Elven Curse

This simple non-field RPG challenges you to escape a cursed forest.

- Prologue -

You're the village's best hunter. News of a national hunting tournament near the royal capital reaches you, and you journey to compete. After attending the opening ceremony and a night camping, you wake to find your camp deserted. All the other hunters have vanished. National guards oversee the tournament, yet there's no one in sight. Cautiously, you begin to explore, only to discover something unsettling: you seem to be lost in a loop, repeatedly finding yourself in the same location despite your efforts to navigate. Your usually reliable sense of direction fails you. This is… strange.

- What is the "Elven Curse"? -

With the help of a quarter-elf, you, the hunter, must escape the cursed forest. Gameplay is incredibly streamlined, using a maximum of three buttons at any given time (excluding the base menu).

- Character Creation -

While you can't manually customize your character, you can reroll your stats as many times as needed before starting the game. Status increase rates upon leveling up are only visible on this screen and can't be checked in-game. This screen also serves as a return point. Game over occurs when your life force reaches zero and you have less than two "talismans."

- Peddler Quarter-Elf "Foria" -

A young (or perhaps not-so-young) quarter-elf you encounter in the forest. Despite their childlike appearance, Foria claims to be older than you and, though seemingly uninvolved in your predicament, secretly aids your escape using the forest's ancient spirits.

- Scenario and Presentation -

The prologue unfolds like a visual novel, with dialogue presented in a cheerful tone from Foria's perspective. The game's world is depicted through concise, evocative language.

- Exploration Mode -

You navigate the forest by exploring unexplored areas. The success of each exploration attempt depends on the "fog depth" of the area, which is influenced by your character's stats. If your life force is depleted, use poison or rare "talismans" to recover, or return to Foria for assistance.

- Beast Encounters & Hunter Battles -

Dangerous creatures roam the forest, from wolves and wild dogs to surprisingly aggressive frogs and rabbits. Defeating them yields hides for trading with Foria. Unlike typical RPGs, combat doesn't grant experience points. The goal is escape, and battles are entirely avoidable (though this requires luck or skillful play). As a hunter, you use a bow and arrow. Maintaining distance lets you attack without counterattacks, but closing the gap exposes you to a one-sided assault. Your options are to withdraw (success is stat-dependent) or use a "flash" ball provided by Foria for guaranteed escape.

- Cloak & Layering System -

Using gathered branches, resin, and leather, you craft a cloak that enhances your abilities. You can layer up to three cloaks, with the ability boosts accumulating. Cloaks can also sometimes restore your life force, but they can be damaged and destroyed. The bow and arrow are your only constant weapon.

- Game Features -

This isn't just a game; it's an experience. It features random skill selection, challenges your reflexes and strategy, incorporates luck, material collection, synthesis, and alchemy. It emphasizes preparation before each stage, offering a unique blend of challenge and relaxation.

- Autosave -

The game autosaves, but not during battles. For guaranteed save points, exit to the base menu.

- Version History (v1.2) -

• v1.2: Fixed a bug causing unexpected transitions to character creation.
• v1.1: Corrected typos in scenario text.
• v1.0: Minor bug fixes, message changes, and credit additions.
• v0.1: Test release.

Screenshot