Nepenthe

Nepenthe

Yitz · 2018 · RPG, Indie, Adventure, Action, Horror

PC
Very Positive92% · 78
Best price
$4.99
lowest tracked $1.00
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Standard Edition · Steam
$4.99
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Screenshots

About Nepenthe

You wake up with no memory. Your day is starting off great!


Nepenthe is a hand-drawn RPG with a terrible sense of humor. Set in the strange world of Carithia, you play as a mysterious bald dude who lost his memory. Yes, you read that right. Meet some very polite monsters, and battle both them and your sense of self-dignity in epic bullet-hell fight scenes.

Definitely not a potato in a trench coat


Sporting a childish hand-drawn art style, Nepenthe is sure to either make you love it at first glance, or throw your computer away. The developer of Nepenthe takes no responsibility for such actions, and recommends drinking chamomile tea. “It’s really soothing,” he says. “You should really try it one day,” he says. “What was I talking about?” He asks. There is an awkward pause.

designed for non-psychopaths, mostly


With three different endings, and countless side-quests, Nepenthe is designed for ultimate replayability. This can get quite annoying if you need to share a computer with someone else. Trust me. Almost every monster can be spared, for added challenge and less violence. They can also be killed - don’t worry, you psychopaths! If you enjoy dad-jokes or Chinese water torture, Nepenthe is for you.

Nepenthe is designed for both casual and hardcore gamers alike.

  • Explore two modes: "Adventure" or "Story," to find the play-style that best suits you.
  • "Adventure" mode is a bullet-hell extravaganza, with ever increasing difficulty as the game progresses.
  • "Story" mode's battles are easy one-click things, designed for those who just want the story, not the gameplay.
  • Enjoy stunning hand-drawn art along the way
Join us, as we stare into the Orb together.

What Steam players say

Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.

Recommended Dec 23, 2025
[b]Story:[/b] It lacks depth and I don't feel invested, even after I obtained all 3 endings and explored around (including crack on fake trees in Myway). [b]Gameplay:[/b] I played on "Story" mode and it's as easy as advertised. So I just walked around most of the time and solved a few optional puzzles. [b]Visual:[/b] The pencil hand-drawn style is the best aspect of the game. [b]Audio:[/b] Fairly good choice of free music/SFX. [b]Other:[/b] The native SteamOS/Linux version works well enough, but Steam achievements don't work at all. I also faced a bug where a member of party isn't shown (no head or HP bar) during battle, although I can use the action normally. It's not as exciting/good as I hoped. I definitely would rather choose neutral/information, although I decided to choose positive since the price is lower than $1 on sale.
1 found this helpful
Recommended Apr 12, 2026
When I first played this game, I was really disappointed. It really wanted you to care, despite having nothing original to offer, plus, the Toby Fox style of humor felt very forced. While I liked the overall artstyle, this game really could've used more polish. That being said, when I replayed the game and got the second ending, I was really impressed. While it was still short and the dialogue was wonky at times, I realized that the creator truly put a lot of passion into it. There were great scenes, the story genuinely got me invested. That's the biggest problem and the greatest quality of it: The important scenes are well-made, but because the concept of the game was build mostly around them, the rest is... average. I still haven't played one of the endings, but I can already say that this game had potential. I just feel like it should've focused less on the random, wacky humor, and instead could've done more story, because most of it is told through exposition dumps. Not to mention there aren't any interesting characters here. Undertale, which Nepenthe was clearly based on, had you invested no matter which path you chose. You liked all of the characters, or at least felt some…
Recommended Apr 27, 2025
Wasn't for me, as I don't enjoy surrealist-comedy games. The art style is the best part, as it's very original!
Recommended Feb 23, 2025
This sweet hand-drawn RPG takes a refreshing approach where fighting isn't always the best solution. With an Undertale-like combat system infused with humor, the game offers a delightful twist on traditional RPG mechanics. Its quirky characters and witty dialogue, combined with a unique art style, create an engaging and memorable experience. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a humorous, narrative-driven adventure with its own distinct charm.
Recommended Feb 3, 2025
Pretty bloody great. Makes me want to make games.. Can't wait for Yitz' next games.
Recommended Nov 20, 2024
The combat can be really hard but everything else in this game is wonderful

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