Dink Smallwood

Dink Smallwood is an action role-playing game developed and published by RT Soft for Windows 95/98. Released in 1998, the game casts players as Dink, a pig farmer from the village of Stonebrook whose life is upended when his home is burned and his mother killed. Driven by dreams of adventure, Dink sets out into a fantasy world filled with monsters, magic, and a shadowy conspiracy known as the Cast.

Gameplay adopts an isometric perspective reminiscent of classic Zelda titles, with real-time combat, spellcasting, and puzzle-solving. Dink can wield swords, axes, and fireballs, and his equipment is visually reflected on his sprite as he progresses. The game world is dotted with towns and dungeons, and quests are assigned by NPCs through a dialogue system that often showcases the game's irreverent sense of humor.

One of Dink Smallwood's most distinctive features is the bundled adventure editor. Players can create their own quests, import custom graphics and sounds, and script events using the DinkC language. This has fostered a vibrant community that produces downloadable modules (D-Mods), effectively extending the game's lifespan indefinitely.

Despite its low-budget production values, Dink Smallwood has been praised for its engaging story and comedic writing. However, a controversial scene involving domestic violence has drawn criticism. Overall, the game is regarded as a charming example of indie RPG development before the term 'indie' gained widespread use.