Freeware
I have very very fond memories of finding weird free games online. I would like to help more people have that experience. I have an Itch collection to get started with but using my own site gives me extra freedom. I've included additional resources in the sidebar, let me know if you find anything you want to shout out.
Demon King Chronicle
Demon King Chronicle is an RPG Maker game known for its difficulty and demanding resource management, in the same subgenre as Nepheshel (detailed below). The Heroine, Camil, is instructed to complete the unfinished work of a dead author: The Demon King Chronicle. This game has a lot to say about stories and the way we interact with them.
Demon King Chronicle can be downloaded from archive.org, the file contains the game itself in the "media" folder and a patch to add to the game file.
Keywords: Exploration, fantasy, RPG
Nepheshel
Nepheshel is a cult classic RPG Maker game with an emphasis on preparation and experimentation. For a long, long time I really preferred games that communicated themselves clearly, where there weren't as much secrets to find as puzzles to solves. The short time I had with Nepheshel gave me a different perspective, this game could not exist without the "I have no idea what I'm doing, but have to try anyway and see what happens" stage, discovering the rules through your own actions. I still don't know if that's my favorite dimension of play, but it was an extremely informative experience. I also hear it has very clever technical solutions to classic RPG design problems, but I don't have the personal knowledge base for a full explanation.
The fan translation of Nepheshel can be downloaded here.
Keywords: Exploration, fantasy, RPG
Ruina: Fairy Tale of the Forgotten Ruin
Ruina: Fairy Tale of the Forgotten Ruin tells the story of a mysterious dungeon and its buried secrets. I like dungeons in fantasy games, I love how Ruina handles its dungeon. It's a place of magic, and horror, and hidden pasts, and I'd compare it to Delicious in Dungeon in terms of exploring the ramifications of the dungeon for the surrounding world. Navigating the dungeon is reminiscent of gamebooks or choose-your-own-adventure interactive fiction, with gorgeous artwork to provide atmosphere.
The fan translation of Ruina can be downloaded here, although I hear a remake is in the works?
Keywords: Dungeon, fantasy, RPG