Not all games come with state-of-the-art graphics and hefty price tags. Sometimes it's the simple ones that hold players' hearts and attention spans. Games don't come much simpler than EPIC RPG, which not only features graphics no more complex than emojis, but it can't even be run on its own. Instead, the game exists as an add-on bot for Discord servers. Despite its humble origins, EPIC RPG is an addictive game with some interesting features.

EPIC RPG is a simple, text-based adventure game where players hunt monsters, take on quests and hone their horse breeding skills. The narrative drive of the game is limited. With no overarching story, the main goal seems to be to leveling-up characters using the normal grind and fight routine. As players gain higher levels, they open up new mechanics, expanding the initial vocabulary to include options like "time travel."

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While the mechanics of EPIC RPG are tried and true, the world-building is certainly unusual. When hunting, players may run across wolves or knights, the staples of the fantasy adventure genre, but mini-bosses and adventure mobs tend to be things like Mutant Water Bottles, Hyper Giant Bowls or Raging Burritos. The world implied by the bosses is one where fantasy creatures exist, sure, but also sometimes the evil that must be slain is modern, inanimate technology.

Epic RPG arena screenshot and logo

In addition to hunting and bosses, players can spend their time engaging with other EPIC RPG players. Dueling and arena fighting never decrease a player's hit points, but still allow players that taste of victory and the opportunity to trash talk. Players also care for a horse, which they can improve by breeding with other players' horses. Additionally, in order to improve their armor and weaponry, players must engage in regular fishing, wood choping, fruit foraging and general crafting.

EPIC RPG offers a simple, fun roleplaying and adventure experience with limited overhead and a forgiving interface. Its unique world of sentient burritos is certainly also a draw, but ultimately what really sets this game apart is that, as a Discord server bot, EPIC RPG is intended to be incorporated into larger communities.

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EPIC RPG runs alongside user's text and voice channels on a Discord server, always watching for commands beginning with the bot's prefix "rpg." This means that users can have normal text discussions in the server and intersperse gameplay within larger conversations. This functionality can increase community building within a server, allowing players to bond over an additional hobby.

Different actions within EPIC RPG run on cooldown clocks, allowing players to hunt once every minute, adventure once every hour and enter dungeons twice a day. These time limitations help make the bot a better Discord experience by limiting the number of available actions so that text channels can still be usable for other, non-game purposes. In the midst of heated leveling, however, or with enough players involved, this can sometimes drown out other server chatter, so many opt to create a separate channel specifically for playing EPIC RPG. Since EPIC RPG accounts are linked to Discord usernames, players can use their same character on any server that has installed the bot. This allows players to join multiple Discord groups while building up one character.

A Sorcerer casting from a book in DnD

Being a Discord add-on also lets EPIC RPG make use of Discord features and usability. Interactive game mechanics like dueling, horse breeding and dungeon crawling require multiple players to interact, but Discord makes this easy. Players can tag in other usernames and make use of the service's robust messaging and notification functions. Rather than reinventing the wheel, EPIC RPG lets Discord do the work creating and maintaining such features and, like a fun little parasite, just uses it for its own ends.

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EPIC RPG is by no means the only Discord bot game available. Other options include familiar favorites like Pokémon and other RPGs like AI Dungeon. The demand for gaming companionship co-located on Discord servers is clear. Ultimately, despite its simplistic design, EPIC RPG provides ample entertainment and can fill the time spent in other Discord conversations. There's plenty for players to work on solo, but the required interactive features make it a great addition to any Discord server, providing a built-in community for collaborating on boss fights.

The game may be too simple a game to stand on its own -- it doesn't tread much new ground, it provides no ongoing narrative to keep players involved and its interface delights in laughing at players who attempt commands beyond their means -- but it was never meant to be the sole reason a player turns on their computer. By serving as an add-on for a tool that many already use, EPIC RPG is a fun way to kill time and establishes itself as worthwhile.

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