Secret of Evermore is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

The gameplay shares many similarities with Secret of Mana, such as real-time battles, a ring-shaped menu system, and the ability to switch control between the two characters.

[5] The game consists mostly of an aerial view setting, where the boy and his dog negotiate the terrain and fend off hostile creatures.

Both characters can find refuge in caves or a town, where they can regain their hit points or purchase restorative items and equipment.

Upon collecting enough experience points in battle, either character can increase in level with improved stats such as strength and evasion.

Options including changing equipment or casting alchemy spells; checking status can be performed quickly by rotating through the game's Action Ring system.

[11] Most vendors only specialize in one type of good, and some rare items require an extensive amount of trading to obtain.

The player explores four main areas within this world, corresponding to different historical eras: Prehistoria contains cavemen and dinosaurs; Antiqua boasts a colosseum and pyramid theme; Gothica contains medieval castles and is populated by dragons; Omnitopia is a futuristic space station.

[4][7][19] The story of Secret of Evermore begins with a black and white flashback to 1965, in a small town called Podunk, USA.

Thirty years later, the game's young protagonist is leaving a theater when his pet dog chases after a cat on the street.

[21] Each of the three companions acts as the ruler of his or her world: Elizabeth, the Professor's niece, is the tribal chief of Prehistoria; Horace Highwater, curator of the Podunk Museum, oversees Antiqua; Camellia Bluegarden, a portly librarian, is the Queen of Gothica; Professor Ruffleberg monitors everything from Omnitopia, with his android butler, Carltron, alongside him.

[22][23][24] Within Prehistoria, Antiqua, and Gothica, the boy and his canine companion aid Elizabeth, Horace, and Camellia in thwarting attempts by Podunk citizens' robotic clones from ruling their respective areas.

After the credits roll, a final scene shows Professor Ruffleberg returning Carltron to his old task of cleaning the lab.

In early 1994, the development of Secret of Evermore began at SquareSoft, the Redmond, Washington, office of the Japanese parent company Square.

Square Soft began work on the detailed storyline focused on a boy traveling with his dog through a world based on cheesy B movies.

Producer Alan Weiss's original concept had a group of magic users who "could tell dream stories and transport the listeners into the experience, virtually".

[30] It was put together using the company's SAGE (Square's Amazing Graphical Editor) program, led by programmer Brian Fehdrau.

[29] The final product of Secret of Evermore was produced using another company program, SIGIL (Square Interpreted Game Intelligence Language).

[29] Other Square titles such as Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger were being localized simultaneously with the production of Secret of Evermore.

In high school Soule was a big fan of video games, but he felt most of their scores "lacked drama and intensity".

After completing high school, Soule created an experimental demo showcasing what he felt video game scores should sound like.

Scary Larry of GamePro, however, found the spell animations weak compared to those of other Square games, and said the bosses are large but strangely unimpressive.

[45] A highlight for some critics was gameplay, particularly the unique alchemy system and aspects also found in Secret of Mana such as the ring menu.

[45][41] Nintendo Power praised the game for its graphics, sound, play control, story, and variety but criticized it for its awkward battle system and simple A.I.

Although the quality of the musical compositions and sound effects were praised,[41][45][48] Scary Larry complained of the player character's dog barking "constantly".

[50][45] Victor Lucas of Electric Playground praised the game saying that while it did not reach the heights of Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VI, it was still a highly enjoyable experience.

[51] In a retrospective review, Allgame editor Scott Alan Marriott described the game as "a good, solid RPG, but those expecting memorable characters or a dramatic, involving story will most likely be disappointed".