Eastward

Eastward Eastward is a retro pixel-art RPG set after the Black Tide. Switch between miner John and exiled San on the train Charon, explore dangerous areas, and uncover the truth above.

Eastward

Eastward is a retro-style, pixel-art adventure RPG set in a harsh post-apocalyptic future. After a mysterious disaster called the Black Tide wrecks civilization, survivors are forced underground—slowly forgetting what life above used to be like.

You play as John, a miner, and San, a strange young woman with an unknown past. After San is exiled, the two of you set off for the surface aboard a train named Charon, gradually discovering San’s special abilities and piecing together what’s really happening behind the Black Tide. The game mixes pixel art with a 90s Japanese anime vibe, enhanced by hand-drawn, frame-by-frame animation for visuals that feel rich and immersive.

Key Features

• Explore a bizarre, decaying world by riding the long cross-country railway. Hop off to wander lively towns, strange camps, and suspicious forests.
• Fight off odd monsters and dangerous bosses using whatever fits your style—guns, flamethrowers, or your trusty frying pan.
• Switch between John and San to solve environmental puzzles and clear tough dungeons. Separate to open hidden routes, or stay together when the journey gets especially risky.
• Meet a memorable cast full of personality. The story-driven adventure leans into quirky, heartfelt humor as you uncover what’s going on.



• Cook authentic Eastward-style meals using (mostly) fresh, organic ingredients taken from toxic forests, contaminated mines, and abandoned malls. Your dishes can provide health recovery, power boosts, and even secret benefits.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Detailed, well-crafted pixel art that gives the world a lot of character
• About 30 hours of gameplay
• A complete soundtrack designed to match the experience

Cons

• Even with strong detail, many players criticize the story for feeling slow and not fully explained
• Quests can require a lot of back-and-forth through areas you’ve already visited
• Some sections rely heavily on dialogue, which can slow the pace

Player Reviews

Review 1: “Absolutely gorgeous post-apocalyptic action-adventure. That said, it may sometimes feel more focused on surface-level presentation than a deeper experience.”

Review 2: “Your main characters are John and Sam. John is a miner living underground, far from MIASMA—the catastrophe that destroyed the surface world. One day he finds Sam inside a strange suspended animation pod, frees her, and brings her into his care. But when the two get on the wrong side of the local mayor, they’re banished to die on the surface. Turns out, the surface isn’t as ruined as they believed. From there, you travel eastward while MIASMA returns and closes in. A big part of Eastward is how story-heavy it is—lots of time spent in character conversations, with intertwined plot threads stacked on top of each other. By the end, though, it feels like the narrative may have been too complicated to execute cleanly, and the story threads start to tangle, making satisfying endings feel harder to reach.”

Review 3: “When you’re not talking to people, John and Sam get into classic top-down Zelda-style adventuring. They head to distant towns full of mutated monsters for John to fight with his frying pan. Everything stays pretty straightforward, and even the puzzles are basic—but somehow it all comes together in a fun, satisfying way.”

Review 4 (Spanish): “Juego con un pixel art precioso y una jugabilidad muy divertida. Recuerda a los Zelda en 2d con el combate y los puzzles. La historia no está mal y el world building es increíble. Aprovechan las mecánicas para hacer minijuegos y te incluye una especie de dragón quest dentro del propio juego.”

Review 5: “I had this game hyped up to me by two people who never even finished it right after release. I went in with zero expectations and walked away with one of the most intense emotional experiences I’ve ever had in a game. It’s heartbreaking and still fun. Visually and in tone, it feels like a love letter to Mother 3. It even includes an in-game mini game that could stand on its own as an award-worthy title. Please play it—if you’re ready to cry.”

FAQs

WHAT IS EASTWARD?

Eastward is a charming, beautifully detailed pixel art adventure RPG.

WHO MADE IT?

Eastward was developed by Pixpil, an indie studio based in Shanghai, China.

WHAT’S THIS GAME ABOUT?

In the near future, society begins to unravel and the human population reaches an all-time low. A lethal toxic presence spreads across the land, destroying and consuming everything in its way. But for a hard-working miner and a mysterious young girl, hope of a thriving outside world is still within reach...

Follow John and Sam, Eastward’s unlikely duo, as they journey to the land above—discovering strange new settlements and facing peculiar threats along the way.