Tails of Iron

Tails of Iron is a hand-drawn 2D action-RPG that pairs storybook art with combat sharpened on the soulslike whetstone. Redgi, heir to the Rat Throne, returns to a kingdom newly devastated by the Frog Clan and their leader Greenwart. The job ahead is straightforward and brutal — banish the invaders, rescue his brothers, restore the realm — but the journey through that job is told with the gravity of a fairy tale read by someone who's lived through one.

The game's secret weapon is its narration. Doug Cockle — long associated with The Witcher's Geralt of Rivia — voices the storyteller with his trademark deep, raspy register, threading every cutscene and major moment with the kind of weight that turns Tails of Iron from a small game into something that feels much larger. The combat carries similar weight: parry bashes, dodge-rolls, fatal executions, ranged bow shots, and a weapon and armor system that asks you to balance heavy protection against the dodge-roll speed you sacrifice for it.

Beyond the main quest, the kingdom is studded with side activity. Redgi's keep is home to his brothers Rem-Rem (who cooks health-boosting feasts from foraged ingredients), Bam-Bam (who forges new weapons and armor from blueprints you uncover), and Dug (who keeps track of available quests). Six distinct biomes hide their own paths and secrets, faction hunts and side quests pay out extra gold, sharp-eyed companions can be assembled for select missions, and savage boss fights against the Frog Clan's amphibian generals punctuate each act.