I’m still debating whether or not I want to buy Baldur’s Gate III. I definitely have the specs for it, and I love what they’re doing. Any game that pisses off the gaming industry for being “too good” sounds like a game that I should be playing.

But for now, I’m playing Ember – a game that has already been in my library, and was partially inspired by the original Baldur’s Gate.

Ember was originally made for iOS, then got a release on PC. Recently, they ported it to Switch and Xbox One as well.

Because of its mobile origins, this is about as casual as this kind of RPG gets. It’s not hardcore and doesn’t require a lot of investment in terms of time.

There’s a story here about these beings of light called “embers” and the hero has to save them from going extinct.

But honestly, this is about grinding, levelling up, going on quests, and getting better abilities. You know, a typical RPG game.

The studio, N-Fusion, that made Ember is kind of hit or miss. They’ve produced a lot of shovelware, but it seems as though whenever they make something RPG-related, it’s decent enough.

I like how easy it is to do battles. If you see an enemy, you automatically attack it. And if you want to have better odds, you use your abilities – usually acquired from a weapon.

If I have to complain it’s that the map takes a super long time to traverse. I really wish there was a run button so I could zip by faster. Other than that, this is a decent game.

The graphics are serviceable. They’re not incredible, but they do their job.

It doesn’t require a demanding PC either. You need a 2.5Ghz dual core CPU, 2GB, and 4GB RAM. They say you need an Nvidia 8000 series, but let’s just say that integrated graphics on modern PCs will do just fine. I, myself, am running it on a Steam Deck, and it works without a hitch. This game was only released for Windows, but it works fine with Linux via Proton.

Again, this isn’t anywhere close to a AAA title, but it’s CAD$10.99 on Steam and GOG.This isn’t a long game, but if you’re looking for an RPG that is cheap and simple to play, this one fits the bill.