soundtrack's depth and engagement. Overall, while the music complements the game's retro aesthetic, many players hope for improvements and more variation as the game progresses through early access.
- “Overall, the soundtrack is more dramatic than Dragon Quest and at times feels more like an 8-bit Squaresoft OST.”
- “The NES-style graphics and music, combined with a really unique premise and an interesting set of equipment and abilities, makes me so excited to see how the rest of the game turns out!”
- “Music is fun and combat is fast and fluid.”
- “The music got monotonous quickly right inside the first castle.”
- “I generally love these types of games, but the soundfont for the music does not do this game justice, unfortunately.”
- “The music could get an overhaul; instead of resetting after battle, it could resume. You get tired of that first second of it.”
grinding
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews of the grinding aspect in the game reveal a mixed experience. While some players appreciate the streamlined and less tedious grinding mechanics that allow for enjoyable progression without excessive repetition, others find the necessity of grinding to be a deliberate design choice that detracts from the overall charm. The balance between grinding for levels and gear is noted, with some players enjoying the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles, while others feel that the randomized elements can disrupt the traditional grind experience.
- “What charm the game possesses is overshadowed by the tedious nature of the game.”
- “It appears the developer deliberately designed the game to be tedious, slow, and repetitive.”
- “You play as a single character, traveling the world and slowly grinding out levels (up to a cap of 25 seemingly - though you'll likely be more than ready to finish a run well before that point).”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The graphics of the game are praised for their nostalgic 8-bit aesthetic reminiscent of classic JRPGs, particularly Dragon Quest, while incorporating modern sensibilities. Reviewers highlight the delightful retro visuals and smooth gameplay, noting that the graphics enhance the overall experience without technical issues. Fans of the genre will appreciate the charming pixelated style and the unique twists it brings to the old-school formula.
- “The 8-bit graphics are absolutely gorgeous and the gameplay is smooth and enjoyable.”
- “The retro graphics are absolutely glorious, and the random nature of the game makes every session feel different.”
- “The NES-style graphics and music without the NES jank, combined with a really unique premise and an interesting set of equipment and abilities, makes me so excited to see how the rest of the game turns out!”
- “So you definitely get your money's worth, especially if you're a fan of the pixelated 80s JRPG aesthetic.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
45%
33%
Players highlight that the replayability of the game is significantly enhanced by the ability to experiment with new builds, a built-in randomizer after the first chapter, and a roguelike mode, all of which contribute to a rich and engaging experience. The combination of randomized elements and a deep story ensures that players can enjoy nearly endless replay value. Overall, the game's design encourages exploration and experimentation, making it a compelling choice for those seeking replayable content.
- “The randomizer adds great replayability to what is already a fun and engaging story.”
- “Fantastic classic RPG with a roguelike mode that extends replayability pretty much infinitely.”
- “Rather than the randomized maps, shops, and enemy zones, it's trying out new builds that truly drives the replay value.”
- “My sincere hope is as the developer works on the game and adds more to it, this entire system is expanded, which would also help fuel the random replayability nature of the game.”
- “The randomizer mode will give this game near-endless replayability.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Players appreciate the presence of clever speedrun tricks that enhance gameplay, highlighting the game's thoughtful design and optimization that encourages creative strategies.
- “So far, I've also found a number of speedrun tricks; just clever little optimizations that make sense, but you might not think about.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frustrating performance drops during critical moments.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs that hindered gameplay, indicating a lack of proper optimization.”
- “The loading times are excessively long, which really disrupts the flow of the game and shows poor optimization.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted as a heartfelt tribute to the beloved dragon warrior series, evoking nostalgia and deep connections for long-time fans.
- “It is a heartfelt tribute to the Dragon Warrior series of years past.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, with smooth performance and reliable PS5 controller support, ensuring a seamless gaming experience.
- “Runs great, and the PS5 controller support is smooth.”