MARDEK
Tobias Cornwall · 2020 · RPG, Indie, Turn-Based Combat, Funny, Story Rich
PC
Very Positive99% · 270
Compare prices in Official Stores
Screenshots
About MARDEK
MARDEK is a retro-inspired RPG set in a lore-heavy world that blends together fantasy and sci-fi. Its initially lighthearted story soon evolves into a deeper exploration of moral ambiguity, told through a whole lot of dialogue both thought-provoking and ridiculously silly. Build your party from a wide cast of fleshed-out characters, each with their own stories, personalities, and unique skillsets, as you romp through vast elemental dungeons filled with hordes of monsters, oodles of equippable treasures, and huge, dramatic bosses.
The story follows a fairly ordinary young man called Mardek, whose fantasies of adventure begin to come true when he finds himself sharing his mind with the consciousness of a dead alien wizard, Rohoph. The three chapters follow Mardek's growth from his imaginative childhood, through his eventful training as a Royal Guard, and eventually to his missions as a full-fledged Royal Knight. Along the way, Mardek and his allies face off against members of a sinister council of Rohoph's alien allies, who Rohoph - being the being of light and good that he apparently is - claims are evil and must be stopped.
The game was originally released for browsers in three parts between 2007 and 2010. This version combines all three released chapters and presents them without the surrounding distractions common to playing on Flash portals, to increase immersion. The music is no longer compressed and as such sounds much clearer than in the browser versions, and there have been a few minor tweaks to rare item or skill acquisition costs - all requested by long-time fans - to aid in reaching 100% completion.
Other than that, this is a faithful port of the game as it was when originally released, for maximum nostalgia.
~
It's important to note that the series was originally (and rather naively) intended to be eight chapters long, though only these three were produced due to serious behind-the-scenes issues. Even so, there are many dozens of hours of gameplay to be had, and many memories to nostalgically return to or to form anew!
A direct continuation of this series isn't going to happen - at least not from me (the developer) - but the optional "OST & Extras" package contains some old notes I managed to dig up with the (rather vague) plans I had for the rest of the chapters. I know it's not the same as producing them, but it's infinitely easier!
As of 2020, I have been working on a 3D 'Reimagining' of MARDEK called "Divine Dreams", which aims to retell the story using the more-than-a-decade of personal and skill growth since MARDEK was released. You can check my website for more info (check the external links).
The story follows a fairly ordinary young man called Mardek, whose fantasies of adventure begin to come true when he finds himself sharing his mind with the consciousness of a dead alien wizard, Rohoph. The three chapters follow Mardek's growth from his imaginative childhood, through his eventful training as a Royal Guard, and eventually to his missions as a full-fledged Royal Knight. Along the way, Mardek and his allies face off against members of a sinister council of Rohoph's alien allies, who Rohoph - being the being of light and good that he apparently is - claims are evil and must be stopped.
The game was originally released for browsers in three parts between 2007 and 2010. This version combines all three released chapters and presents them without the surrounding distractions common to playing on Flash portals, to increase immersion. The music is no longer compressed and as such sounds much clearer than in the browser versions, and there have been a few minor tweaks to rare item or skill acquisition costs - all requested by long-time fans - to aid in reaching 100% completion.
Other than that, this is a faithful port of the game as it was when originally released, for maximum nostalgia.
~
It's important to note that the series was originally (and rather naively) intended to be eight chapters long, though only these three were produced due to serious behind-the-scenes issues. Even so, there are many dozens of hours of gameplay to be had, and many memories to nostalgically return to or to form anew!
A direct continuation of this series isn't going to happen - at least not from me (the developer) - but the optional "OST & Extras" package contains some old notes I managed to dig up with the (rather vague) plans I had for the rest of the chapters. I know it's not the same as producing them, but it's infinitely easier!
As of 2020, I have been working on a 3D 'Reimagining' of MARDEK called "Divine Dreams", which aims to retell the story using the more-than-a-decade of personal and skill growth since MARDEK was released. You can check my website for more info (check the external links).
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
If a game aged like fine wine, this would be it. This game had a major influence in my childhood to the point where nothing can replicate the fun I had. I would always go back to it even when my browser files got wiped. If Mardek was released on Steam earlier, it would have gathered an insane following. Mardek, in my opinion, is a love letter to classic RPGs. It takes all the good elements of it and combined together to make this. The fact that I still remember parts of the story despite not thinking about in over 19 years really shows how much it influenced me. I've waited for a sequel to Chapter 3 so badly but reading through his blog posts at the time, it wasn't going to happen. My only hope is that the reimagining of this game would be equally as good as the classic.1 found this helpful
MARDEK is one of the best flash RPGs of its time, and this Steam release ties it together wonderfully with a slew of balancing improvements (monster drops are less of a hassle, Jades are no longer limited in supply, etc) that make it even better than before. While it only goes until Chapter 3, don't be fooled - this is still a full 30+ hour experience of RPG fun. Full of wit, snark, and whimsy Mardek is absolutely worth a play whether you've played the original or never heard of it.
overall great game, great music
the only thing i dont like about the mardek series is that it will never be finished. this is a wonderfully crafted rpg series that has been around since the early 2000s. hell i remember playing 1 and 2 as a kid. and even as an adult im impressed with the amount of content in these three games. great story, great gameplay, and a pretty fun to mess with skill sytem. if your okay with a great story that will sadly never be finished, i can not recommend this game enough.
Amazing game! Well worth the time and money!
I have a real soft spot for the flash era and Mardek RPG is no doubt one of that era's best. Remarkable depth, quality, and challenge, but with a strange charm that I think is only possible when a work of art is the result of an auteur's singular vision. Adding a second artist or even a large enough audience and it's much harder to keep your ideas intact. The game is by no means perfect in mechanics or in story (I think that parodying RPG tropes was already on its way out by the time act 3 was originally released). Nevertheless I highly recommend this to anyone who likes RPGs or just seeing what a single developer could do back in the day.
Community reviews
—
0 reviews
Sign in to write a review.
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this game.
