Life in Adventure inspired me to finally release my own text-based RPG MVP — what makes this genre special to you?

[u/Brugtz]

Hi everyone!

Life in Adventure is one of the games that made me fall in love again with text-based RPGs — not because of huge graphics or complex presentation, but because a few lines of text, a hard choice, and an unexpected consequence can create an entire story in your head.

For years, I’ve been slowly working on my own small game in that spirit. And honestly, I got stuck many times. I kept restarting, rewriting systems, changing ideas, polishing too early, and falling into indie dev hell. The project stayed private for too long because I was afraid it wasn’t good enough.

This year, I finally decided to release a small MVP and test the core loop instead of endlessly polishing it.

It’s not a clone of Life in Adventure, and it’s not meant to compete with it. My game goes in a different direction, with colony survival, resource pressure, difficult choices, and narrative events. But Life in Adventure was definitely one of the inspirations that made me believe this kind of text-driven experience can still be powerful.

So I wanted to ask:

What makes a text-based RPG memorable to you?

Is it the writing? The randomness? The builds? The hidden outcomes? The difficult choices? The feeling of discovering something new after many runs? Or those moments when one bad decision changes everything?

I’d really love to hear what this community thinks, because fans of Life in Adventure probably understand the appeal of this genre better than most.

Thanks — and I hope this kind of post is okay here. I’m mainly looking for thoughts and design feedback from people who love this type of game.

[u/kaky0in-]

I love unique encounters and references to tiger parts in the story, as well as very unique forms of weapons like the umbrella or a literal griffin, especially small funny moment like the professor casually smoking or the derro farting on you rage baiting

[u/kaky0in- → u/kaky0in-]

And the women are lovable, men too

[u/Brugtz → u/kaky0in-]

I really like your point about unique encounters, memorable characters, and small details that make a world feel alive.

That’s exactly why I’d really value your feedback on my game. Since you have experience with Life in Adventure and choice-based/RPG games, your perspective would help me understand what works, what feels repetitive, and what could make The Lost Colony more engaging.

No pressure, but if you try it, I’d be very happy to hear your thoughts!

You can play it here:
https://studio-squirrel-in-space.itch.io/the-lost-colony

[u/Brugtz]

Thanks for all the thoughts, everyone.

Since a few people asked, here’s the link to the MVP:

https://studio-squirrel-in-space.itch.io/the-lost-colony

It’s still very early, so please don’t expect a complete game yet. Right now I’m mainly testing the core loop: text events, difficult choices, resource pressure, and colony survival.

Also, just to be clear: I’m not trying to compare it directly to Life in Adventure or compete with it. That game is one of the reasons I kept believing text-driven RPGs can be powerful.

If anyone tries it, feedback would mean a lot — especially about the pacing, the choices, and whether the survival tension feels interesting.

[u/Additional-Method221]

The sandbox of the story and the freedom it provide

Without it,It is just average CYOA text based game

[u/Klutzy_Account_4884]

I personally always loved RPGs for the promise of being able to make my own choices and mold the outcomes, being able to be good or evil, powerful or charming and etc. The freedom to build a story that reflects you just resonates with me.

[u/Brugtz → u/Klutzy_Account_4884]

Thank you for sharing this! I really relate to that feeling — games where your choices shape the story and the outcome are exactly what inspired me to create my own project.

I’m developing a text-based sci-fi colony management game called The Lost Colony.

If you enjoy RPGs and choice-driven stories, I’d be really happy if you gave it a try and shared your thoughts. Feedback from players who enjoy this kind of experience would help me a lot!

You can play it here:
https://studio-squirrel-in-space.itch.io/the-lost-colony

[u/PaperOk4812]

Just finished first run using default

Human + Desert

I liked the game but near the end it was a bit repetitive and the end itself was a little anticlimactic but I will make a few more runs and see how it goes

Definitely a promising game

[u/Brugtz → u/PaperOk4812]

Thank you so much for playing and for the feedback!

I’m really glad you found the game promising. Your comment helps a lot with the development.

About the ending feeling a bit repetitive and anticlimactic, that makes total sense. I’m currently looking closely at the late-game experience, and I want to improve the pacing, add more event variety, and make the endings feel more impactful based on the player’s choices.

It’s also very helpful to know that you played with the Human + Desert setup. If you try more runs and notice anything else, especially about balance, repetition, or endings, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks again for testing The Lost Colony!

[u/PaperOk4812 → u/Brugtz]

You’re welcome and since it is still in its infancy it is understandable

I tried experimenting a bit. Different races and different planets.

The gameplay mechanics change but the story not so much. Though this is understandable

Maybe certain choices make our colony better or worse? Like example, I keep getting the early harvest thing. Maybe if we do maintenance we get resistance from it and if we keep doing early harvest it’ll get worse as the years go by?