Evoland

Evoland is a remarkable experiment that, instead of telling its own story, tells the story of video games themselves. The player starts in a black-and-white world with a single movement button, and as they progress through the game space and open chests, they gradually unlock color, smoother movement, music, and a combat system that evolves from the oldest action adventures all the way to a full-fledged RPG with turn-based battles. Each new mechanic is essentially a citation of some classic genre or specific game, so playing feels like a walk through the history of game design - the pixel dungeon becomes a full action world, combat shifts from simple clashes to dynamic exchanges of blows, and finally a turn-based combat system reminiscent of old Japanese RPGs is added too.

The French studio Shiro Games built the game as a parodic tribute to classics like Zelda or Final Fantasy, relying more on a clever idea and nostalgia than on an original story, which is deliberately sparse and serves mainly as a framework for gradually unveiling references. It was precisely this idea - a game as an evolution of the genre - that made Evoland a small cult title shortly after its release and inspired a sequel that took on a similar journey through the history of action RPGs.

The mobile version for iOS and Android is paid, with no ads, controlled with a touch virtual joystick and buttons adapted to each phase of the game as it shifts from adventure to action RPG. Given its short length, it's more of a curiosity for a single sitting than a long-term challenge.

Why play: For players with an interest in the history of video games who will appreciate the clever idea and spotting references more than depth of story or combat difficulty.