Skyrim Meets Stardew Valley in New Free RPG

Find yourself in need of something new to play? I don't have an immediate solution, but I do have a suggestion you should keep an eye on.

Developed and published by Pugna Studio, free RPG Ethernia arrives on the scene very soon, blending the world building of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim with the aesthetics of Stardew Valley

Launching on PC via Steam, Ethernia is a free 2D pixel-art online RPG featuring real-time combat and “an engaging narrative inspired by an ancient lost book”.

As for what that story entails exactly, well, it’s being kept under wraps so you’ll just have to play the game to find out the adventure that awaits you but it is advertised as being a “branching narrative”.

“Prepare to immerse yourself in our universe, where each player is a living page of history and discover if you are the Heir of Ethernia,” the game teases.

I can, however, tell you that Ethernia will see you “explore unique regions, face legendary creatures, and unlock ancient powers while interacting with other players in real time”.

Players will be able to customise their character, both in terms of their appearance but also their attributes and specialisations.

You can participate in both PvE and PvP events, and there are plenty of survival elements included too.

You’ll need to unearth resources from gathering and mining in order to build weapons and evolve your build as you fend off monsters from across the game’s world.

Four Years in the Making

“From the very first steps, you'll be part of a living story—filled with quests, daily challenges, bosses, and decisions that shape your path,” developers have teased.

As you’ve likely gathered, Ethernia is class-based so you’ll be able to find a combat and play style that suits you.

As I said, Ethernia is totally free-to-play, although it is currently only available on PC via Steam.

Ethernia, Credit / Pugna Studio

“This project was born from a deep love for the RPGs that shaped generations — from Dungeons & Dragons tables, dice rolling on paper, Magic: The Gathering cards, to the first MMOs that taught us the true meaning of shared adventure,” read a dev post published ahead of the game’s launch.

“Now, that spirit comes to life in a universe where every player forges their own legend. For me, as an indie developer who has dedicated more than four years to this dream, reaching this point is indescribable. None of this would be possible without your support, care, and trust.”

I will add that there is an AI disclosure for Ethernia; All in-game visuals and assets are human-created, but “certain marketing and store materials were partially assisted by generative AI tools”.

The game was originally due to launch on 27 December although has since changed to "coming soon", so I'd wishlist the title to stay up to date on its progress.