Capture Those Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Vibes with This FREE Indie RPG

We here at Nerdarchy love tabletop roleplaying games from granddaddy Dungeons & Dragons to underappreciated indie gems like Quest and Animon Story. We love Pathfinder, Cypher System and so many more. Every once in a while we encounter something we just have to talk about. This is the case with Legend of the Forgotten Ballad by cueinn on itch.io.

Short and Sweet

Today I want to write about this free indie RPG that has only six pages (including the cover!). The simplicity of Legend of the Forgotten Ballad is wild. Plus with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 being delayed I was really craving to sink my teeth into something that could give me those vibes. Then a friend told me about a free indie RPG he’d found on itch.io. Having picked up this game I was thoroughly surprised in the best way.

Ironically, this entire post will be longer than The Legend of the Forgotten Ballad’s playbook. That’s not an exaggeration. The Legend of the Forgotten Ballad is literally a pamphlet. Like, an actual pamphlet.

This indie RPG’s color pallet evokes retro video games on the Gameboy with its pastel green, plus black and white. I found it strange to feel nostalgia for something I’ve never experienced as I first read through this tiny roleplaying game.

While not actually affiliated with Nintendo or the Legend of Zelda in any way, the Legend of the Forgotten Ballad has clear inspiration from one of the greatest video games of all time. The game even goes so far as to measure health in hearts.

Simple and Streamlined

Part of what makes The Legend of the Forgotten Ballad so cool is its accessibility. The game’s rule book is short and narrative focused. The mechanics are simple and easily explained. I could see people who have never played an RPG in their life being introduced to this game and having a blast.

The system is so elegant and easy to understand. It definitely feels like the sort of game that could facilitate a one shot with ease. However, any group with a heavy emphasis on narrative and roleplay or who struggles with crunchier RPGs may find this to be the perfect answer for running a longer campaign.

The game revolves around building pools of d6s. Every weapon, every aid from a fellow player, every advantage offers another d6 to your pool. When you roll, if any of the dice shows a 6, you succeed. It’s brilliantly simple.

Though it’s stripped down to the bones, this simplicity is exactly what facilitates its versatility. While The Legend of the Forgotten Ballad clearly rings with tones of The Legend of Zelda, this system could easily adapt into any type of world, game or story.

From fantasy, to sci-fi, to horror, to superheroes this game could easily allow for any number of genres. What’s more, the system is simple enough to explain to young children, and I personally think this is a perfect system for kids 10 and under who might want to dip their toes into RPGs or for parents who don’t have a lot of time to prep and would like to play an RPG for family game night.

Final Thoughts

The Legend of the Forgotten Ballad is a hidden gem I was thrilled to have introduced to me. The simple system offers versatility and accessibility few systems can match. Its incredibly low price point (free, or pay what you want) is substantially less prohibitive to those without disposable income.

If you have the opportunity I’d definitely pick up this hidden gem (or hidden rupee, if you will) and run it for your next one shot or family game night. And I’d recommend this doubly so if you’ve got the itch for Breath of the Wild 2 that the first game just can’t scratch anymore.

If you liked this review or you’d like to see us cover more indie titles and gems, leave us a comment, tell us over on Facebook or tweet @Nerdarchy. You can check out The Legend of the Forgotten Ballad over at itch.io here.

Also, check out the video below for ideas to spice up the combat descriptions for when you run The Legend of the Forgotten Ballad!

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