10 Obscure RPGs You NEED To Play

Written, designed, and composed by Austin Jorgensen for development and publishing by American indie company Dingaling Productions in December 2014, Lisa: The Painful might just be one of the most bizarre RPGs ever released for the PC market.

Players take control of a bald middle-aged man named Brad Armstrong in the game, with the story revolving his quest to scale across the fictional wastelands of Olathe in search of his adoptive daughter. The game is primarily a 2D side-scrolling adventure across the overworld, with players able to create parties with the characters they find and making decisions that affect the game mechanics for Brad's physical and mental wellbeing, as well as the state of his party's.

Jorgensen citied timeless RPGs such as EarthBound as the main source of inspiration when it came to making Lisa, and this influence can be seen in the game's soundtrack and use of comic relief in what would otherwise be a pretty sombre time.

The game certainly received a healthy amount of warm receptions following its release, even spawning a mini universe of continuity thanks to some fan-made spin off games, however it's fair to say Lisa is still an RPG that has evaded most people's radars.