Grifford Academy is a story-driven, turn-based RPG blending teenage drama with fantasy adventure. It launched into Early Access on June 25, 2025, with the full 1.0 release planned for 2026.
The game is set in Caldria, a mystical realm inside a magical book, where three high school students—Erika, Viva, and Cap—must navigate friendships, internal growth, and perilous combat to rescue a missing classmate.
LandShark Games Team
LandShark is a small studio of around five full-time staff plus outsourced writers. Veterans of EA, Broderbund, and SSI, founders Kim and Paul Naylor have spent about five years crafting Grifford Academy, evolving from narrative-focused mobile games like Zen Koi to this full-3D RPG.
Their background blends Western and Eastern influences, visible in the art style, narrative structure, and gameplay philosophy, citing inspiration from Studio Ghibli, Ni no Kuni, and Gravity Falls.
Early Access Philosophy
Grifford Academy enters with a complete story in Early Access, but with systems, polish, and balance still evolving based on player input. The devs expect to spend 3–6 months refining the game before full release.
Planned future features include Recipe Hunting, Pets, and a Roguelite Mode.
This title embraces the “lite academia” concept: balancing narrative depth with accessible mechanics for players new to RPGs, all while preserving strategic combat and meaningful character arcs.
Premise & Setting
The story begins when a quirky teen trio—Erika, Viva, and Cap—are unexpectedly drawn into the mystical book realm of Caldria. As they learn the fate of other missing students, they realize they must band together to uncover secrets and rescue them.
Caldria features medieval-style fantasy and spirit-infused artifacts, but the focus remains on character relationships.
Choice & Personality Growth
Dialogue and moral decisions shape both story progression and personality traits, which in turn grant combat bonuses. Examples include whether to help a side character or go on a mission, which may temporarily leave you underpowered but affects dialogue and character bond.
Core Turn-Based Gameplay
Combat in Grifford Academy is tactical and layered, using a three-character party inspired by systems like Mass Effect. Gear and item choices influence strategy, and players can respec and resell equipment without penalty.
Enemies can be debuffed, put to sleep, or slowed, and the game supports stacked effects and counters. Defenses, retaliations, and deflections add nuance—emphasized as rewarding for thoughtful play.
Accessibility & Difficulty Modes
Two difficulty settings are available:
- Story Mode: forgiving, intuitive – for players focused on narrative.
- Strategy Mode: requires stronger gear awareness and strategy depth.
This helps address LandShark’s goal to be welcoming to newcomers while retaining depth for experienced players.
Visual & Audio Style
The game runs in full 3D, unlike their previous 2D works. The devs built custom asset pipelines and a “script tool” (inspired by Inkle) to control staging, character positioning, expressions, and camera perspective—creating what they describe as a stage-like presentation.
Performance & Requirements
Minimum specs include Core i3-3225, 4 GB RAM, and GeForce GT 420 or equivalent. Recommended: Core i5-class CPU and GTX 750 Ti GPU or better, with 1 GB disk space required. Early Access has a launch discount—$14.99 USD/€14.99/£12.79, down 20% for EA buyers. The game also supports Steam Deck.
Trailer
Check out the official Early Access launch trailer for a peek at gameplay, narrative moments, and art style:
Summary
Grifford Academy is a compact, character-first RPG that merges teenage coming-of-age themes with accessible yet layered turn-based combat. Developed by a seasoned crew at LandShark Games, it features:
- A narratively complete story with decisions that affect both personality and plot.
- Tactically rich combat—buffs, debuffs, gear swaps, and difficulty tuning.
- Cozy 3D visuals, intimate staging, and custom scripting tools.
- An Early Access approach focused on community-driven polish and systems expansion.
With around 10–15 hours of gameplay in its current form, it provides a tight, emotionally resonant experience ideal for both RPG novices and genre fans. The full 1.0 release and potential console ports will follow once feedback is integrated, making Grifford Academy a captivating, living world to watch—and join.
