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Nepenthe

You won't need a haircut where you're going... mostly because you're bald. Inspired by Earthbound, Undertale, and other alt-RPGs, Nepenthe is a hand-drawn game made of dad-jokes and existential dread. Also cookies. Lots of cookies.

Steam Page
Developer
Yitz
Publisher
yours truly
Release
May 17, 2018
8 years and 78 days ago
Steam Reviews
Very Positive95 reviews93.7%

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Game contextLatest: IGF Team
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Notes
Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher.
A separate publisher is listed for this release.
Search Google: Is Nepenthe self-published or published by yours truly?Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified.
Search Google: How is Nepenthe and yours truly funded?FundingThe known source of funding behind the game.
Search Google: Who controls the creative direction and IP for Nepenthe and Yitz?Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game.
Updated: Jul 13, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released.
The game was released through a separate publisher.

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About the Game

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.
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