Summary
In an industry that pushes the boundaries of realistic visuals, sound, and immersion the developerVanillawarestands out as one of the most unique in the gaming industry. The studio doesn’t have games that use cutting-edge graphics and AAA budgets, but they do have an art style that transcends its generational limits by looking beautiful years later.
Thanks to games like Odin Sphere and GrimGrimoire, the studio gained a cult following with its high-resolution 2D artwork and aptitude for telling a great story. This timeless art design continues to this day and their most recent title13 Sentinels: Aegis Rimhas gained the studio a more mainstream following. As a studio with such a good pedigree, mostVanillaware gamesare great.
Updated July 10, 2025 by Michael Llewellyn:Vanillaware is a studio known for doing its own thing away from the trends of its peers. They have built a fantastic reputation for creating games that tell compelling stories with beautifully hand-drawn 2D sprites that have a timeless appeal and look great in any generation. This list is updated with their latest game and includes relevant specifications for each title.
7Fantasy Earth Zero
Metacritic Score: N/A
As the studio’s first titleFantasy Earth Zerois arguably their least known. It’s also an online-only free-to-play MMORPG developed under their former name, Puraguru. Moreover, its development is now handled by a completely different studio named SoftGear.
Fantasy Earth Zerowas considered ambitious, but there were issues with bugs and mechanics at launch. As a result, it’s critically the studio’s worst even though critics were still complimentary of the game’s art design and gameplay mechanics.
Taking inspiration from theHarry Potterfranchise,GrimGrimoireis a real-time strategy RPG based in a magic school called the Tower of Silver Star. The protagonist Lilet is stuck in a five-day loop as she tries to prevent an attack on the school. Despite taking inspiration from J.K Rowling’sWizarding Worldseries,GrimGrimoireis a dark and original title with stunning visuals and accessible combat.
Each time loop will reveal more about the school, its inhabitants, and the reasons behind the attack. It’s a complex premise and it served as the basis for the time-traveling storyline in Vanillaware’s13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.GrimGrimoireis getting a remasterset to be released in Japan in July 2022 and with the success of13 Sentinels,it’s likely the game will reach Western shores later this year.
Action RPGMuramasa: The Demon Bladetakes inspiration from classic 2D side-scrolling beat-em-ups while implementing an RPG system. As always,Muramasahas Vanillaware’s distinctive art design and storytelling.
The game takes place during Japan’s Edo period while it also adapts the Japanese Folklore and mythology creating an intriguing world with a gripping storyline. Furthermore, the soundtrack is outstanding, featuring some of the studio’s most emotional scores.
Released in 2013,Dragon’s Crownis an action RPG inspired by coin-op classics likeDungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom- a game Vanillaware’s co-founder worked on-andGolden Axe. The 2D visual style still features Vanillaware’s stylized, oversized, and beautifully drawn characters. However, on a visual level, the characters which consist of a knight, an elf, a dwarf, a sorceress, a wizard, and an Amazon look like a combination of famed Conan artist Frank Frazetta’s fantasy art and Vanillaware’s style.
LikeOdin Sphere,Dragon’s Crownfeatures some light RPG mechanics, but the combat is deep but accessible and satisfying. The heavily stylized characters have raised some eyebrows with their depictions of overly muscled men and women with oversized chests, but with Frazetta’s fantasy works as an influence it shouldn’t come as a surprise to those familiar with them. The gameplay is fantastic whether one is playing in its single-player mode or as part of a multiplayer team andnext toStreets of Rage 4it’s one of the best co-op beat-em-ups available on any system.
Released in 2007,Odin Sphereis less complex thanGrimGrimoirewhichwasreleased the same year as it features classical beat-em-up style gameplay mechanics. the game maintains Vanillaware’s approach to visuals, storytelling, and epic sound design.
Odin Spherefeatures an almostNeverending Story-like narrative that focuses on a young girl named Alice reading a book in her attic. There are six intertwined stories each with lots of content and a compelling world that will keep the player hooked for hours. In 2016,Odin Spherewas remastered and released on the PS4 asOdin Sphere: Leifthrasirand is the best version to date thanks to its HD visuals, improved combat, and sound design.
Unicorn Overlordis a classically inspired tactical RPG in the vein ofTactics OgreandFinal Fantasy Tactics.It puts players in the shoes of an exiled prince fighting to take back the throne that rightfully belongs to him by forming alliances and conquering regions. Vanillaware’s trademark style returns with its beautifully drawn 2D characters reminiscent of the studio’s work inDragon’s CrownandOdin Sphere.
The story, characters, and the world will keep players happy, and fans of classic tactics games will be pleased with its depth, overworld micromanagement and the allegiances to be formed. It’s technical and gets more complex, butUnicorn Overlord’smechanics develop and build meaningfully without becoming confusing and overwhelming. Moreover, there are lots of quality-of-life features that can help players along with the later stages of the story.
As a sleeper hit in 2020,13 Sentinels: Aegis Rimexceeded even the publisher’s expectationswhen it became difficult to find physical copies of the game upon release. It became Vanillaware’s biggest success and with a port landing on the Nintendo Switch, the game’s well-deserved success looks to continue.
13 Sentinelshasa non-linear time-traveling story. It’s set in a world that Pacific-Rim-like Kaiju is attacking. Players follow the stories of 13 teenagers during different periods in their lives in a visual novel-style adventure game. The combat uses a real-time strategy system similar toGrimGrimoireand just like that game, doesn’t crumble under the weight of a deep narrative set in different timelines.
