Ryoko Kui's Recommended Games

In issue 1837 of Weekly Famitsu magazine, Ryoko Kui, the mangaka behind Dungeon Meshi, gives an interview where she discusses her history with gaming. She also did an illustration depicting various elf characters from "foreign RPGs". This list includes all of the games mentioned in the feature.

Other media mentioned:
The Neverending Story (book)
Lord of the Rings series (books)
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (anime)
Dungeons & Dragons (tabletop RPG/series) [never played it, but read rulebooks and novels]

Additionally, while it wasn't mentioned in the article, Kui has done fan art of Cuphead before.

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
Series
Watched her father play.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
Series
Watched her father play.
Ultima
Ultima
Series
Watched her father play.
Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior
Series
Watched her father play.
Wizardry: Bane of the Cosmic Forge
Wizardry: Bane of the Cosmic Forge
The biggest inspiration for Dungeon Meshi was the Cosmic Forge pen from Wizardry VI. With improved graphics from its predecessor, now it could show broken farming tools in the background and many more details that made exploration so much fun.
Legend of Grimrock
Legend of Grimrock
The game that got her back into gaming and the first one she studied during research for Dungeon Meshi.
Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master
Kui mentioned that she wanted to play Dungeon Master, as it was famous for being an "RPG with meals", but hunting down the game and machine to play it was too much.
Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium is the perfect game for her due to the lack of fighting, intriguing story, charming character interaction, and top-down perspective. She tried playing it in English at first due to an unlikely chance for JP loc, but it was out of her ability. Thus she is forever grateful to Spike Chunsoft for localizing it.
Unpacking
Unpacking
She praised Unpacking and House Flipper for being able to tell what kind of person lives there only through their belongings, and that there's no right or wrong for the placements; she would make the best arrangement and then enjoy her hard work while sipping tea.
House Flipper
House Flipper
Return of the Obra Dinn
Return of the Obra Dinn
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2
She enjoyed Red Dead Redemption 2 and God of War for their stories. RDR2's incredible attention to detail had Kui engrossed so much that she asked her editor and other mangaka to play it so she could discuss it with them.
God of War
God of War
Starfield
Starfield
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
She played Zelda: BotW and TotK on a borrowed Switch from her editor due to the console's scarcity at the time.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Kui praised The Witcher 3 localization as something only possible with full support from the developer.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is one of her all-time favorites.
Baldur's Gate
Baldur's Gate
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3
Kui played Baldur's Gate 3 from the time it was in Early Access. Again, she's grateful for Spike Chunsoft's JP loc. She hoped BG3's success would bring the possibility of JP loc for other titles too, such as Pathfinder: WOTR
Divinity: Original Sin
Divinity: Original Sin
Divinity: Original Sin II
Divinity: Original Sin II
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age II: Legacy
Dragon Age II: Legacy
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Waiting on the Japanese version.
Pillars of Eternity
Pillars of Eternity
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Papers, Please
Papers, Please
Papers, Please was her first taste of indie games.
Immortality
Immortality
Her Story
Her Story
Chrono Cross
Chrono Cross
She was happy that Yasunori Mitsuda was chosen as the composer for the Dungeon Meshi anime, as she used to play Chrono Cross and rewatched the opening many times.
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
Cloudpunk
Cloudpunk
Looking forward to this.
Nivalis
Nivalis
Looking forward to this.
Avowed
Avowed
Looking forward to this.
2064: Read Only Memories
2064: Read Only Memories
More general recommendations ↓
Life is Strange: Before the Storm
Life is Strange: Before the Storm
Of Mice and Sand: Revised
Of Mice and Sand: Revised
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Gorogoa
Gorogoa
Detroit: Become Human
Detroit: Become Human
Crossing Souls
Crossing Souls
My Time at Portia
My Time at Portia
Tyranny
Tyranny
Sorcery! Parts 1 & 2
Sorcery! Parts 1 & 2
Marvel's Spider-Man
Marvel's Spider-Man
Vampyr
Vampyr
Dragon Quest Builders 2
Dragon Quest Builders 2
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit
Space Haven
Space Haven
Planescape: Torment - Enhanced Edition
Planescape: Torment - Enhanced Edition
Songs of Syx
Songs of Syx
Encased
Encased
Inscryption
Inscryption
Triangle Strategy
Triangle Strategy
Two Point Campus
Two Point Campus
Superliminal
Superliminal
Expeditions: Rome
Expeditions: Rome
Stacklands
Stacklands
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
Coffee Talk: Episode 2 - Hibiscus & Butterfly
Coffee Talk: Episode 2 - Hibiscus & Butterfly
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood
Scene Investigators
Scene Investigators
Chicken Police
Chicken Police

4 Comments


3 months ago

thank you for consolidating this! dungeon meshi is my new favourite standard of fantasy world building in manga and it's incredible to see how her own gaming preferences reflects in her creations.

3 months ago

This is a very convenient list! thanks mate, saved me the trouble of searching for it.

2 months ago

This is a delightful list, thank you for making it.

14 days ago

Thanks for making this!


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