Valley of Rains — A Classic Turn-Based JRPG
Hello everyone!
I’m an independent developer from the indie studio Neon Shard Games, and I’m currently working on Valley of Rains, a classic turn-based JRPG with pixel art, world exploration, and a story-driven adventure.
The game is inspired by classic JRPGs from the 1990s and early 2000s, while introducing its own world, characters, story, and gameplay mechanics.
The Story
The main character is Aerin, a seventeen-year-old girl who lives with her aunt Lin in a quiet seaside village.
Aerin begins having strange dreams featuring mysterious stone gates, warm rain, and an unfamiliar melody. She eventually discovers that her mother experienced similar phenomena before disappearing after entering the mysterious Valley.
After receiving a strange pendant from her aunt, Aerin begins a journey that leads her to ancient ruins, forgotten temples, and the secrets hidden behind the Gates.
Along the way, she meets new companions and encounters people and creatures connected to the history of the Valley.
Combat
Valley of Rains uses a classic turn-based combat system.
However, I didn’t want battles to simply revolve around repeatedly pressing the Attack command. Players are encouraged to study their enemies, use character abilities, and discover their weaknesses.
A special role is played by Rainstones — mysterious stones that can alter weapon properties and affect character development.
Exploration
The world contains villages, forests, temples, ancient ruins, and other locations to explore.
There are hidden treasures, secret passages, small events, and puzzles throughout the world. Some areas can also be accessed through the abilities of your companions.
I want exploration to feel rewarding, encouraging players to look beyond the main path and investigate the world around them.
Visual Style
The game uses pixel art inspired by the classic JRPG era.
A lot of attention is being given to environments, lighting, weather, and color palettes. Rain is not only part of the game's identity, but also plays an important role in its atmosphere and story.
The main tilesets and environments are created by our team by hand.
Development Status
Valley of Rains is currently in development for PC.
The Steam page is now live, and I’m continuing to work on the locations, characters, combat system, and story.
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4851350/Valley_of_Rains/
Demo: https://neon-shard-game.itch.io/valley-of-rains
I’ll continue sharing new screenshots, videos, and development updates as the project progresses.
I’d love to hear what you think about the project, especially the visual style, world design, and combat system.
Thanks for taking a look at Valley of Rains!