We Love It's Guide to…
A young villager leaves Darkwood to uncover its secrets in an open-world RPG of tactical turn-based combat, crafting, and farming.
Released 29 Feb 2016
Explore Hidden Dungeons
Build a Forest Home
Farm and Craft Gear
Balrum is an old-school, turn-based, open world RPG with deep tactical combat. Explore a huge living fantasy world with dozens of side quests next to an epic main quest. Grow your own crops, build your home, and craft your own custom items.
Developed by Balcony Softworks · Published by Balcony Softworks









You play as a young man whose sheltered life in Darkwood is disrupted by strange events and the woods’ hidden history. As the village’s troubles deepen, you venture into a larger, lawless fantasy world and take on quests tied to its people and past.
Explore large regions, villages, dungeons, and hidden locations in a real-time world that switches to turn-based combat during fights. You can pursue the main quest or side quests, gather resources, and face encounters with a controllable animal companion.
Spend learning points on attributes and skills to shape a focused or hybrid character. Craft custom equipment and other items, farm crops, build a home, and manage survival needs as you explore; your choices also lead along one of three paths to the ending.
Players who enjoy Balrum often point to its large world and rewarding exploration, along with the appeal of farming, crafting, and building a home at their own pace. Its retro RPG atmosphere and range of character options also attract praise. Other reviewers find the combat difficult, the pace slow, and the systems or objectives hard to understand, so these strengths are not shared by everyone.
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
|---|---|
| Achievements | 42 |
| Age ratings |
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| Controller required | No |
| Website | Official website |