Play Aretha Online

Aretha is one of those obscure Japanese RPGs that never made it overseas—which is a shame, because it’s got this weirdly cozy vibe despite the grind. You play as a little girl (no explanation given, she’s just there) wandering through pixelated forests and towns that somehow feel bigger than they should on the Game Boy’s tiny screen.

Combat’s your standard turn-based stuff, but the enemy sprites have this charmingly janky look to them—like someone drew them in a hurry but forgot to be mad about it. There’s no English patch (yet?), so you’ll be mashing through menus hoping you picked the right spell. Somehow, that almost adds to the adventure.

If you’re into retro RPGs with more atmosphere than polish, this one’s a curious little time capsule.