Review of Worlds of Aria: An In-Depth Look

When I first dipped my toes into the realm of tabletop RPGs, one aspect that genuinely intrigued me was the minimal amount of knowledge I needed as a player. A skilled game master can seamlessly guide newcomers through an epic quest, interpreting their decisions within the framework of the game’s rules—even if the players themselves feel a bit lost. Worlds of Aria is a game that aspires to offer that same kind of welcoming environment with a whimsical twist on the classic tabletop RPG formula.

Diving into Worlds of Aria can be a solo venture or a shared journey with up to four players, whether you’re gathered around the same table or linked online. If there are fewer than four human players, AI characters fill the void, although they don’t have minds of their own. Instead, the player in control assumes responsibility for these additional characters. For instance, when my wife and I embarked on our quest, we each took charge of an extra party member to oversee.

The game unfolds through a series of narrative vignettes. During dialogues, you’re sometimes prompted to make decisions that steer the story. Picture encountering a guard—you could opt to brawl, bribe, sneak by, or even offer them a drink. Interestingly, consensus among all players isn’t necessary; each person can follow their chosen path. Characters’ individual stats influence how probable their success is, which is indicated by a percentage displayed above each action. Sometimes, the success of an action might hinge on other party members’ decisions, introducing myriad possible outcomes.

Whether you succeed or fail depends on a skill check, which involves rolling percentile dice. Your chance of success is linked to your stats—a 75% success rate means you need to roll 75 or below. It’s really straightforward. Your character’s unique abilities can also sway outcomes, though they come with limitations. My wizard, for example, had a deck of cards that could add or subtract from the roll. Once a card was used, it was gone for good. My wife’s pirate character had a similar ability, but it cost one gold for each use. Another character in our group had the power to guarantee the best possible result on a roll, though it could only be used three times in the entire campaign. The game skips over intricate combat mechanics in favor of this simple roll system. At times, I craved more complexity to mix things up, but on the flip side, this simplicity makes Worlds of Aria widely accessible.

The game does stumble a bit when it comes to the user interface. Clearly designed for a mouse and keyboard, transitioning to a controller setup can feel a bit clunky. Sometimes, you’ll find yourself maneuvering a freely moving cursor, much like on a PC, while other moments require you to adjust it to specific UI elements. It could be frustrating trying to align the cursor with a tiny on-screen button to open an inventory or when it snapped away from where I wanted. Most of the time, this was just a minor annoyance, but during timed decision moments, we found ourselves racing to select the correct options while managing multiple characters. Also, I did encounter instances where I accidentally dropped items behind a UI layer and struggled to retrieve them because they were obscured.

Despite that, Worlds of Aria is a charming, accessible, and well-crafted tabletop-inspired adventure. It’s perfect for gathering with your usual gaming crew, whether nearby or spread out, or for introducing newcomers to this gaming genre. While seasoned veterans might find the mechanics a tad simplistic, it’s clear that isn’t the game’s intention. It truly shines when more human players join in since empty slots otherwise convert into extra characters for players to manage. Although the UI might require some patience, Worlds of Aria ultimately delivers a delightful bridge between traditional tabletop RPGs and lively party games.