Kenta immerses you in his world using practical effects, like raining confetti when you’ve succeeded at a quest or awarding you experience points via little strips of paper with achievements written on them. The next, you’re playing baseball against a tank known as BaseballMan with an angry baseball for a face. One moment, you’re climbing a ladder made of stuffed animals. The silly and random situations you find yourself in are a tribute to the wild, playful, creative energy that comes from the mind of a child. Uh oh, what’s the best place to hit the heavily armored centaur? For example, a cut-out paper hilt attaches to a pencil to form Wright’s sword. The boy sees household items as essential ingredients for an adventure. Though the premise is simple, it’s aided by some inventiveness from Kenta’s frugal but clever spirit.

Wright must acquire strength and some helpful friends during his long journey through Cardboardia and back to the castle. Despite Wright’s best efforts, the massive Dethgawd effortlessly smacks our hero into the faraway land of Cardboardia. The Land of Light is being ravaged by Dethgawd, an evil demon who kidnapped Lay (the Princess of Light) and usurped her castle. It’s RPG time! Kenta’s drawn up an adventure in his notebook where you play as the Hero Wright: a soft-spoken, spiky-haired lad with an insatiable appetite.

Young Kenta has laid out the entire scene for you: a status screen made of beads, background music from his phone, and a tape measure to keep track of your hit points. And right now, you’re at this schoolchild’s desk - and mercy - as you indulge in his made-up fantasy. In RPG Time: The Legend of Wright, one kid is immediately pursuing that dream, having built his own RPG experience from scratch. I’m sure those of us who regularly follow RPGFan had similar daydreams during class, perhaps even dreaming designs for our own RPGs. When I think of my childhood school days, I recall sitting in class wishing I was finding the next star in Super Mario RPG or searching for Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII.

Scratch doodle monster