Kitsu’s Destiny

Kitsu’s Destiny is a roguelite incremental RPG crafted in RPG Maker, blending turn-based combat with a unique dynasty mechanic. Players battle the Dark Lady, accumulating gold and experience for their descendants to continue the fight upon defeat. With a focus on grinding and progression, the game features equipment upgrades, stat boosts, and powerful insignias that enhance combat capabilities. Set in a fantasy world with anime-inspired art, it offers a mix of JRPG and roguelike elements, challenging players to optimize their runs for greater rewards.

Kitsu’s Destiny: A Roguelite Dynasty Simulator That Redefines Grinding

Introduction: The Grind as a Virtue

Kitsu’s Destiny (2022) is a game that dares to ask: What if failure wasn’t just inevitable, but the entire point? Developed by Nexxus Drako (formerly KitsuNet) using RPG Maker MZ, this roguelite incremental RPG subverts traditional JRPG conventions by stripping away exploration, side quests, and even multiple enemies—leaving only one boss fight, one goal, and an endless cycle of generational vengeance. You play as a lineage of warrior women, each inheriting the burdens (and gear) of their predecessors, in a Sisyphean battle against the Dark Lady, a seemingly invincible foe.

At its core, Kitsu’s Destiny is a grinding simulator disguised as a fantasy epic, where progression is measured not in hours played, but in how efficiently you can optimize your doomed bloodline. It’s Dark Souls meets Cookie Clicker, with a dash of Dynasty Warriors—if the warriors were all the same person, reincarnated with slightly better stats each time.

This review will dissect Kitsu’s Destiny as both a mechanical experiment and a narrative curiosity, exploring how its minimalist design, roguelite structure, and meta-commentary on JRPG tropes make it a fascinating, if niche, entry in the genre.

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Development History & Context: The Birth of a Grind-Centric Vision

The Studio Behind the Grind: Nexxus Drako’s Experimental Ethos

Nexxus Drako (led by developer Pyra Drake) is a small indie studio known for unconventional, often meta-textual games that challenge player expectations. Their portfolio includes titles like Shadowless and Claria’s Great Maze, but Kitsu’s Destiny stands out as their most mechanically focused work—a game where the grind isn’t just a feature; it’s the entire philosophy.

The game was developed in RPG Maker MZ, a tool often associated with amateur or nostalgic JRPGs, but here used to craft something deliberately repetitive yet oddly compelling. The choice of engine wasn’t just practical—it was thematic. By leveraging RPG Maker’s turn-based combat and menu-driven progression, Kitsu’s Destiny forces players to confront the raw, unfiltered essence of JRPG mechanics without the distractions of world-building or storytelling.

The Gaming Landscape in 2022: A Market Saturated with Roguelites

Kitsu’s Destiny launched on November 10, 2022, into a crowded roguelite market dominated by games like Hades, Dead Cells, and Vampire Survivors. Unlike those titles, which blend procedural generation with fast-paced action, Kitsu’s Destiny is deliberately slow, methodical, and punishing.

Its $4.99 price point (often discounted to $1.24) positioned it as a budget experiment, appealing to players who enjoy systems-driven gameplay over flashy presentation. The lack of marketing or major critical coverage meant it flew under most radars, but its cult following on Steam and Itch.io suggests it found its audience: patients masochists who love spreadsheets more than swordplay.

Technological Constraints & Design Philosophy

RPG Maker’s limitations shaped the game’s identity:
– No complex animations → Combat is menu-based, emphasizing stat optimization over visual spectacle.
– Limited scripting → The dynasty mechanic (passing down gear and stats) had to be simple but deep.
– Turn-based rigidity → Forces players to engage with the numbers, not just button-mash.

The result? A game that feels like a spreadsheet come to life, where every click, every purchase, and every death is a calculated step toward an eventual, hard-won victory.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive: The Dark Lady and the Curse of Legacy

Plot Summary: A Cycle of Vengeance

The premise is deceptively simple:
– You are Kitsu, a warrior destined to fight the Dark Lady, an all-powerful entity who cannot be defeated in one lifetime.
– Every time you die, your daughter inherits your gear, gold, and experience, continuing the fight.
– The goal? Deal as much damage as possible before dying, because more damage = more resources for the next generation.
– Beat the Dark Lady? New Game+ awaits, where you fight her even stronger daughters in an endless cycle of escalation.

There is no traditional story. No cutscenes, no lore dumps, no NPCs. The narrative is emergent, told through:
– Item descriptions (e.g., “This sword was wielded by your mother… and her mother before her.”)
– The passage of in-game time (each generation takes 25 years, reinforcing the weight of legacy)
– The sheer futility of early attempts (your first Kitsu will likely deal 0.1% damage before dying)

Themes: Legacy, Futility, and the Illusion of Progress

Kitsu’s Destiny is a meditation on inheritance—not just of wealth or power, but of struggle itself. Key themes include:

1. The Myth of the Chosen One

   • Most JRPGs frame the protagonist as destined to win. Here, you are destined to lose—repeatedly.
   • Victory is statistical, not heroic. The game mockingly calls this “speedrunning grinding”—a joke that’s also a philosophical statement.

2. Generational Trauma as Gameplay

   • Each daughter inherits not just gear, but the weight of past failures.
   • The 25-year gap between generations makes time feel real and oppressive.
   • The Dark Lady’s daughters in New Game+ suggest that evil, too, is hereditary.

3. The Grind as a Virtue

   • Most games apologize for grinding (e.g., “Sorry for the fetch quests!”).
   • Kitsu’s Destiny embraces it, turning repetition into a form of ritual.
   • The soundtrack (composed by Pyra Drake under the alias Extrasolar Detonation) reinforces this with looping, hypnotic melodies that make the grind feel almost meditative.

Characters: The Silent Protagonists of a Silent War

• Kitsu (and her descendants) – A faceless avatar of perseverance. She has no personality, no voice, no backstory. She is pure function.
• The Dark Lady – A static, unchanging force of nature. She doesn’t taunt you. She doesn’t evolve. She simply exists to be chipped away at.
• The “Hand-Me-Downs” – Your inherited gear, each piece a tangible link to past failures. The game’s only real “lore” comes from these items.

The lack of traditional character development is intentional. This isn’t a story about people—it’s a story about systems.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems: The Art of Optimized Failure

Core Gameplay Loop: Die, Inherit, Optimize, Repeat

The game’s structure is brutally efficient:
1. Fight the Dark Lady (turn-based, no other enemies).
2. Die (you will, repeatedly).
3. Pass resources to your daughter (gold, XP, gear).
4. Upgrade (buy better weapons, armor, “insignias” that grant extra attacks).
5. Try again, now slightly stronger.

This loop is not about skill—it’s about resource management and patience.

Combat: A Turn-Based War of Attrition

• No random encounters – Just you vs. the Dark Lady, forever.
• No complex combos – Attacks are menu-selected, with damage scaled by stats.
• No dodging or positioning – Pure number-crunching.
• “Insignias” – Special items that grant extra attacks per turn, acquired by taking longer to beat the boss (a risk-reward mechanic).

The combat is deliberately shallow because the real game is in the meta-progression.

Progression Systems: The Dynasty Mechanic

• Gold & XP Carryover – The more damage you deal before dying, the more your heir inherits.
• Gear Inheritance – Weapons and armor persist across generations, but degrade over time (forcing eventual replacement).
• New Game+ – Beating the Dark Lady doesn’t end the game—it escalates it, introducing stronger versions of her daughters.
• “Lowest Time Wins” – The game tracks your total playtime, encouraging speedrunning the grind (a brilliant oxymoron).

UI & Quality of Life: Functional, Not Flashy

• Minimalist menus – No unnecessary fluff.
• Clear stat breakdowns – You always know how much stronger your next heir will be.
• No hand-holding – The game expects you to experiment with builds.

Innovations & Flaws

✅ Innovations:
– The dynasty mechanic is fresh and thematically rich.
– Turning grinding into the core appeal is bold and successful.
– New Game+ as a curse, not a reward is a great subversion.

❌ Flaws:
– Repetition can feel *too repetitive* for some.
– Lack of visual/audio variety makes long sessions tedious.
– Armor is mostly useless (the Dark Lady doesn’t use physical attacks, rendering defense stats pointless—a design oversight).

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World-Building, Art & Sound: Minimalism as a Statement

Setting: A Void of Purpose

There is no world in Kitsu’s Destiny. No towns, no dungeons, no NPCs. Just:
– A battlefield (static, pixel-art).
– A menu screen (where you upgrade).
– The Dark Lady’s throne room (where you die, repeatedly).

This absence of setting is intentional. The game rejects world-building because the struggle is the world.

Art Style: Anime/Manga Aesthetics on a Budget

• Pixel-art sprites (simple but effective).
• Anime-inspired character designs (Kitsu and the Dark Lady fit JRPG tropes).
• No animations beyond basic attacks (a limitation of RPG Maker, but also a stylistic choice).

The art is functional, not impressive—but it gets the job done.

Sound Design: The Hypnotic Rhythm of Grinding

• Composed by Pyra Drake (Extrasolar Detonation) – The 9-track soundtrack is looping, ambient, and oddly soothing.
• No voice acting (reinforcing the silent, ritualistic nature of the grind).
• Sound effects are minimal (clangs, menu blips—nothing distracting).

The music doesn’t evolve—just like the gameplay. It’s designed to fade into the background, making the grind almost meditative.

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Reception & Legacy: The Cult of the Grind

Critical Reception: A Niche Experiment

• No Metacritic score (too small for major coverage).
• Steam reviews: 80/100 (from 5 reviews) – Mostly positive, but polarized.
  • Praise: “A brilliant deconstruction of JRPG grinding.” “Addictive in a masochistic way.”
  • Criticism: “Too repetitive.” “Feels like a tech demo.”
• No major awards or nominations (but not expected for a game this niche).

Commercial Performance: A Labor of Love

• Priced at $4.99 (often discounted to $1.24).
• Sold mostly on Steam & Itch.io (no console ports).
• Open-sourced in 2025 (under Mozilla Public License 2.0), allowing modders to expand on its systems.

Legacy & Influence: A Blueprint for Anti-Grind Games?

Kitsu’s Destiny didn’t revolutionize gaming, but it proved that grinding could be the main attraction—not just a chore. Its influence can be seen in:
– Other “dynasty mechanic” games (e.g., Dinkum’s generational farming).
– Roguelites that embrace failure (e.g., Sifu’s aging mechanic).
– Incremental games with narrative weight (e.g., Nimble Quest’s legacy systems).

It remains a cult classic—loved by those who “get it,” ignored by everyone else.

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Conclusion: A Masterpiece of Repetition

Kitsu’s Destiny is not for everyone. It is:
– A love letter to grind enthusiasts.
– A middle finger to traditional JRPG pacing.
– A game that turns failure into progress.

Final Verdict: 8.5/10 – “A Flawed Gem for the Patient”

✅ Play it if: You love spreadsheets, roguelites, or games that make you suffer for progress.
❌ Avoid it if: You need story, variety, or instant gratification.

Kitsu’s Destiny is not a great game by conventional standards—but it is a fascinating one. It strips away everything unnecessary, leaving only the raw, unfiltered essence of grinding. And in doing so, it asks a profound question:

What if the journey isn’t the destination… but the destination is just another journey?

For the right player, that’s not a flaw—that’s poetry.