RPG Maker 2003 on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information

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For the first time ever, RPG Maker 2003 is officially available in English! This legendary game development engine is both highly affordable and easy to use, and it remains one of the most popular RPG Maker installments to date.

RPG Maker 2003 is a game development, rpg and design & illustration game developed by Gotcha Gotcha Games, KADOKAWA and Yoji Ojima and published by Gotcha Gotcha Games.
Released on April 24th 2015 is available in English only on Windows.

It has received 768 reviews of which 717 were positive and 51 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.8 out of 10. 😎

The game is currently priced at 1.95€ on Steam with a 90% discount.

The Steam community has classified RPG Maker 2003 into these genres:

Game Development RPG Design & Illustration RPGMaker Web Publishing JRPG Education Software 2D Pixel Graphics Singleplayer Anime Retro

Media & Screenshots

Get an in-depth look at RPG Maker 2003 through various videos and screenshots.

RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
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RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
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RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
RPG Maker 2003 screenshot
RPG Maker 2003 screenshot

System requirements

These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.

Windows
  • OS *: Microsoft® Windows® XP/Vista/7/8
  • Processor: Intel® Pentium®4 1.5GHz
  • Memory: 256 MB RAM
  • Graphics: 1024x768 or better video resolution in High Color mode
  • Storage: 100 MB available space
  • Sound Card: DirectSound-compatible sound card

User reviews & Ratings

Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.

March 2025
I made MY Hyborian Age- rpg This was on sale and TOTAL WORTH it, by MITRA! what a fun easy and simple 16bit game maker!!! I am actually making my Barbarian game now! look at the time ive put in screen shots soon
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Feb. 2025
RPG Maker 2003 is a great tool for young aspiring game developers, especially those around 13 or 14 who want to create simple games without feeling overwhelmed by more complex engines. My tip for getting started is to find a video tutorial you can follow along with, even if it's not specifically for this version of RPG Maker, it will still help you understand the basics. While this won't be the software you'll stick with forever, and you'll eventually outgrow it as you progress as a developer, it’s an excellent starting point. It allows you to learn core programming concepts while taking care of the more complex tasks, so you can dive straight into the fun part of game development: creating a world and telling your story with almost immediate results!
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Feb. 2025
Ok here goes for my review for this software, I've actually used RPG Maker 2003 way more than what steam says because I use it with a community patch called maniacs outside of the steam environment(I also already had the non steam version of RPG Maker 2003 before getting this version). Pros over other RM Engines: ======================= 3x3 Auto Tiles More Advanced Event System (do more without coding knowledge) Better performance on older hardware and lower spec computers Has Midi support for BGM (this is if you want to optimize for file size, Midi file support was dropped after VX Ace) Engine is Cheap Small File Size (just over 1MB with a blank game, RM2k is 750KB is your curious and want to go even lower! This is all without compression btw) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pros with the two popular community projects (all thx to the patch eula! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ With Easy RPG Player: ================== Games made with 2000 and 2k3 are able to play on multiple platforms including Android and through a web browser. OGG Support Better performance on modern PCs QOL features such as Fast Forward(like in emulators) and Support for input devices Has some support for Maniacs Patch Still getting support and actively being worked on ================= With Maniacs Patch ================= Support for OGG BGM and Sound Effects An Extensive expansion to the base eventing system (tbh it's getting very close to just being another programming language while keeping the easy eventing system structure) Direct Programming via the TPC System (and now some javascript support) Ability to change font, customise windows and change game screen size within the database(similar to MZ) Better performance on modern PCs Still getting support and actively being worked on ===================== Cons of RPG Maker 2003 ===================== Old interface and aesthetic is very Windows XP, but that doesn't affect the engine itself and it's capabilities, just preference Image Files have to be 8 bit, a max of 256 colours per image file(however every image can have different 256 colours from each other). This won't actually affect most people as it's very unlikely you will use a palette larger than 256 for pixel art and most pixel art tools have a palette size of 256(8bit) anyway. 16x16 Tiles not only this but your limited to one image file per tileset, while in MZ for example, you have up to 9(this method changed after XP with VX). This can be good or bad depending on user preference. Harder to find third party resources, while it is possible, it is definitely harder to find resources and tutorials for this than for say, MV and MZ. However there is still a strong community for this engine which will help you if you ask for it. --------------------- In Summary ---------------------- While for more modern style games you'll be better off with RPG Maker MZ, if you want to make games purely with eventing, want to make a retro style game(particularly from the SNES/Megadrive era and earlier), keep your final export size as low as possible and/or enjoy low level tinkering then this is the RPG Maker engine for you!
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Jan. 2025
Its really hard to navigate if you haven't watched or read any tutorials. But I get that this was probably made for people that know what they are doing (I have no clue). I watched a youtube tutorial and was able to make maps and simple events, but I still don't understand most of the features. Though overall I like this software a lot, the best part is the pre-made music and sound effects. Most of the time I open rpg maker just to listen to the music (It's so good I cried to it). Maybe one day I'll actually make a game to use it in.
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Sept. 2024
I bought this software when it was on sale, just to see what it was like. After playing around for it a bit, I was quite surprised how easy it was to use. Pros: Easy to use Can make old school JRPG games with this Lots of tutorials available online Lots of 3rd party resources available online Cons: The newer versions of RPG Maker look significantly better.
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Frequently Asked Questions

RPG Maker 2003 is currently priced at 1.95€ on Steam.

RPG Maker 2003 is currently available at a 90% discount. You can purchase it for 1.95€ on Steam.

RPG Maker 2003 received 717 positive votes out of a total of 768 achieving a rating of 8.75.
😎

RPG Maker 2003 was developed by Gotcha Gotcha Games, KADOKAWA and Yoji Ojima and published by Gotcha Gotcha Games.

RPG Maker 2003 is playable and fully supported on Windows.

RPG Maker 2003 is not playable on MacOS.

RPG Maker 2003 is not playable on Linux.

RPG Maker 2003 does not currently offer any DLC.

RPG Maker 2003 does not support mods via Steam Workshop.

RPG Maker 2003 does not support Steam Remote Play.

RPG Maker 2003 does not currently support Steam Family Sharing.

You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for RPG Maker 2003.

Data sources

The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.

Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.

Last Updates
Steam data 09 June 2025 17:04
SteamSpy data 12 June 2025 01:37
Steam price 15 June 2025 04:45
Steam reviews 13 June 2025 15:57

If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about RPG Maker 2003, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.

  • SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about RPG Maker 2003
  • SteamCharts - Analysis of RPG Maker 2003 concurrent players on Steam
  • ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck RPG Maker 2003 compatibility
RPG Maker 2003
-90% 19.50€ 1.95€ -74% 19.50€ 5.26€
8.8
717
51
Online players
54
Developer
Gotcha Gotcha Games, KADOKAWA, Yoji Ojima
Publisher
Gotcha Gotcha Games
Release 24 Apr 2015
Platforms
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