At first glance, Lie of Caelum: Spirit looks like a sci-fi mecha JRPG inspired by Xenogears and Phantasy Star – complete with 3D characters and mechs, full combat and exploration systems. But what really made players do a double-take was when developer Classi5ed revealed the entire game was made using RPG Maker MZ. Some fans are now calling him “God’s strongest programmer” because this completely defies expectations of what RPG Maker can do.
Not just 3D mechs – full open world exploration
The crazy part? Lie of Caelum: Spirit isn’t just using RPG Maker for traditional 2D RPGs. The game lets players explore an open world, seamlessly switch between character and mech forms, and even transition between the two mid-game. The Kickstarter trailer showcases high-speed mech racing minigames, plus card games and fishing. Basically, all the classic JRPG side activities are here – making people wonder: what else can RPG Maker do that we don’t know about?
It’s not that RPG Maker can’t do it – you just haven’t pushed it hard enough!
RPG Maker MZ was designed to help people without deep programming backgrounds create their own RPGs, so when people think of RPG Maker, they typically imagine 2D maps, character dialogues, and event systems. But Lie of Caelum: Spirit shows this tool can be pushed to completely different limits. As GamesRadar noted, what’s truly surprising isn’t that RPG Maker suddenly became a powerful engine – it’s that the developer had the technical skill to “squeeze” this relatively simple tool into something extraordinary.
$34,000 goal – raised over $147,000!
The game is now on Steam. The Kickstarter originally set a $34,000 goal but ended up raising over $147,000, unlocking Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox versions as stretch goals. The game promises over 60 hours of main story content and 20+ hours of side content, with plotlines involving character identities, philosophy, and Caelum-related conspiracies. It’s actually a massive evolution of the 2022 free game Lie of Caelum, growing from a small project into a full 3D mecha JRPG. The development journey itself might just be “RPG Maker’s Ultimate Challenge Story”.