Devlog #0 — Why I’m Building My Own RPG Maker-like Engine in Go
Hi everyone 👋
I’ve always been drawn to RPG Maker-style games — small towns to explore, characters to talk to, puzzles to solve, and stories that unfold through simple but powerful interactions.
When I started planning the kind of games I want to make in the future, I realized something important:
👉 I don’t just want to build a game. I also want to own the foundation it runs on.
That’s why I’ve been working on a small RPG Maker-like engine, written in Go and powered by Ebiten.
Why build an engine first?
Of course, I could have jumped straight into making a game. But building my own engine gives me:
Flexibility — tailor the engine to the kinds of mechanics I want (puzzle adventures, symbolic systems, etc.)
Understanding — I know exactly how events, maps, and interactions are handled under the hood.
Reusability — the effort I put into this first engine will pay off when I make multiple games later.
This project isn’t about competing with RPG Maker. It’s about preparing a toolbox for the kinds of games I dream of creating.
Tools I’m Using 🛠️
Since this is also an engine project, I wanted to mention some of the core tools that power the demo:
Go + Ebiten
A lightweight 2D game library for Go. Perfect for prototyping and surprisingly capable for building a full RPG-style engine.Tiled Map Editor
I’m using Tiled for building maps and placing objects. It exports directly into formats my engine can read, making it easy to iterate on layouts.
These two tools form the backbone of the current demo:
Ebiten runs the game loop, while Tiled helps me design the rooms, furniture, and puzzle objects quickly.
First Demo: Puzzle Adventure 🧩
(Tiled: by Sleepy_kitsune and Stephen Challener. Character: by Lanea Zimmerman.)
To test the basics, I created a short puzzle-adventure demo (~5–15 minutes).
Here’s what’s implemented so far:
Tilemap-based maps & scene transitions
Interactive objects (bed, desk, crate, lamp…)
Pushable crate mechanics
Simple event triggers & state tracking
Conditional unlocks (collect 3 symbols → open a safe → find the key → escape)
👉 You can play the demo here: https://patchouligo.itch.io/house-puzzle
(Note: the text/UI is currently in Chinese, but the gameplay is simple and easy to follow without reading.)
Closing thoughts
This journey is just beginning. My ultimate goal is to use this engine as the foundation for original games — ones that mix puzzle-solving, exploration, and magical storytelling.
If you’re interested in Go, Ebiten, or indie game development, I’d love to have you along for the ride.
Thanks for reading! 🙏
Stay tuned for the next devlog.