Solo game developers have always been one of the most impressive things to me in the gaming space. Game development has so many facets to it. Being able to navigate everything from level design to plotting out the story to writing dialogue has always seemed like an absolutely herculean task. Not to mention, the fact that you have to pour 100s and 100s of hours into a project before anyone can even start to lay eyes on it.
My one foray into solo game development came as a teen, when I thought it might be cool to make my own turn based RPG with whatever the latest RPG Maker was at the time. I had many grand ideas and an epic plan. Slowly, I realized that I wasn’t built for this. There was too much work involved just to make the project incredibly mediocre. I couldn’t imagine putting in the work to actually make something that could be considered good. There’s a mix of talent and effort needed there that I probably don’t have.
So I was blown away recently to discover a new friend of mine actually makes full-blown games with RPG Maker. Perhaps even more shockingly, it turns out he is pretty damn good at it! The latest game from my friend comes out today on RPG Maker WITH. It is called A Murder in Buckfield.
I don’t plan on writing a full review for it because there would be a clear conflict of interest there. I do want to offer some brief thoughts, though. I am about 1/3rd of the way through the game so far, and I am legitimately quite impressed with it. I played a fair amount of RPG Maker games years ago, and I have never played anything from that platform quite like this. A Murder in Buckfield uses the RPG Maker system not to make a standard turn based RPG but instead to make a detective game. A Murder in Buckfield is a game about being a detective and trying to figure out who committed a gruesome murder in a small town. The game is actually pretty open-ended. You can try and advance through the game pretty fast, or you can find a lot more evidence and talk to more people if you decide to be more thorough. The game grades you for your detective work at the end. The game also has different endings depending on the choices you make.
I’ve been surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed some of the writing and dialogue. The game has managed to make a lot of these characters feel distinct, which is a difficult task in a game like this. There’s some potty humor that isn’t normally my jam, but I actually have enjoyed some of that, too. Most importantly, the game sets up all of its detective elements really well. You have quite a few suspects, and I’m really enjoying my internal debate as I gather more evidence about who did it. The game has some limitations that are going to be inherent with any RPG Maker game, but this is still a really cool experience that I am glad I am playing, and that I am certainly going to finish (it’s about 5 hours according to the developer.)
In lieu of writing a full review, I decided to ask the developer, “Nestor,” a few questions about the process of making a game and about making A Murder in Buckfield in particular. The interview is below. If you want to play A Murder in Buckfield, you will need to download the free RPG Maker WITH demo on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, or PS5. Then you can download the game on the “Maker Plaza” from there.
Westen: When did you start solo developing with RPG Maker? What do you enjoy about it?
Nestor: I first played an RPG Maker title as a kid on the PlayStation and have fond memories of experimenting with it. Years later, when RPG Maker MV was released on the Switch in 2020, I revisited the franchise and started developing a project called Kingdom of Neandria.
What I enjoy most is the freedom—being able to build a world, create my own characters, and shape an experience that captures a specific feeling I’ve cherished in games I’ve played. Sometimes it’s nostalgia, sometimes warmth, sometimes mystery—it’s hard to pin down, and it’s definitely subjective. But I love trying to recreate that feeling, and RPG Maker gives me the tools to experiment and bring it to life.
Westen: What is the hardest part about developing a game in your view?
Nestor: Any game that gives the player freedom to alter outcomes is a challenge because you have to anticipate every possible path and make sure nothing causes the game to fall apart. For me, it’s also the perfectionism—playing through the same scenes 20 times, only to find a misspelled word or a missing comma on the 21st. As a solo developer, you don’t want to miss anything big, but it’s easy to. And when I do catch mistakes late in development, it gives me anxiety—because if I missed that, what else did I overlook?
Westen: I’ve been very fascinated by Murder in Buckfield as an RPG Maker game. I played plenty of games made with RPG Maker back in the day, but absolutely nothing like a slightly open-ended detective game without any real RPG elements. What inspired you to make the game?
Nestor: I started 2024 by playing through Disco Elysium, which led me to play L.A. Noire for the first time, and then Pentiment when it came to Switch later that summer. I loved all three, and it made me realize that if I were to attempt another RPG Maker project, I’d want it to center around a mystery—something with a tragic crime and an element of player choice.
Westen: A Murder in Buckfield is really ambitious. Was there ever a point where you felt like you were in over your head?
Nestor: Trying to create an interactive world where when you speak to someone, what you ask—or don’t ask—affects later conversations was a massive headache. Making sure everything flowed correctly was a challenge, and any mistake in one dialogue box meant I had to check every other instance where that line might be triggered. It was incredibly time-consuming, especially with a game so reliant on dialogue.
Westen: How many hours did you put into making A Murder in Buckfield? I believe this is one of the first games you made while being a father as well. How much more challenging did that make it to develop this game?
Nestor: Probably around 700 hours. My previous project, Kingdom of Neandria, took nearly three times as long, but that was spread over two years with breaks in between. With A Murder in Buckfield, I’ve essentially worked non-stop since mid-October.
Balancing fatherhood and game development was tough. I felt guilty about the time I was putting into it, but I tried to compensate by sacrificing sleep rather than family time. Still, I’m pretty sure my wife wasn’t always thrilled about it. But I just really wanted to finish. The game was always on my mind—like an itch I couldn’t ignore—knowing how much work was left. That feeling didn’t go away until it was done.
Westen: Have you ever had any dreams of using these skills that you’ve acquired to solo develop a game on a different platform? Or are you pretty content with making games through RPG Maker?
Nestor: At one point, that was definitely a dream, and I suppose working in the gaming industry in some capacity would still be interesting. But the idea of learning to code or building a game from scratch—not just handling one part of a larger project—isn’t something I see in my future.
For now, I’m content to step away from RPG Maker. After finishing a project like this, I always feel like I never want to make another game again. But I know that feeling won’t last forever. Eventually, the itch will return, and if a new RPG Maker release looks appealing… well, we’ll see.
Westen: What is your elevator pitch for why someone should try A Murder in Buckfield?
Nestor: A Murder in Buckfield is a narrative-driven detective mystery set in a small town in 1995. Playing as a city detective investigating a brutal murder, you’ll explore a richly detailed world, uncover secrets, and interview townsfolk. With no combat or RPG mechanics, the focus is on atmosphere, exploration, and narrative—offering a thoughtful, immersive experience. The game features multiple endings, a ranking system, and a story that truly comes together at the end. If you enjoy cozy yet compelling mysteries, this is one worth solving.
Big Nerd Gaming 
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