Elfaria is one of those weird little SNES RPGs that slipped under the radar—super colorful, almost like playing through a Saturday morning cartoon. You start off as this kid (of course) who gets roped into defending the kingdom from some shadow lord and his monster army. Typical hero stuff, but the sprites have this exaggerated, bouncy charm that makes it feel lighter than your usual doom-and-gloom fantasy.

Combat’s turn-based but with a twist: positioning actually matters. Your party shuffles around a 3x3 grid mid-fight, which keeps things from feeling too mindless. Early on, I kept getting wrecked because I didn’t realize archers in the back row deal way more damage. Live and learn, right?

It’s not gonna dethrone Chrono Trigger or anything, but there’s something oddly satisfying about its simplicity. The music’s cheery, the dungeons are short enough that you won’t get lost, and the whole thing has this scrappy, underdog vibe. Definitely a hidden gem if you’re into retro RPGs that don’t take themselves too seriously.