Lucia's Dreams (Free Non-Field RPG) Introduction and Review

This article introduces "Lucia's Dream," a non-field RPG created by Huyumi.
Originally sold as an adult-oriented title, an all-ages version has now been released as a free game.
This RPG features highly strategic combat and a world enveloped in a tranquil atmosphere.

The completion time was approximately two and a half hours.

Purchase the adult version here.
As of August 2025, the price is 440 yen including tax.
(This will take you to DLsite)

Game Overview (No Spoilers)

When the protagonist wakes up, he has no memory, and in front of him is a girl who introduces herself as Lucia.
It is explained that the protagonist's memory loss is the work of the Demon Lord, and that his role is to defeat the Demon Lord and become a hero.
You will embark on a journey with Lucia to defeat the Demon King.

This game is a non-field RPG.
There is no concept of a field; the game progresses by repeatedly engaging in battles and events.
In the image above, clicking the sword icon initiates a battle, and clicking the exclamation mark (!) triggers an event.
You can go to the village by clicking the arrows on the screen; the left arrow will take you to the previous area, and the right arrow will take you to the next area.

There is no concept of game over; if you lose a battle, you can choose to try again or retreat.
All battles are fixed battles, and clearing each battle for the first time will increase your character's stats or grant you new skills.
You can fight enemies you've already defeated again, but you won't gain anything extra from doing so.

The combat system in this game is unique.
The basic strategy is to adjust your distance from the enemy, dodge or parry their attacks, and continue your attack chain while avoiding taking damage.

A grid with numbers written on it is displayed in the center left of the battle screen.
Here, your current location (circled in the image) and the enemy's planned attack locations (the number indicates the turn number) are displayed.
In the example image above, you are currently in the middle, and both your current location and the location above will be hit by enemy attacks this turn.
Therefore, you can avoid enemy attacks by attacking while moving downwards.
Alternatively, the crossed swords symbol indicates that you can parry, so if you move upwards while performing a parry attack, you can block the enemy's attack while simultaneously attacking.
(The checkmark indicates a finishing attack; using it last significantly increases the attack multiplier.)
If you select the card to move below, the next state will be as shown in the image below.

The number that was displayed earlier has decreased by one, and all of them have moved to the left.
Next, you need to move up one step; if you stay where you are, you will be attacked.
After that, there's a short gap in time, but you realize that staying in the middle will leave you vulnerable to attack, so you understand that it's dangerous not to move upwards.

It may be difficult to convey this in writing, but the battle proceeds in this manner.
As long as you don't take any damage, the damage you inflict will increase exponentially.
If you take damage even once, the chain will be reset to its initial value, so you need to keep preventing the enemy from attacking.

There are also commands that allow you to adapt to different situations, such as the "Wait" action, which lets you wait a turn, or the "Enchant" command, which has a limited number of uses per turn, which adds effects like parrying to attacks or moving to a different location.
The real thrill lies in using these techniques to evade enemy attacks.

In the actual game, the early battles are designed like a tutorial, allowing you to gradually learn the system, and Lucia provides careful support throughout.
It might seem difficult at first, but there's absolutely no need to be scared.

On the menu screen, you can change your equipment (skills) and modify your action hand during battle.
Considering that there are no random elements in combat, it can be said that winning or losing depends entirely on preparation.
If you get stuck against a tough enemy, you'll likely need to think things through carefully on this screen.

Review (no spoilers)

I completed the game to the very end.
The combat system stands out for its unique features, but players can gradually learn and understand it through practical combat.
The system is designed to be easily understood as you play, making it a very user-friendly and well-crafted game.

The combat felt less like a typical RPG and more like a non-real-time rhythm game, where you choose your actions in time with the enemy's attacks.
You're not required to be extremely well-prepared beforehand; if you have the skills to handle any situation, you can manage to a certain extent.
You can play without stress by using enchantments to deal with unexpected attacks.
If you create a set that's too unbalanced, there's a possibility you won't be able to clear it no matter what you do, but even if you lose, you can easily try again or retreat, so it wasn't a problem.

The story features a small cast of characters, but the text is captivating, stimulating the player's imagination.
There are plenty of dialogue options, and the characters in the game react to the player's choices, creating a sense of immersion.
The same author'sBreaker HeartsI was impressed by the wide range of choices available, which allowed players to strongly reflect their own way of thinking, as seen in the example above.

The graphics are generally beautiful and of high quality.
The graphics are beautiful, from the main character Lucia to the enemy graphics and other screen elements.
The background music mostly consists of calm or tense tunes, but intense or dramatic songs are played during exciting moments.
Since this work was originally released as a paid download, its beauty is understandable.

The difficulty level isn't particularly high, so if you're interested, why not give it a try?

Review (contains spoilers)

The combat was very fun, and I finished the game in one go.
I rarely got stuck because I didn't know the solution; I could usually defeat the enemy on the first try, or I could defeat them after retreating and taking countermeasures.

Although it has the drawback of reducing the base damage value, I basically fought by setting either the parry or finish attribute to every action.
I don't think there were any enemies where I needed to quickly increase my damage output, so I didn't have any particular problems.
The settings upon defeating the final boss are as shown in the image below.

I had a really hard time with the final boss, and had to try again and again.
If the damage dealt per turn is low, you'll be overwhelmed by the final attack pattern of the last boss, but I managed to defeat it somehow.

I managed to defeat it by the skin of my teeth."Ah, now—finally,"When that line came out, I thought, "Yes!""I can give it my all."I was truly terrified when I heard that.
However, the subsequent battles were mostly like event battles, which was good.

Ultimately, I chose the ending where I kill the Demon King.
During our conversation along the way, I had already chosen the option of defeating the Demon King, and I was also told that it would be better not to change my mind too much, so I killed him without wavering.
This is probably because I'm the kind of person who prioritizes consistency in my past actions over my emotions or the mood of the moment, ensuring there are no contradictions.
This experience made me realize that, at least when it comes to choices in a game, it might be important to change your mind if you think you might be making a mistake, and instead prioritize your feelings in that moment.