Nox Archaist - Is it worth it?

Rigwort · Post by **Rigwort** » May 4th, 2023, 04:19

Nox Archaist is currently on sale, the question is, is it worth it at any cost? It's one of those "developed for a deprecated system" games, so it could very well just be a meme. Does it live up to the greats it references? Or is it at least only a little worse? Rusty told me to make this thread so blame him if it's bare bones.

Also, are there any other "retro" RPGs that are actually good?

oh yeah, here's a link:
https://nox-archaist.myshopify.com/coll ... al-edition

Lich · Post by **Lich** » May 4th, 2023, 04:45

Realms of Antiquity looks cooler

Acrux · Post by **Acrux** » May 4th, 2023, 05:48

Realms of Antiquity is great! My first computer was a TI-99a.

I like RoA better than Nox, but I couldn't play Nox much. The visuals gave me a headache.

Post by **rusty_shackleford** » May 4th, 2023, 06:08

Acrux wrote: ↑ May 4th, 2023, 05:48
I like RoA better than Nox, but I couldn't play Nox much. The visuals gave me a headache.

Are the Apple II graphics(the 'blurriness') actually part of the game itself? I thought it might just be optional. I loathe the way it looks.

Post by **maidenhaver** » May 4th, 2023, 06:24

You crawl ashore spluttering...

Hard pass.

edit: but the pirate says ahoy mateys, so its a 10/10 goty

Acrux · Post by **Acrux** » May 4th, 2023, 06:56

rusty_shackleford wrote: ↑ May 4th, 2023, 06:08

Acrux wrote: ↑ May 4th, 2023, 05:48
I like RoA better than Nox, but I couldn't play Nox much. The visuals gave me a headache.
Are the Apple II graphics(the 'blurriness') actually part of the game itself? I thought it might just be optional. I loathe the way it looks.

It is, and they're proud of it. https://steamcommunity.com/app/1509080/ ... 854906105/

But actually I just saw in that link that someone created a companion hack to fix the blur. Between that and the alternative fonts available, it might be playable now.

Post by **rusty_shackleford** » May 4th, 2023, 07:19

Acrux wrote: ↑ May 4th, 2023, 06:56

rusty_shackleford wrote: ↑ May 4th, 2023, 06:08

Acrux wrote: ↑ May 4th, 2023, 05:48
I like RoA better than Nox, but I couldn't play Nox much. The visuals gave me a headache.
Are the Apple II graphics(the 'blurriness') actually part of the game itself? I thought it might just be optional. I loathe the way it looks.
It is, and they're proud of it. https://steamcommunity.com/app/1509080/ ... 854906105/

But actually I just saw in that link that someone created a companion hack to fix the blur. Between that and the alternative fonts available, it might be playable now.

I find the decision to make games for the old hardware to be a bad decision, quite honestly. Other than as a form of masturbation, I'm not sure what benefits it offers.

Lich · Post by **Lich** » May 4th, 2023, 08:45

Interesting find

Post by **Tweed** » May 4th, 2023, 17:22

I liked it.

Algol · Post by **Algol** » February 12th, 2026, 01:34

I'm just fired this up and am looking forward to trying it out. I already had to change the font because it was hurting my eyes, though. I love how (wait for it) archaic the game already feels.

Post by **Rand** » February 12th, 2026, 16:33

Nox Archaist Companion.
Really needed if you're not a masochist.
https://github.com/hasseily/NoxArchaistCompanion
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1509080/ ... 101320820/

Algol · Post by **Algol** » February 12th, 2026, 23:05

Rand wrote: ↑ February 12th, 2026, 16:33
Nox Companion.
Really needed if you're not a masochist.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1509080/ ... 101320820/

Neat! Thank you so much for mentioning this.

This game has a lot of heart and soul to it, even if it's sort of "basic". I also love how there's like a huge ******* pdf "making of" document as well. A lot of passion went into this project, for sure.