RPG Paper Maker is a JRPG-style role playing game engine we first looked at roughly 2 years ago. Due to the recent release of version 2.0 we are going to revisit it. The engine is completely free for non-commercial use, the source code is available (but not open source) and it’s available on Windows, Mac and Linux. If you are interested in making a 2D RPG that mixes in flat sprites and 3D objects in the style of Paper Mario, this could be a good choice for you.
The Engine is described as:
RPG Paper Maker is a game making engine, free for non commercial use, allowing you to create a 3D universe with many 2D sprites and even 3D objects using a simple interface for all available platforms: Windows, Linux, and MacOS.
RPG Paper Maker gives you a way to create RPGs in a full 3D world as simply as it is in 2D! RPG Paper Maker also comes packed with cool retro inspired graphic assets for you to use in your own projects.
It provides a simple game management and scripting system, similar in nature to RPG Maker products, while having a Javascript programming option available for more advanced developers. The source code itself is written using the C++ programming language, although the proprietary license will greatly limit what you can do with it. If you wish to use RPG Paper Maker on a commercial game, there is a $75USD DLC unlock available on Steam.
Key Links
You can learn more about RPG Paper Maker and see it in action in the video below.