Off the AppStore: A risky rewarding quest in the King's Gambit trilogy

• The king is betting on the hero to save the world!
• Fight across a wild world of monsters, magic, and necromancy
• Follow the hero's side and the villain's side of the story to learn the history

Welcome to Off The AppStore, a weekly feature with a twist. Namely, that while these - as with all the games we cover here - are games that you can play on your phone, they're ones that operate outside of the realms of the big two ways to play: The Google Play Store and the Apple AppStore.

That means that there might be a bit of work required in downloading alternative AppStores or APKs, or that the games can simply be played in your phone browser. We'll make sure to detail that for each game though. Anyway, read on to find a new game or experience to play Off The AppStore.

There's been a rise in the number of small teams and individuals willing to work around the clock and use whatever spare time and resources they have to bring their projects to life. And there have been plenty of times that have paid off (and continue to pay off). With the accessibility of the mobile market and intuitive software, it's never been easier to make a game, but making a good one that will last is the big challenge. RPG Maker is one such tool that is wonderful for some people to have, and that others should never go near again. Thankfully, Luc Jorgart is the latter with their King's Gambit trilogy.

In an epic fantasy world, all the lands used to be united, but then they were torn asunder over time. It didn't help that some evil buttface decided to make things worse by building a cult of loyal and destructive followers. The buttface in question is Teeja, a powerful necromancer who will stop at nothing to destroy the world and bring anything that remains under his dominion. Luckily, there's a young and headstrong hero named Ark who is more than willing to lead an expedition to stop Teeja so that some semblance of peace may one day return to the land.

In classic JRPG fashion, Ark and his buddies will explore the overworld and visit many exotic locations, from crumbling ruins to regal cities and other geological features. When you're not exploring and talking to people about where to go and what to do, you can flex your combat prowess in traditional turn-based fashion. Enjoy the trips to the battle stage to watch the animated sprites of Arc's team fight against the detailed representations of the beasts and other enemies you're bound to encounter. Use strength, skill, magic, and items to come out on top and build your power for the final battle.

The King's Gambit titles are 2D sprite-based RPGs with solid tales of adventure, a lot of playtime, and even a chance to play both sides of the hero-villain conflict. Things can be slow, but combat can ramp things up as the enemies get more challenging and more diverse. Adapt your strategies and always make sure that your party members are in the best shape that they can be. If not, it wouldn't hurt to put your nose to the grindstone.

The King's Gambit trilogy is available to play and download from Luc's itch.io page.