Aveyond is an indie RPG Maker game series created by Aveyond Studios/Amaranth Games and consisting of five games (Aveyond 3, however, consists of four chapters). The first game, Ahriman's Prophecy, is a freeware prequel and does not bear the "Aveyond" title of the others. They were among the first commercial Western RPG Maker games.
Aside from Ahriman's Prophecy, which uses a real time combat engine, all of the games feature turn-based combat. Enemies are shown on screen before you encounter them, letting you prepare for battles and occasionally sneak past foes you're not yet ready to beat.
Set in the high fantasy, anachronistic universe of Aia, each Aveyond game centers around a protagonist inevitably tasked with saving the world. The series is spread out over hundreds of years, with each individual game functioning as a stand-alone story but featuring callbacks, recurring locations, and a few recurring characters (both as cameos and party members).
The games are fun, goofy, and I would argue examples of RPG Maker fantasy at its best. The maps are well-made and fun to explore, and the characters, while often bare-bones, have incredibly fun concepts behind them. The stories are generally simplistic, but frequently play with fantasy/RPG tropes in interesting ways. If you're someone who likes fleshing out storylines and characters for yourself as you play a game, these games are perfect for you - the ideas are compelling but leave you a lot of room to work with.
Taking off my formal reviewer voice to say I've been obsessed with this series since I first played them over ten years ago. They're funny, charming, and uniquely compelling. There's really just a magic in them I haven't found elsewhere. I really recommend giving the free trial a shot - you'll probably get an idea pretty fast if this sort of game is for you or not.
Note: Although originally the series could only be played on a Windows PC without an emulator, it was ported by RadialApps for both Mac and Linux! RadialApps also ported the series for Android mobile devices, and it can now be found on the Google Play store.
AHRIMAN'S PROPHECY
Talia Maurva goes to be named, a custom from her village where a teen is given their adult profession. Instead of seeing a future in Elden for her, however, Talia's naming ceremony points her towards preventing the summoning of the demon Ahriman.
This game has a totally different vibe from the rest of the series, and it's really interesting to see where it came from and how it grows!
A free fanmade remake of the game is being made in RPG Maker XP, to keep a consistent gameplay and graphic style with the rest of the series. If you're interested, the demo is available for download!
AVEYOND 1: RHEN'S QUEST
Ahriman's return was put off, not prevented. Some thirty years later, destruction looms over Aia again. This time, the true chosen one has been found - Rhen Darzon, a girl from the mountain village Clearwater. A case of mistaken identity sees Rhen kidnapped and taken across the ocean, where she ultimately stumbles upon proficiency as a magical Sword Singer and is thrust into saving the world.
This is the big nostalgia hitter of the series, but in my opinion it also has the absolute best maps. The art style is interesting and gorgeous and makes exploring all the more fun, and the map design is really creative and plays with space in interesting ways.
AVEYOND 2: ean's quest
Saddled with feelings of inadequacy, young elf Iya Tiki is visited in her dreams by a mysterious woman who promises to whisk her away to the Land of Man, where she will be powerful and beloved. The next day, Iya is gone and nobody remembers her existence... except for her best friend Ean, who sets out to find her.
I love the entire series with my whole heart, but in my opinion this is the most well-rounded. The story and characters are really compelling, the maps are a delight to explore, and the gameplay is challenging but rarely frustrating.
AVEYONd 3: orbs of magic
Mel has made a name for herself as a thief on the streets of Harburg. Hired to steal a family heirloom from a supposedly haunted keep, the job goes south when her client reveals himself to be a vampire determined to use Mel - and the dark prophecy entwined with her family lineage - to take over the world. Mel escapes, but is left with the job of preventing her family's curse from coming to fruition.
This game has four chapters: Lord of Twilight, Gates of Night, The Lost Orb, and The Darkthrop Prophecy. They're all reliant on each other and should be played in order, although the game will provide you with information to catch you up to speed if you start in the middle.
This is my favorite game in the series! It's a wild, whacky ride, with a lot of my favorite characters not just from Aveyond but basically any media ever. I think it's tied for Aveyond 4 with strongest cast, and I really love the way they play off of each other.
AVEYOND 4:
shadow of the mist
Boyle Wolfbane tried and failed to take over the world. He's resigned himself to an early and mostly content retirement, until his pet wolf Fang goes missing. Meanwhile, the Mist Queen's son, Whisp, is kidnapped, and she sends her daughter, Myst, to find him. Fang and Whisp's fates become connected with both each other's and that of the entire world, pushing Boyle and Myst to work together and forcing Boyle to become what he hates most: a hero.
This game has a more robust battle system - it maintains the simple, turn-based element, but emphasizes the strategy component by individualizing the options for each character. It's my favorite battle system in any game I've ever played! It also ties with Aveyond 3 for favorite cast in the series - everyone in this game is really solid, at least kind of weird, and incredibly charming.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE (WINDOWS)
prequel avaliable for free download!
The games are most expensive on the official website (the 20+ hour games cost $20 and the 10+ hour games cost $11), but I highly recommend purchasing them there if you can to support the creators directly.
BIG FISH GAMES (WINDOWS)
All games on Big Fish are $10, and you can get your first game purchased on the site for $3! They also have regular sales.
STEAM (WINDOWS)
Steam unfortunately only has Aveyond 3 and Aveyond 4. Individually, each Aveyond 3 chapter is $10 here, and Aveyond 4 is $15, but you can buy all of them in a $47 "Aveyond Saga" bundle and save 15% in the process! Like Big Fish, they also have regular sales.
RADIAL APPS (LINUX & MAC)
Linux
Mac
RadialApps has ported the entire series (starting with Aveyond 1, not including Ahriman's Prophecy) for Linux and Mac. Aveyond 1, 2 and 4 all cost $5.99 each, and each chapter of Aveyond 3 costs $4.99. Alternatively, there's a $18.99 Aveyond 3 bundle, and a $35.99 bundle that includes every game in the series!
GOOGLE PLAY STORE
(MOBILE ANDROID DEVICES)
RadialApps has also ported the series to mobile Android devices. On the Google Play Store, Ahriman's Prophecy is free for download, Aveyond 1 and 2 are each $5.99, and each chapter of Aveyond 3 is $4.99. Unfortunately, Aveyond 4 is not currently available.
frequently asked questions
This is where my bias is going to show - since I mostly made this as reference for my friends, hypothetically, these will specifically be questions I, Darwin, the person making this carrd, have been asked about the series. The answers will also be based on my personal knowledge and opinions.
WAIT, SO IT'S NOT ABOUT TE'IJAL AND GALAHAD?
No, oh my god, I'm so sorry, I'm just biased and obsessed. They are, however, recurring characters - in fact, some of the only ones in the entire series! They're playable in Aveyond 1, playable and plot relevant in Aveyond 3, and cameo in both Aveyond 2 (brief dialogue) and Aveyond 4 (sidequests).
(HOW) Can I play on [system]?
Although originally the series could only be played on a Windows PC, it was ported by RadialApps for both Mac and Linux! RadialApps also ported the series for Android mobile devices, and it can now be found on the Google Play store.
Alternatively, you can use either an emulator of your choice or WineHQ, to allow you to run Windows programs on other operating systems. You can read about how to use Wine here for Mac systems, or here for Linux systems. The Steam versions should also be compatible with Proton, Valve's fork of Wine for Linux.
where should i start?
I would recommend Aveyond 1! Although the series isn't super reliant on its own lore to understand, there's little stuff you'll appreciate more if you play the series in order. However, if one of the game descriptions really strikes your fancy, I'd say just jump in there! I know people who have started with every game in the series and all ended up enjoying it thoroughly.
I would honestly recommend going back and playing Ahriman's Prophecy after Aveyond 1 (if you play it at all - lots of fans don't), because I find it most compelling if you already know what happens to the world/characters. It's also not really a tonal or gameplay match for the series as a whole, so it won't be a totally accurate first exposure. However, if you're a stickler for chronological order or really into the gameplay/graphics, it's a good place to start, too!
i'm interested, but i hate rpgs. tips?
If you're up for attempting to play it, try a free trial and playing the game on easy mode. It's a very casual series, so it might be able to sell you. However, that's definitely not a guarantee.
There's a host of playthroughs on YouTube, so you can always check those out! I don't have any recommendations, because I haven't watched through them myself, but I'll update this with them if I get any. I'm also slowly making my way through recording a no-commentary playthrough of the series to make sure that option is available!
If you're here because you're my friend and specifically interested in Aveyond 1/its characters and enjoy reading, Rhenegade is a canon divergent novelization fanfic that I personally adore (and helped edit) and think is a great approach to the characters and story.
is it hard/what mode should i play on?
A couple dungeons in each game are pretty difficult, and in Normal and Expert mode there tends to be a steep experience curve, but gameplay is pretty straightforward/simplistic and there aren't very many puzzles, if any, depending on the game. Most difficulty will be the time spent grinding.
If you're concerned by battles or don't like grinding, I recommend Easy mode. If you're a fan of turn-based RPGs and don't mind having to train to level up, I would go for Normal. If you actively enjoy grinding in video games, Expert might be the right choice for you. Because grinding is such a big part of the different difficulties, bear in mind the higher difficulty you choose, the longer the game will take to play.
how long do they take to play?
Gameplay varies on game, play style, and difficulty setting. These ranges are compiled from my personal experience, friends' projections of their playtime, and the playtimes the games have been advertised with! Asterisks indicate my biggest guess-timates.
| Game | Easy | Normal | Expert |
|---|
| Ahriman's Prophecy | n/a | 35-45 hrs* | n/a |
| Aveyond 1 | 15-20 hrs | 25-30 hrs | 30-40 hrs |
| Aveyond 2 | 10-15 hrs | 20-25 hrs | 30-40 hrs |
| Aveyond 3 (Full) | 28-40 hrs | 40-60 hrs | 60-80 hrs |
| Aveyond 3 (Chapter) | 7-10 hrs | 10-15 hrs | 15-20 hrs |
| Aveyond 4 | 25-30 hrs* | 30-35 hrs | 40-45 hrs* |
what's the best way to buy the series on a budget?
Windows: If you're willing to be patient, keep an eye out for sales on Big Fish Games for Aveyond 1 and Aveyond 2, which will easily bring the cost of those games down from $10 each to $10 total, and for the Aveyond Saga (3 & 4) on Steam, which will bring down the cost from $47 to, again, nearly $10!
If you don't want to wait, jumping straight in on Big Fish is probably cheapest.
Mac: Radial Apps Mac Series Bundle, $36 for the entire series
Linux: Radial Apps Linux Series Bundle, $36 for the entire series
