A Short Hike Dev Offers Free Demo For Untitled Paper RPG

June 29, 2025

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‘Untitled Paper RPG’ will likely never be finished. That’s what Adam Robinson-Yu (also known as ‘adamgyru’, developer of indie hit A Short Hike) said on an itch.io blog post, explaining why everyone can come and play the game anyway.

A Short Hike launched to huge success, with the fledgling indie project eventually seeing released on Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles.

Untitled Paper RPG characters around a campfire

“I first started [Untitled Paper RPG] in 2016,” Robinson-Yu writes, “after seeing the announcement for Paper Mario Color Splash. I was nostalgic for the old style of Paper Mario and thought – well, I make games, why not try making the game I want to see?”

It looked cool! I thought, maybe I really could make this game.

As time rolled ever onwards, that initial passion seemed to wane after a while. Despite the game’s beautiful visuals and interested fans, Robinson-Yu struggled to make it work.

From lingering doubts on turn-based combat, to the project’s daunting scale, to the game’s lack of story, passion for the RPG had started to wane. Slowly, but steadily.

The creation of 2019’s ‘A Short Hike’ was, originally, a way to give the solo developer a break from RPG development. Despite the break, Untitled Paper RPG ultimately felt too “overwhelming” to continue development.

What Happened To Untitled Paper RPG?

Screenshot of Untitled Paper RPG, from the game's store page

Untitled Paper RPG is officially “sort of” canceled, largely due to that lack of passion. It’s a ‘never say never, bet let’s be honest with ourselves’ situation.

But Robinson-Yu had apparently been asked on more than one occasion about the RPG’s development status, and doesn’t just want to leave people hanging.

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As of now, a free demo for the game has been released, promising 1-2 hours of content for fans to enjoy.

The page’s description is brief – it shows off its inspiration, gives you a run-down on how to play, and offers a few credits to other contributors. Other than that, it’s just you, a brief look at the game through some images and animations, and a nice shiny download button.

“There’s some stuff in there that I’m proud of,” Robinson-Yu says in the blog post, “even if there’s also some stuff that I find embarrassing!”

Hope you enjoy taking a peek behind the curtain at a game part-way through an aimless development.

As for fan reactions, well, those who enjoyed ‘A Short Hike’ are no stranger to quick and sweet experiences. The game’s comments are filled with praise, with promises to enjoy every last minute of gameplay the RPG has to offer.

Any comment not addressing the game is a set of well-wishes, hoping the developer continues to release games at their own pace.